In the wake of the sign-stealing scandal in which Alex Cora was implicated as both the Houston Astros bench coach in 2017 and Boston Red Sox manager in 2018, the Sox announced Tuesday night they "have mutually agreed to part ways" with the manager.
The Red Sox tweeted the following statement:
Speculation that Cora's job hung in the balance began Monday after Major League Baseball issued a scathing report that detailed the Astros sign-stealing system from 2017 when Houston won the World Series. Cora was at the center of that system, according to the report. His name is mentioned 11 times in the findings from MLB's investigation. The Astros fired manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow on Monday after MLB had announced year-long suspensions for each of them each. The Astros also lost first- and second-round draft picks in 2020 and 2021, in addition to a $5 million fine.
From the MLB report: "Cora arranged for a video room technician to install a monitor displaying the center field camera feed immediately outside of the Astros' dugout."
The league also is investigating the 2018 Red Sox for their own sign-stealing methods and whether Cora brought a similar system with him from Houston to Boston. Cora, in his first season as a manager, guided that Red Sox team to the World Series title after winning a franchise-record 108 regular-season games.
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The Red Sox are awaiting the results of MLB's investigation, which will likely include a fine and draft-pick losses similar to Houston's. Cora will also face MLB punishment as a result of the investigation, likely a suspension for a season or more should he land another MLB job.
The Red Sox have scheduled a press conference for 1 p.m. Wednesday at Fenway Park.
