BALTIMORE — As Craig Breslow sank into his chair to explain away the most stunning decision in Boston Red Sox history since Mookie Betts was dealt away from Fenway Park, the club’s chief baseball officer wore a morose and weary look on his face.
Alongside him, Sam Kennedy, the team’s typically cheery president and CEO and conduit to owner John Henry, was reading the Beantown obituary for Alex Cora, fired as the club’s manager in a stunning move less than 24 hours earlier on Saturday, April 25. On one hand, Kennedy dished out the finest ingredients one could find in a C-suite word salad ("Painful but necessary," and "a new start begins today") and on the other acknowledging Cora will "go down as one of the greatest managers in Red Sox history."
As Kennedy spoke and Sunday morning unfolded, a few things became apparent:
This was Breslow’s decision to fire Cora and five more coaching staff members, including franchise icon Jason Varitek, Not Kennedy’s. And not principal owner John Henry, who kept alive his six-year streak of not talking to the media.
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As a later conversation with shortstop Trevor Story would reveal, Breslow’s clubhouse explanation of the firing, held just moments before the media briefing, did not go well.
And Cora’s firing only illustrated the ugliest side of what should be the most successful franchise in baseball this century: Hardly anyone, no matter how successful, gets out of Boston on their own two feet.
Not Terry Francona and Theo Epstein, smeared and unceremoniously sent elsewhere after delivering Boston two World Series championships in 2004 and 2007. Not Dave Dombrowski, architect of the greatest of the Red Sox’s four world champions in 2018.
Not Betts, traded after a mild contract impasse to the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he’d win three more championships as his Boston tenure fades further in the background.
And now Cora, rookie manager for that 119-win 2018 team, ostensibly one of the most secure managers in baseball, owner of a three-year contract extension that pays him $21.75 million through 2027.
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A 10-17 start would be his undoing, the most recent indignity a three-game sweep by the rival New York Yankees, which set in motion the mind meld between Breslow, Kennedy and Henry that resulted in respected Class AAA manager Chad Tracy’s promotion to the big club.
To be clear, the players love Tracy, are rooting for him, want to salvage these last 135 games of the season. At the same time, tight-lipped as they tried to be, it was hard to avoid the notion that this was a franchise adrift.
"It’s kind of up in the air what the true direction is," Story said before Sunday’s game. "And those are conversations that need to be had, and they'll be had today.
"I came here to win, and I came here to be successful, and we had a flash of that last year. We were looking to build on it, obviously, not off to a great start, but some of the direction needs to be cleared up a little bit."
Clarity did not come in a brief pregame meeting with Breslow, Kennedy and Henry.
"I spoke. They spoke," Story said. "We'll have our talk. We haven't had it yet."
Indeed, Story was out of Sunday’s lineup and said he had an immediate date with Breslow. Yet it’s not likely Story will be assured of franchise direction with words, when actions have said so much more.
Story was signed by previous GM Chaim Bloom to a six-year, $140 million before the 2022 season. By September 2023, Bloom was gone.
Bloom had succeeded Dombrowski, kicked to the curb in September 2019, less than a year removed from the last Red Sox championship team, led by Betts and J.D. Martinez and a pedal-to-the-medal front office.