The Baltimore Orioles are in the middle of a hard-fought series against the division rival Red Sox. The series is currently split after a pair of lopsided games, but it appears as though the Orioles have unexpectedly found themselves with a front seat to a reckoning in Boston's dugout and clubhouse.
While the Red Sox did rout Baltimore on Saturday, they have been one of the most disappointing teams in baseball so far this season. The problems on both sides of the ball had led some to think that manager Alex Cora or even general manager Craig Breslow could be on the chopping block.
That said, no one thought that such a culling would happen soon as we are only in April, after all. Unfortunately, a Red Sox coaching purge is exactly what happened on Saturday as manager Alex Cora and four other Boston coaches were fired on Saturday.
Third-base coach Kyle Hudson was also let go by Boston, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 25, 2026
Less than a month into the season, the Red Sox are almost fully overhauling their coaching staff. Alex Cora is out with nearly two years remaining on his deal. Wholesale changes have come to Boston.
Orioles have a massive opportunity thanks to Red Sox's descent into chaos
While the Red Sox had resided mostly in the cellar of the AL East so far this season, most outside observers still thought that Boston would be dangerous in 2026. Say what you want to about their questionable roster construction and playing time choices, that is still a team that has plenty of talent on their roster and the odds were good that they would eventually figure things out.
With these sweeping coaching changes, all bets are off. Cora was far from a perfect manager with a questionable track record in terms of ethics, but there is a reason why the Red Sox brought him back. The guy is good at what he does and the idea that the Red Sox are going to be able to fashion a functioning coaching staff on the fly with all of their other organizational dysfunction is laughable.
For the Orioles, this is a prime opportunity to make a statement. Sunday's game is going to be one where the Red Sox are obviously distracted and that should only be the beginning. Chasing down the Yankees in the AL East is not going to be easy given how they are playing right now, but it sure looks like at least one of their competitors is in the middle of a downward spiral.
