Red Sox announce additional slew of coaching changes that are sure to anger fans

The Boston Red Sox didn’t just overhaul their coaching staff — they lost the the room (and the plot) in the process.

In the wake of firing manager Alex Cora and five members of his staff — including Ramón Vázquez, Peter Fatse, Kyle Hudson, Dillon Lawson and Joe Cronin — Boston has doubled down with a series of eyebrow-raising replacements that are already drawing skepticism both inside and outside the clubhouse.

The most jarring move? Promoting Florida Complex League hitting coach Jack Simonetty straight to the major league staff. That’s not just unconventional — it’s borderline unheard of (and not in a good way).

Simonetty is now tasked with helping fix one of baseball’s worst offenses, a unit that ranks near the bottom of the league in batting average, OPS and home runs. For a team sitting at 10-17 and buried in the American League East, the leap feels less like bold innovation and more like organizational desperation.

Red Sox coaching changes reek of panic, desperation in wake of Alex Cora firing

And the changes don't stop there.

Boston is reshuffling responsibilities across the board. José Flores is stepping into a bench coach role. Chad Epperson moves to third base coach. Pablo Cabrera will handle first base duties. The hitting structure itself has been rebranded, with John Soteropulos and Collin Hetzler both now carrying the title of “hitting coach,” creating a shared-responsibility model for a lineup that has struggled to produce even basic results.

Meanwhile, pitching coaches Andrew Bailey and Chris Holt remain — one of the few areas where Boston has opted for continuity.

Former major leaguer Chad Tracy takes over as interim manager, inheriting a clubhouse described by players as “in shock.” Veteran shortstop Trevor Story openly questioned the direction of the franchise, while right-hander Garrett Whitlock acknowledged the front office’s message was clear: focus on playing, not questioning.

But that message hasn’t landed cleanly. Players were given minimal explanation from chief baseball officer Craig Breslow in a brief meeting that included no dialogue. Ownership, including John Henry and Sam Kennedy, stood silently in the background.

That silence now echoes louder. Because these moves don’t just signal change — they signal a front office willing to gamble big, and fast, without clear buy-in from the clubhouse. And when a struggling team responds to failure by promoting from the lowest rung of the developmental ladder, it raises an uncomfortable question:

Is this a plan — or a panic?

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