Alex Cora out as Red Sox manager following sign-stealing revelations

Another domino has fallen in Major League Baseball's efforts to clamp down on technology-aided sign-stealing.

The Boston Red Sox and manager Alex Cora "mutually agreed to part ways" Tuesday, the team announced, just one day after Major League Baseball revealed that Cora played a significant role in the Houston Astros electronic sign-stealing scheme when he was the franchise's bench coach in 2017. MLB is also investigating similar allegations against Boston, so Cora became the subject of two major scandals, which prompted the Red Sox to determine that "it would not be possible" for Cora "to effectively lead the club going forward."

There's been serious repercussions for those involved with Houston's malfeasance — the club's manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Lunhow were both suspended for the 2020 season and subsequently fired by Astros owner Jim Crane. MLB has yet to dole out a punishment for Cora, but it's expected to perhaps be even more severe than the one given to Hinch and Lunhow, considering Cora's role appears to have been much greater.

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Cora, who enjoyed a long playing career as an infielder, has always been considered one of the game's more gifted minds. He helped guide the Red Sox to a World Series title in 2018 — his first year as a big league skipper — but it may be awhile before he finds himself back in a dugout again.