Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Boston Red Sox face pivotal decisions with Alex Cora's future uncertain after an inconsistent start to the season.
- Several experienced managers, Rocco Baldelli and Brandon Hyde, could emerge as potential successors.
- These candidates could bring fresh strategies and stability to the team during its current transitional phase.
If Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora’s time in Beantown is nearing its end, at least he can say that he won a World Series as both a player and manager.
Questions about Cora’s long-term future in Boston have lingered for over a year, especially after the Rafael Devers third base controversy last spring. Lead baseball executive Craig Breslow inherited Cora, his former Red Sox teammate who has managed Boston for eight seasons across two stints.
Devers is long gone, though, and the Red Sox are in a transitional period. Cora turned heads earlier this week when he benched starting catcher Carlos Narváez for undisclosed reasons despite his hot start. Neither Cora nor Narváez has expanded on the benching, instead offering vague explanations.
Cora doesn’t seem long for Boston, especially given the Red Sox’ 1-5 start. If Breslow does make a midseason change, bench coach Ramón Vázquez makes sense as the interim replacement. But as for a long-term option? We suggest that Breslow consider giving these guys a call.
Brad Ausmus, Yankees bench coach
I’m surprised that Ausmus isn’t a mainstay on lists like these, even after his failed season with the Angels in 2019. Then again, no one has won in Anaheim over the last decade, even when Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani were healthy enough to share a lineup.
Ausmus led the Tigers to a postseason berth and winning records from 2014-17, so he’s at least enjoyed some success in the majors. More recently, Ausmus managed Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic, and the Dartmouth grad was widely regarded as one of the smartest players in sports during his playing career.
Breslow is a Yale alum and previously pitched for Team Israel during the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Ausmus might have the edge here, assuming that he wants to manage again.
Brandon Hyde, former Orioles manager
Don’t let Hyde’s losing record in Baltimore fool you. He successfully navigated the Orioles through a trying rebuild, one that saw them lose 108 and 110 games in two of his first three seasons. By 2023, the Orioles were AL East champions, and they earned a Wild Card berth a year later.
I’ve always considered the Yankees’ hiring of Aaron Boone, who lacked any sort of MLB staffing experience, to be a mistake because he completely mishandled the supposed Baby Bomber era. From Anthony Volpe to Gary Sánchez, Boone has long struggled to hold young players accountable and help them mature into dependable starters.
Hyde, on the other hand, repeatedly earned rave reviews for how he handled the Orioles’ youth movement, even in the weeks before his May 2025 dismissal. That’s exactly what Breslow should want in his next manager.
Jason Varitek, Red Sox game planning coordinator
Upon further reflection, this is a perfect match. Varitek played his entire 15-year career with the Red Sox, serving as their captain from 2005 through his retirement after the 2011 season. A three-time All-Star, Varitek was the soul of the 2004 and 2007 championship teams and never backed down from a challenge, as Alex Rodriguez learned firsthand.
Varitek has also served on Cora’s staff for the last six seasons, so he’s gotten plenty of MLB coaching experience. Perhaps most importantly, Varitek and Breslow were teammates in 2006, so if the latter thinks highly of him, that could bode well for Varitek’s chances of getting an interview.
Jeff Banister, Diamondbacks bench coach
Did you know that Banister has the highest batting average in MLB history? He recorded an infield single in his lone at-bat for the Pirates in 1991, giving him a lifetime 1.000 average. Now you have another option for when you’re playing Immaculate Grid and they ask for someone who only played for one team and had a batting average above .300.
Banister led the Rangers to consecutive AL West titles in 2015 and 2016 but was fired in the final days of an 88-loss campaign in 2018. It’s worth noting, though, that Banister turns 63 next January, and he last managed nearly a decade ago. Could those factors hurt his chances with the Red Sox?
Rocco Baldelli, former Twins manager
In theory, this would be a fun homecoming for Baldelli, a Rhode Island native who played for the Red Sox in 2009. Baldelli quietly led the Twins to three postseason berths over seven seasons; he even broke a 22-year playoff victory drought in 2023. Maybe the Cowboys should hire him.
Baldelli is another former Breslow teammate, and he’s proven himself as a capable MLB manager. Anyone who can guide the Twins to three AL Central titles, especially given their reputation as inconsistent spenders, is absolutely worth the call.