The Red Sox announced that they have added three new coaches to their staff today. José David Flores is now the interim bench coach. Pablo Cabrera is the interim first base coach/outfield instructor. Jack Simonetty has been hired as an interim hitting assistant. Chris Cotillo of MassLive first reported the news on Flores and Simonetty while Alex Speier of The Boston Globe was first on Cabrera.
The moves are in response to the stunning Red Wedding-style massacre that occurred in Baltimore this weekend. The Sox fired manager Alex Cora as well as his hitting coach Peter Fatse, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson, bench coach Ramón Vázquez, third base/outfield coach Kyle Hudson, and major league hitting strategist Joe Cronin. Also, run prevention coach Jason Varitek is being reassigned to a different role within the organization.
Some of those positions were quickly filled, at least on an interim basis. Chad Tracy was called up from the minors to take over as interim manager. Chad Epperson became interim third base coach. Collin Hetzler was added to the hitting staff. That still left the overall coaching group far lighter than before, but today’s additions effectively get the staff back to previous levels.
Flores, 55, has a decent amount of previous MLB coaching experience. He was infield coordinator for the Cubs from 2012 to 2017. He was the first base coach for the Phillies in 2018, then served as third base coach in Baltimore for the next two seasons. The Sox hired him to work as bench coach for Triple-A Worcester, a job he held from 2022 to 2024. He was promoted to the big league staff as first base coach going into last season.
The other two hirees are far less experienced and are joining a big league staff for the first time. Cabrera, 28, was hired by the Red Sox in 2023 to work as a coach for Double-A Portland. He then worked as defensive coach in the club’s Fort Myers complex, before getting promoted to infield/outfield defensive coordinator for this season.
Simonetty, 26, was hired as a video and technology associate for Worcester in 2023. His title was player development associate in 2024. Last year, he served as assistant hitting coach for Single-A Salem. He began this year as hitting coach for the Florida Complex League Red Sox.
The Sox will now play the majority of the 2026 season with a big chunk of the staff being hired mid-season for interim roles. Whether any of them can stick around depends on what happens in the coming months and who is in charge in 2027.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images
A 28 year old first base coach? Inconceivable.
OK, I’ll bite…
You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
Now I have Public Image LTD’s “Fat Chance Hotel” stuck in my head, and it kicks butt. Thanx!
some useless holiday this turned out to be!
Genuinely interested in what Red Sox fans think of this. I always thought most Managers jobs were largely about atmospherics, with a bit of tactical stuff. FO were a different story, because they picked the roster. Teams go through rough patches…is this expected to bring and end to them? The team does have a lot of talent.
He was past his sell buy date. He wasn’t making meaningful change in the team. Time for someone new
Exactly
As a life long Red Sox fan I can tell you this.
This team was constructed by Craig Breslow, not Alex Cora. Breslow traded their best player last year for a bag of balls.
He let Bregman walk over a no trade clause.
He added zero power over the off season.
Even at the press conference he said this was an organizational decision but Sam Kennedy corrected him by saying this was Breslow’s decision.
Oh and Varitek basically told them they can shove their “reassignment” offer where the sun don’t shine. The guy turned down manage opportunities over the years to remain with the franchise he’s been with for 30 years and gets disrespected like this.
Breslow will be fired in the off season and I hope he never works another day in baseball
Calling it now, Red Sox go 81-53 the rest of the way, get a WC spot, Chad Tracy wins AL manager of the year, and also the governor makes me the official mascot of Massachusetts
As a Cardinals fan, thank you Boston for Chaim Bloom!
Here comes Pujols opportunity to manage
If bloom traded puljols in his prime ala mookie youd feel differently
Why don’t they just choose their coaches in tbe June draft?
Why don’t they just choose new coaches in the June draft?
Breslow seems to be an extremely popular figure in Boston.
Popular like Covid was a few years ago maybe
How long has Darragh been waiting to use the Red Wedding reference in an article?
I don’t know, but I’m very disappointed that it wasn’t the Boston Massacre.
The Yankees own that term from 1978.
Breslow should have traded Cora, but then again, his transactions have done more harm than good. Not sure we can blame him as he seems more like a “yes” man for ownership no longer interested in winning the WS!
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All articles keep saying ( shows also) Tek is being reassigned within the organization…I see the conversation going as…”Jason how would you like to be our 3rd catcher?? No?? …..We are parting ways with Jason and thank him for all he’s done for the Red Sox organization throughout his career…..
🤣😂💥 so awesome
Calling it a massacre might be going a bit too melodramatic
Red Wedding-style massacre? what the hell is that referenced to ?
loved the Red Wedding reference
Cora guided the team to the playoffs three times in 7 full seasons and finished last the rest of the time. I don’t get the mourning over his firing. They said on the pregame show yesterday: “Managers are basically hired to be fired”