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The Red Sox coaching staff overhaul is ‘borderline irresponsible’ | Fenway Rundown
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- The Red Sox coaching staff overhaul is ‘borderline irresponsible’ | Fenway Rundown
When Craig Breslow decided to clean house and fire Alex Cora and the bulk of the Red Sox coaching staff in one swift Saturday-night move, the decision suggested a deliberate succession plan was already in motion with xperienced replacements prepared to assume their roles and veteran voices positioned to provide stability and a coherent vision for the organization’s future.
Instead, Boston has assembled a coaching staff drawn predominantly from the lower levels of its minor league system, including several individuals who are younger than the major league players they will now coach.
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On the latest episode of the Fenway Rundown , Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam provided an in-depth examination of the coaching transition.
The most striking aspect of this situation extends beyond Breslow’s decision to part ways with Alex Cora and a significant portion of his coaching staff — it concerns the composition of their replacements.
First base coach Pablo Cabrera, 28, has held a variety of minor league roles with the franchise. Jack Simonetty, promoted from the Florida Complex League, is 26. A new bullpen catcher was elevated from Portland while still on the active roster. These are not veteran coaches returning to the major leagues or experienced professionals seeking second opportunities. As McAdam characterized it, these are coaches who were recently working at “the bottom rung of the ladder.”
McAdam offered a pointed assessment during the episode.
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“To place those individuals in a major league clubhouse for the first time, without that credibility, without that resume, without that experience, is borderline irresponsible on Craig Breslow ’s part,” McAdam said.
This is an organization that, under Terry Francona, maintained a coaching staff with decades of combined major league experience. The average age of Francona’s staff was well into the 40s and 50s. The reconstituted Red Sox staff’s most experienced remaining member is pitching coach Andrew Bailey — the only coach with major league playing experience.
When Cotillo noted that the three new hitting coaches are approximately 30 years old or younger and lack major league playing experience, McAdam’s response encapsulated the broader concern.
“I cannot adequately express how amateurish that appears,” McAdam said.
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Beyond optics, there are substantive operational concerns. Chad Tracy , a first-time major league manager, is navigating one of the most challenging periods in recent Red Sox history without the type of experienced bench coach who could provide crucial guidance during critical moments. McAdam had anticipated the appointment of a seasoned veteran — someone in the mold of Buck Showalter or Ron Roenicke — to serve as a stabilizing presence. Instead, José Flores, Tracy’s former bench coach from Worcester, represents the senior voice on this reconfigured staff.
There is also a philosophical dimension worth examining. As Cotillo noted, the comprehensive coaching turnover raises substantive questions about the role of organizational methodologies, particularly the influence of Driveline Baseball , in determining personnel retention.
Were these dismissals ideologically motivated? Were the departing coaches removed due to their alignment with Cora’s approach? Were replacements selected based on their adherence to a specific developmental philosophy?
These questions remain unanswered.
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What is indisputable is that veteran players including Trevor Story , Garrett Whitlock , and Garrett Crochet are now entering a clubhouse where multiple coaches are meeting them for the first time. This represents not merely a transition, but a fundamental disruption. Whether the Red Sox can maintain cohesion through this period of uncertainty will define the 2026 season.
Don’t miss this episode of the Fenway Rundown as Cotillo and McAdam break down every layer of the coaching staff fallout.
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