Tension, sarcasm, and a smirk — that’s what defined the postgame interview with Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora, as speculation around his future continues to swirl behind the scenes.

Following a strong on-field performance by the Red Sox, one reporter, clearly not holding back, asked:

“The players have been playing extremely well since the news that the leadership wanted to fire you — do you think they’re trying to save your job?”

The question, laced with sarcasm and insinuation, sparked a wave of chuckles and awkward glances in the room. But Alex Cora? He didn’t flinch.

He smiled calmly, leaned back in his chair, and responded with a line that’s already echoing across the baseball world:

“Well… if getting fired makes us play like this, maybe I should’ve been gone weeks ago.”

Boom.

The room fell momentarily silent — then erupted in laughter. Some called it wit, others saw it as defiance. But one thing was clear: Cora is still in control of the narrative.

He followed up with a more grounded answer, saying:

“This team has always had heart. We’ve had ups and downs, sure. But these guys aren’t playing for a headline — they’re playing for each other. And that’s what matters.”

While rumors of friction between Cora and upper management have been circulating for weeks, especially during the team’s earlier struggles, his players have publicly backed him, and their recent surge in performance only adds fuel to the fire — in more ways than one.

Whether it was sarcasm or sincerity behind the reporter’s jab, Cora handled it with the same steady poise he’s shown since his first day in Boston.

If this is a man on the hot seat, he’s sitting in it like a throne.