The Boston Red Sox shocked the baseball world on April 26, firing longtime manager Alex Cora and six members of his major league coaching staff just 27 games into the 2026 season. Among the coaches fired was assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson, who joined the Miami Marlins organization over the summer in a "roving hitting coach" role. Marlins President of Baseball Operations Peter Bendix and manager Clayton McCullough clearly liked what they saw from Lawson in his short time with the organization; the 41-year-old has been named Miami's next hitting coach. 

Lawson joined the Red Sox organization in 2024 as minor league hitting coordinator, helping develop top prospects Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, Kyle Teel, and Marcelo Mayer. He was promoted to the major league staff ahead of the 2025 season, serving as an assistant to hitting coach Pete Fatse. Before joining the Red Sox organization, Lawson served as the New York Yankees' minor league hitting coordinator from 2019 to 2021, then became their major league hitting coach, a role he held until 2023. 

He'll now take over a Marlins offense that finished the 2026 season 18th in runs scored (715). 

Along with Cora, Lawson and Fatse, Boston fired third-base coach Kyle Hudson, bench coach Ramon Vasquez, and game-planning coordinator Jason Varitek. Of the seven coaches fired, only Lawson and Fatse have joined new organizations. Fatse, who spent parts of six seasons on Boston's major-league coaching staff, joined the Tampa Bay Rays' research and development team as a hitting consultant over the summer. 

As for Cora, after turning down an offer from former Red Sox President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski to join him in Philadelphia as Phillies manager just days after his dismissal in Boston. Cora has once again spurned his former boss in Boston, rejecting an offer to replace interim manager Don Mattingly in Philadelphia, citing his desire to spend another summer with his family.

Vasquez, Cora's top lieutenant in Boston, could emerge as a candidate for other managerial openings after being considered for jobs in years past. However, if nothing materializes on that front, he seems like a safe bet to join Cora when he eventually returns to the dugout. 

Finally, there's Varitek, a two-time World Series Champion and Red Sox Hall of Famer. Shortly after the firings, the team called Varitek's dismissal a "reassignment" to a different role in the organization, to be announced later. Earlier in the season, Kennedy was asked about Varitek's role on the team, saying Varitek was taking time away from baseball after being hit hard by the decision.

Kennedy was asked about Varitek's status within the organization in the annual end-of-season press conference on Oct. 5, telling reporters that the longtime catcher has not yet rejoined the organization in any capacity, but the two sides have "connected" with each other. 

Where the former Red Sox coaches land will be an interesting storyline to follow as the offseason progresses.