The Boston Red Sox are off to a mediocre start to the 2023 season. Though they were expected to be nothing more than a fringe playoff team, it is still hard to justify a winning market like Boston producing a losing team. The Red Sox are 9-10 three weeks into the season, a respectable mark for some teams, but they sit in last place in a juggernaut of an AL East.

Boston sports one of the best offenses in baseball, but the pitching staff has not held up its end of the bargain for the Red Sox. The team has allowed the fifth most runs in the league and has the sixth-worst team ERA at 5.20.

The Red Sox have been a perennial contender over the past 20 years. Four World Series titles and 14 winnings seasons in that time span lead to a heap of expectations, even if they were a bit mild for this season. There's still so much baseball left to be played in 2023. The Red Sox can still turn things around and make a push for the postseason.

2. Chris Sale is no longer reliable

The past four years have been a disaster for Chris Sale. After sporting his worst ERA in a season in 2019 (4.40), Sale has thrown just 48.1 innings in the four seasons since, including 2023. A plethora of injuries has given way to a complete downspin in his career after seven straight all-star selections.

This season has been a continued disappointment for Sale and the Red Sox. Sale has given up 16 earned runs in 18 innings this season for a skyrocket ERA of 8.00. He is however coming off his best start of the young season on Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins. Sale registered his first quality start of 2023 in a Red Sox win, allowing one run on three hits in six innings, striking out 11 hitters.

Boston hopes that Sale can continue to build on that start and get back to the ace form the league was so accustomed to seeing, or at least get a glimpse of it. Sale has a chance to make some positives out of an otherwise dreadful contract. After helping the Red Sox win the World Series in 2018, Sale signed a five-year, $145 million contract extension with the Boston.

That contract was certainly deserved given Chris Sale's track record at the time he signed. Surely the Red Sox nor Sale thought the ace would fall off a cliff after signing. He has a 4.42 ERA in 40 starts since putting pen to paper. His days as a quality starter may be numbered.

1. The Red Sox should fire Alex Cora

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A bumpy start after a losing season in 2022 may have some people questioning Alex Cora's job status. Currently in his fifth season as Red Sox skipper, Cora has been very critical of his team's performance at times this season. He has not been void of his own criticism though, saying “I guess I gotta do a better job at coaching them” after a brutal defensive display against the Tampa Bay Rays.

We've seen a sudden firing of a manager turn a team around as recently as 2022. The Phillies dug themselves out of a hole last June and carried momentum all the way to the World Series after firing Joe Girardi. Could the Red Sox see if lightning can strike twice and benefit from a similar move?

Realistically, Cora's job shouldn't really be in jeopardy. He has registered just one losing season as Red Sox manager and won a World Series in his first season in charge in 2018. That type of success typically carries a longer sentence when it comes to job security.

It's not out of the question though for the Red Sox to fire Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom. If a new baseball operations leader steps in, he or she could opt to bring in their own manager if Cora hasn't yet turned things around. To be clear, the rumors of an end to the Bloom era are far more pertinent than those pertaining to Alex Cora. 

Cora may be able to hang onto his job for a little longer, perhaps even through the season. Don't be surprised if a similar start next season leads to more speculation on his dismissal, especially if there's a new person in charge.

The success of the Red Sox under Cora gives him some leeway, but it doesn't make him immortal either. In a “what have you done for me lately” business like baseball, Cora may have less time than people think to bring Boston back to winning ways.