Triple-A Worcester manager Chad Tracy will take over as Red Sox interim manager after Alex Cora was fired on Saturday evening.
Boston also fired hitting coach Peter Fatse, third base coach Kyle Hudson, bench coach Ramón Vázquez, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson and major league hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin.
Tracy is in his fifth year as Worcester’s manager, posting a 323-296 record since the start of the 2022 season. He’ll join the Red Sox in Baltimore on Sunday when Boston plays the finale of its three-game series against the Orioles. The Sox then head to Toronto for three games against the Blue Jays beginning Monday.
The Red Sox initially hired Tracy to manage Worcester in December 2021.
The 40-year-old is known for strong communication skills and developing young talent. Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, Marcelo Mayer, Ceddanne Rafaela, Brayan Bello, Payton Tolle and Connelly Early are among the top players on the big league roster who Tracy managed with Worcester.
Tracy is a former minor league player who coached in the Angels’ organization from 2015-21. He managed at Low-A Burlington in 2015 and High-A Inland Empire in 2016 and 2017. The Angels then promoted to minor-league field coordinator, a role he held for four seasons before being let go at the end of the 2021 season.
Tracy played in the minor leagues for eight seasons (2006-2013) after the Texas Rangers selected him in the third round of the 2006 MLB Draft out of Pepperdine University.
He never made the big leagues but appeared in 390 Triple-A games with four different teams: Oklahoma City (Rangers affiliate), Round Rock (Rangers affiliate), Colorado Springs (Rockies affiliate) and Omaha (Royals affiliate).
Tracy played catcher, first base and left field. He finished his playing career in the independent Atlantic League for the York Revolution.
Overall, he batted .265 with a .336 on-base percentage, .453 slugging percentage and .789 OPS in 857 minor league games. He hit 127 home runs, 207 doubles and eight triples while adding 572 RBIs.
The Red Sox also promoted Double-A Portland manager Chad Epperson to serve as interim third base coach. He has been Portland’s manager since 2022 and previously spent 12 seasons as the organization’s catching coordinator, including spending time working with the major league catchers in Boston.
Epperson previously was a minor league manager, including for then High-A Salem in 2009. He earned the California League Manager of the Year in both 2007 and 2008 when leading Lancaster, then a Class-A affiliate of Boston.
Additionally, Boston promoted Collin Hetzler from Worcester’s hitting coach to serve as part of the club’s major league hitting staff with both Fatse and Lawson gone. Assistant hitting coach John Soteropulos remains on the staff.
Game planning and run prevention coach Jason Varitek was reassigned to a different role in the organization. Details of his reassignment will be announced at a later date, according to a Red Sox’ press release.
The Red Sox won 17-1 over Baltimore on Saturday but they are just 10-17. They have the third worst slugging percentage (.354) in the majors. They are 21st in ERA (4.44).
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