In what has quickly become one of the most controversial press conferences in recent Boston Red Sox history, manager Alex Cora has officially broken his silence about the stunning trade that sent star slugger Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants. But instead of calming the firestorm, Cora’s cold and dismissive tone during the interview only intensified the backlash — leaving many fans questioning whether he is the right man to lead the team back to championship glory, or if he is steering the franchise further into crisis.

Cora began by confirming that the decision to trade Devers was “strategic and long-term focused,” citing the need to “restructure the team from the inside out.” According to Cora, the front office believes the club cannot afford to “chase the past” and must “embrace painful but necessary moves” in order to return to sustainable success.

“We needed flexibility, we needed pitching depth, and we needed to send a message,” Cora said. “Raffy’s talent was never in question. But this is about the bigger picture.”

But it wasn’t just the content of his answers that set social media ablaze — it was his tone. Cora appeared dismissive, curt, and at times even irritated, brushing off multiple questions with vague replies, and offering little to no empathy for the emotional impact the trade had on the fanbase.

When one reporter asked about the timing of the trade and why Devers wasn’t even informed directly by the manager himself, Cora simply said:

“That’s not my job. That’s how these things go sometimes. It’s business.”

Fans were quick to voice their outrage.

“We just lost our franchise player and all he gives us is a shrug?” one fan posted.
“Cora looks like he’s already checked out mentally,” another wrote.
And perhaps the most biting comment of all: “This doesn’t feel like leadership. This feels like betrayal.”

The backlash has been fierce. At Fenway, chants of “Fire Cora” were reportedly heard from a small group of angry fans near the stadium gates. On sports radio, callers lined up to question not only the trade but Cora’s entire vision for the team. Even some former Red Sox players have weighed in anonymously, expressing concern about the disconnect between Cora and the locker room.

One veteran who spoke on background said, “You don’t trade a guy like Devers without expecting a storm. But you better be prepared to weather it. Right now, it doesn’t seem like anyone at the top is.”

Meanwhile, Devers — now officially introduced in San Francisco — remained gracious in his remarks but couldn’t hide the sting. “I didn’t know anything,” he told reporters. “I got messages, not conversations. That’s how it ended for me.”

The Red Sox now face not just a rebuilding year on the field, but a growing trust crisis with their fanbase. While some supporters are willing to wait and see how the trade pieces develop, others are already calling this move a franchise-shattering mistake.

And all eyes are on Alex Cora. The once-revered manager who brought a championship to Boston in 2018 is now being viewed by many as the man who might be leading the team into a new dark age.

The question that now echoes across Red Sox Nation is hauntingly clear:

Is Alex Cora still building a future — or has he already destroyed it?