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“I don’t think Cashman would be comfortable with a guy who would almost be bigger than him” RUSSO

Chris “Mad Dog” Russo doubts the Yankees would hire Alex Cora, even as he calls for changes after their ALDS exit.

By The Sporting Page Editorial Staff
Split-screen composite of Alex Cora on the left and the New York Yankees logo on the right.
AI-assisted composite of Alex Cora, left, and the New York Yankees logo. · Credit: TSP composite; Cora reference: Latinos En Pelota / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0); Yankees logo: MLB
LISTEN TO THE EXCHANGE

Cora to the Yankees? Russo’s answer

Richard’s question and Russo’s response · 0:29 · Mad Dog Unleashed / SiriusXM

Hear the complete Yankees exchange · 2:49
Richard’s call and Russo’s full response, including his discussion of Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman.

“I know it sounds like a good idea,” Chris “Mad Dog” Russo said of Alex Cora managing the Yankees. “But I don’t think that will occur.”

Russo was responding on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Unleashed to Richard, a caller from Tennessee who wanted New York to replace Aaron Boone with the former Boston manager.

“He’s a player’s guy, but he’s no cupcake,” the caller said.

The exchange followed Tampa Bay’s 4–3 win on October 7, which completed its ALDS sweep of New York.

“I don’t think Cashman would be comfortable,” Russo said, arguing that Cora would “almost be bigger than him since he won a championship in ’18.”

Cora finished his Boston tenure with a 620–541 regular-season record, a .534 winning percentage. His first team won 108 games and the 2018 World Series. He returned to the postseason in 2021, when Boston went 92–70 and reached the American League Championship Series.

Boston finished below .500 in 2022 and 2023, went 81–81 in 2024 and improved to 89–73 in 2025. Four of Cora’s seven complete seasons ended with winning records. The Red Sox dismissed him after a 10–17 start on April 25, 2026.

Cora’s record in Boston

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Swipe across the graph to see every season.

Alex Cora’s regular-season win percentage: 66.7% in 2018 (108–54), 51.9% in 2019 (84–78), 56.8% in 2021 (92–70), 48.1% in 2022 and 2023 (78–84 each), 50.0% in 2024 (81–81), 54.9% in 2025 (89–73), and 37.0% across 27 games in 2026 (10–17). He did not manage in 2020. Career 620–541.
Regular-season winning percentage, with each season’s win–loss record. The 2026 point covers 27 games through April 25. Source: Baseball-Reference.

Cora’s playoff record was 18–10 across three appearances. Boston went 11–3 during its 2018 championship run, 6–5 in 2021 and 1–2 in the 2025 Wild Card Series loss to the Yankees. He did not manage in 2020, and Boston’s 2026 postseason came under Chad Tracy.

His playoff record, season by season

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Swipe across the graph to see every season.

Alex Cora’s postseason wins and losses: 2018, 11 wins and 3 losses with a World Series title; 2021, 6 wins and 5 losses, ending in the ALCS; 2025, 1 win and 2 losses in the Wild Card Series. No postseason in 2019, 2022, 2023 or 2024. He did not manage in 2020 and left Boston in April 2026. Career 18–10.
Postseason game totals: 11–3 in 2018, 6–5 in 2021 and 1–2 in 2025. The dashed lines connect playoff appearances; intervening years have no playoff game totals. Source: Red Sox / MLB.

Russo expected the Yankees to retain Boone and called that prospect “a mistake.” He also called for owner Hal Steinbrenner to change general managers, while acknowledging Brian Cashman’s work assembling the roster.

“Cashman’s been there too long too, but, you know, Cashman’s done a very good job,” Russo said.

“I’d get rid of Cashman too. I’d start fresh if I was Hal.”

MLB.com reported on October 7, citing sources, that Cora had told Dave Dombrowski he was not interested in managing in 2027.

Sources and notes

Audio: Mad Dog Unleashed / SiriusXM, “Rays Sting the Yanks.” Excerpts from a recorded segment; its original broadcast date is not established. The audio retains the recorded playback speed.
Records cover games credited to Cora as manager. The 2026 regular-season point stops after 27 games; Boston’s later games under Chad Tracy are excluded. The 2021 Wild Card victory counts as one postseason game.
Composite illustration: Cora portrait based on Latinos En Pelota / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0; Yankees logo from MLB. AI-assisted enlargement and composition.