The fallout from Alex Cora's firing continues to dominate Red Sox headlines, and if you thought the drama was over, think again. Welcome to "Hit Piece Week" in Boston, where the media is peeling back the layers on what really went down behind the scenes.
Leading the charge is Alex Speier, arguably the dean of the Red Sox beat, with a deep dive into the fractured relationship between chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and former manager Alex Cora. The most explosive detail? Breslow was reportedly planning significant coaching staff changes—especially within the hitting group, which included beloved coach Pete Fatse. One player described Fatse as a "top, top hitting mind and work ethic in the hitting world." But when Breslow brought up the idea of shaking up the staff, Cora drew a hard line: if Breslow wanted to fire the coaches, he'd have to fire Cora first.
And this wasn't just about Breslow wanting to bring in his own guys. There were real philosophical clashes over how to run the team. According to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, at one point last season, Breslow asked the coaching staff to start documenting every pregame hitting and defensive drill for each player. Some coaches found this excessive and time-consuming, which only deepened the sense of distrust between the front office and the dugout. Interestingly, one unnamed player credited Alex Bregman with stepping in to defend the hitting coaches and help protect their jobs.
After his dismissal, Cora was given the chance to say goodbye via email to the Red Sox staff, and Chris Cotillo of MassLive shared that farewell message. Meanwhile, the emotional toll on players is clear. Connor Wong spoke out about losing Jason Varitek, saying the former captain was "like a dad" to the entire team. And while Terry Francona might be too old to call Varitek or Cora a father figure, he did call Alex Cora "one of my favorite people in the world."
As for team owner John Henry? He remains silent, refusing to acknowledge the general public's questions about Cora's firing. The mystery—and the tension—only deepens as Boston's offseason drama rolls on.