Alex Cora is latest casualty in sign-stealing scandal, yet players are spared

Another layer to one of baseball’s biggest scandals has been exposed. On Tuesday, January 14th, the Boston Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora.

How are the Red Sox related in the Astros scandal? Cora was Houston’s bench coach in 2017. And Cora was charged in MLB’s nine-page report with working with players to devise the illegal sign-stealing system. This system eventually evolved into banging trash cans to relay catchers’ signs to hitters from a monitor placed behind the dugout.

The MBL held off on disciplining Cora as it continues investigating allegations that the Red Sox also broke rules to steal signs en route to winning the World Series under Cora’s watch in 2018. The Red Sox, anticipating the penalty will be severe, did not wait to dismiss Cora, who first played in the major leagues with the Dodgers from 1998-2004.

The Red Sox had this to say in a statement: “Given the findings and the commissioner’s ruling, we collectively decided that it would not be possible for Alex to effectively lead the club going forward and we mutually agreed to part ways”.

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