Red Sox remove interim tag, name Chad Tracy full-time manager; extend Craig Breslow

The Red Sox are removing the interim label from Chad Tracy. 

Boston named Tracy its full-time manager Tuesday morning, signing the 41-year-old to a three-year contract with a club option for 2030. 

The organization also announced it exercised chief baseball officer Craig Breslow’s options for 2029 and 2030, providing long-term stability to a leadership group that oversaw a remarkable in-season turnaround.

Tracy becomes the 49th manager in Red Sox history.

“Craig and Chad are two exceptionally talented leaders who have earned these opportunities in very different ways,” Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy said in a statement.

Tracy took over April 25 after the Red Sox fired Alex Cora following a 10-17 start. Elevated from his role as manager of Triple-A Worcester, Tracy has guided Boston to a 74-55 record and a spot in the postseason.

The Red Sox (84-72) officially punched their ticket to October on Sunday with a little help from the Braves. 

The decision to retain Tracy seemed unlikely during the early stages of his tenure. Boston continued to struggle after the managerial change and was 32-46 entering a four-game series against the Yankees at Fenway Park on June 25.

The Red Sox swept New York, beginning a 20-3 stretch that vaulted them back into the Wild Card race. Boston later won 15 consecutive games from July 3 through July 22, matching the franchise record established by the 1946 Red Sox.

At the height of their turnaround, the Red Sox went 27-3 from July 3 through Aug. 7, the best 30-game stretch in franchise history. Their 21-4 record in July represented the best winning percentage (.840) for a calendar month in franchise history with a minimum of 20 games played.

Tracy’s promotion to the permanent job also represents the culmination of a lengthy climb through the minor leagues.

The Red Sox hired Tracy to manage Worcester in December 2021. He posted a 323-296 record with the WooSox and led the club to a winning record in each of his four full seasons from 2022-25, developing a reputation within the organization for his communication skills and ability to work with young players.

Before joining Boston, Tracy spent seven seasons in the Angels organization. He managed Low-A Burlington in 2015 and High-A Inland Empire in 2016-17 before spending four seasons as the organization’s minor league field coordinator.

Tracy also played eight minor league seasons after the Rangers selected him in the third round of the 2006 draft out of Pepperdine.

Tuesday’s announcement also ended any lingering uncertainty about Breslow’s future with the organization.

His job security was a significant topic of discussion during the first three months of the season as the Red Sox stumbled well below .500. The turnaround under Tracy, however, has helped Boston reach the postseason for a second consecutive season.

The Red Sox hired Breslow on Oct. 24, 2023. Boston went 81-81 in his first season before improving to 89-73 in 2025 and losing to the Yankees in three games in the AL Wild Card Series.

This year, Boston is again in possession of the second AL Wild Card spot and appears headed toward another best-of-three matchup with the Yankees at Yankee Stadium beginning Sept. 29.

“Over the last three years, we have watched Craig bring clarity, discipline, and conviction to the work of building our baseball operation,” Kennedy said. “Chad was asked to step into a difficult situation with little notice, but the trust he immediately commanded at the major league level was earned through years of work across our organization.

“What this team has accomplished over the past several months has been historic. Results matter greatly in this business, but so do judgment, character, and the ability to bring out the best in others. Craig and Chad have demonstrated all of those qualities, and they have earned our confidence in leading us forward.”

Breslow’s tenure hasn’t been without its misses. Deadline acquisitions including Dustin May, Luis García, Lucas Sims, Danny Jansen and James Paxton failed to produce the results Boston envisioned. It remains to be seen what happens with Adley Rutschman after he was acquired at the trade deadline this summer. 

He also faced criticism for his handling of communication with Rafael Devers, which contributed to a fractured relationship between the star and the organization. The situation ultimately culminated in the Red Sox trading Devers to the Giants on Father’s Day in June 2025.

His offseason trade work has been far more productive, with Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, Jake Bennett and Caleb Durbin among the players acquired during his tenure.

Breslow, who pitched 12 seasons in the majors and won a World Series with Boston in 2013, has also overseen an overhaul of the organization’s pitching infrastructure. The Red Sox launched a baseball sciences department under Breslow, incorporating biomechanics into the development of both pitchers and hitters.

Breslow and Tracy are now effectively attached at the hip for the next several seasons, giving the Red Sox something they haven’t often had in recent years: a head of baseball operations working with a manager he chose himself.

Dave Dombrowski hired Cora before the 2018 season, but Chaim Bloom inherited him when he took over the front office. After Cora was suspended for his involvement in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, Bloom promoted Ron Roenicke for the 2020 season before bringing Cora back the following year. Breslow then inherited Cora when he took over after the 2023 season and later signed him to an extension.

Now, with Tracy, Breslow has his own manager.

“It’s a sacred relationship between the general manager (or the head of baseball operations) and the manager, being on the same page, having that trust and that confidence in each other,” Kennedy said.

Now both Breslow and Tracy have received a significant vote of confidence from ownership before the Red Sox begin their postseason run. And for Tracy, one of the most remarkable managerial stories of the 2026 season will continue well beyond October.