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Red Sox ace feels guilt over Alex Cora firing: ‘Ultimately, I blame myself a lot’
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- Red Sox ace feels guilt over Alex Cora firing: ‘Ultimately, I blame myself a lot’
BALTIMORE — In the hours following the shocking news that Alex Cora and a handful of his coaches had been fired , Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet felt shock, like the rest of his teammates. But the lefty also experienced another emotion: guilt.
Crochet has not performed as expected so far this season and even after six shutout innings, has a 6.30 ERA in six starts in 2026 . The Red Sox are just 3-3 in his starts after going 24-9 (including the postseason) with him on the mound last year. Crochet has been one of the many reasons for Boston ’s poor start and 11-17 record. Because of that, he found himself looking inward in the wake of Saturday’s cuts.
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“We’ve been playing terrible,” Crochet said. “I kind of feel like those guys paid the cost of our own crime. That’s the tough part you have to battle internally, I suppose. It caused a lot of us to be introspective.
“I consider myself, whether it be in the clubhouse or on the field, a leader of this team. There were a lot of times I either had the chance to reverse momentum or keep our momentum going and I let the team down,” he added. “Ultimately, I blame myself a lot for where we’re at this year. Even if I’m throwing once every five days, it’s really just a statement thing. When I go out there and pitch well, it allows the rest of the guys to keep doing their thing and for the cog to keep churning.”
Some of Crochet’s teammates, including shortstop Trevor Story, felt that chief baseball officer Craig Breslow’s explanation for Cora’s firing during a Sunday morning team meeting fell short — and demanded further context. Crochet took a more measured approach to the news and sat down to eat with Breslow at a table outside the visitors clubhouse at Camden Yards after Boston’s 5-3 win to talk through some questions he had.
“I talked to Breslow a little bit,” Crochet said. “I’ll let those conversations remain between Breslow and myself.”
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By the end of the day Sunday, Crochet felt his questions had been answered.
“I suppose I’m at ease,” he said. “I asked the questions and got the answers to the questions I was curious about. Now, it’s just all about moving forward.
“Ultimately, it’s our job as a team to go out there and play. It’s the front office’s job to put us in position to win games and put us in a position to succeed. Maybe this is just speaking personally but I feel like we have been put in position to succeed and we haven’t gotten the job done, you know? And that’s why it sucks, because something like that falls on the players, not the staff.”
Crochet, unlike some Red Sox teammates who have never played for anyone but Cora in the majors, has some familiarity with drastic managerial changes. The 26-year-old noted that in parts of seven seasons in the big leagues, he had played for seven managers, including interim Red Sox skipper Chad Tracy. The list includes Cora, Grady Sizemore , Pedro Grifol, Tony La Russa and Rick Renteria.
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“I’ve been through this before,” Crochet lamented.
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As Crochet prepares for his next start Friday against the Astros , he recognizes how much things changed for the Red Sox on Saturday night. Like the rest of his teammates, he has no choice but to look forward.
“You understand that it’s a business, but when it’s a move that big, it really opens your eyes,” Crochet said.
“I’m very appreciative of everything that staff was able to instill in us and in me personally. I owe a lot to them in terms of my own personal growth and the growth of this team last season. Ultimately, that’s not our call.”
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