Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Chad Tracy is the Red Sox interim manager after Alex Cora’s firing. He brings years of experience from Worcester to help the team recover from a poor start.
- He led the WooSox to winning records while developing top prospects like Roman Anthony. His deep ties to the current roster make him a natural fit for the job.
- Promoting a "Best Managerial Prospect" winner signals a shift toward long-term growth, especially if he can earn his way to the full-time job.
The Boston Red Sox made the surprising decision to fire Alex Cora, giving Red Sox fans an ounce of satisfaction following an unacceptable 10-17 start to their season. While Red Sox fans are focusing on Cora and the sweeping changes made, it's worth paying attention to Cora's interim replacement, Chad Tracy.
Here's a look at why Tracy was named the interim manager and everything Red Sox fans need to know about him.
Why the Red Sox chose Chad Tracy to replace Alex Cora
Tracy has no big league managerial experience, but this is his fifth season managing the Worcester Red Sox, Boston's Triple-A affiliate. Worcester is tied for first in the International League East with a 14-11 record, and Tracy has guided the team to winning records in each of his four full seasons, going 323-296 overall.
Not only has Tracy consistently led Worcester to winning seasons, but he's also done this by guiding several prospects to strong seasons. Tracy played a role in developing Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, Kristian Campbell, Connelly Early and Payton Tolle into being top 10-20 prospects in the sport in just the past couple of years. He's even managed players who have been in the majors for a while, like Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, Brayan Bello and Jarren Duran. In other words, he's managed much of this Red Sox roster.
Relationships matter, and Tracy has them with this team. He's also gotten a lot out of the players Boston hopes will lead them long-term in a way that Cora hasn't quite done. The Red Sox could've promoted one of the few survivors of the coaching staff purge, Andrew Bailey, to manager, but Tracy's track record was too strong to ignore.
Most impressively, Tracy was named the "Best Managerial Prospect" in a poll conducted by Baseball America in 2023 and 2024. He's been a name to watch for a while, and is very deserving of this opportunity.
Chad Tracy has done more than just manage in Triple-A
Another thing that makes Tracy appealing is that he's a baseball lifer. He's spent the past half-decade managing in Triple-A, but he spent several years managing in the Los Angeles Angels' system and also holding a role as a minor league field coordinator. Before his Angels roles, Tracy was a player.
He was a productive one, too. He's most known for his years with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but slashed .274/.333/.439 with 86 home runs and 358 RBI in parts of nine years in the majors. He spent time with four different big league teams, and even played a year in Japan.
Part of what made Cora an appealing hire was the fact that he had playing and coaching experience. He knew what these players are going through, and the same can be said about Tracy, who can help navigate this team through its ups and downs.
He was drafted in the seventh round of the 2001 MLB Draft and has not left the game since. He was a minor league manager just one year after retiring, and has spent 25 years doing something in the sport. That's the kind of guy the Red Sox should want leading the charge.
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