It was beginning to look like a lost season for the Boston Red Sox. On April 25, after starting the season 10-17, the team parted ways with manager Alex Cora, who had been with the Red Sox since 2018.
The Red Sox quickly named Chad Tracy as the interim manager, but continued to struggle. However, momentum shifted on June 19 with a 6-2 win over the Seattle Mariners. Since then, Boston has gone 21-5 and emerged as serious postseason contenders.
Now at 50-48, the Red Sox hold a wild card spot and are just six games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the lead in the American League East.
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It's been an impressive turnaround, and as Boston rides a 13-game winning streak, there's buzz about Tracy earning the full-time manager position. During an appearance on "Foul Territory," The Boston Globe's Tim Healey said that Tracy has earned consideration for the permanent role.
“He absolutely is putting himself in the conversation to have the job on a permanent basis,” Healey said. “Right now, he’s just the interim manager. He has that title. The Red Sox haven’t touched it since they made the change in late April, and the results speak for themselves… It’s been a heck of a run for the Chad Tracy Red Sox, and we’ll see where it goes from here, two weeks from the trade deadline.”
Outside of this stretch with the Red Sox, he has never managed an MLB team. However, after guiding Boston to a 40-31 record since taking over, he has certainly strengthened his case to have the interim tag removed.
While there is still plenty of season left to make his case, Boston's turnaround has become one of MLB's biggest storylines. If the Red Sox can earn a playoff berth, the organization may not have to look further than Tracy.
