The Boston Red Sox have parted ways with manager Alex Cora, the team announced in a Tuesday night statement. “Given the findings and the Commissioner’s ruling, we collectively decided that it would not be possible for Alex to effectively lead the club going forward and we mutually agreed to part ways,” the statement read. Principal owner John Henry, Chairman Tom Werner, and CEO Sam Kennedy said it was a “sad day” and described Cora as a “beloved member” of the franchise. Cora said in the statement that the four of them had agreed “parting ways was the best thing” for the team. “I do not want to be a distraction to the Red Sox as they move forward,” he wrote. “It was an honor to manage these teams and help bring a World Series Championship back to Boston.”

Cora's departure comes amid allegations he was involved in a cheating scheme while working as a bench coach for the Houston Astros. According to CNN, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said an investigation showed that Cora helped develop and execute sign-stealing schemes while working for the Houston Astros. Cora was found to be involved in efforts to try and figure out the opposing teams’ next pitches using technology like cameras and video replay rooms, which is prohibited by the MLB, Manfred said earlier this week. Cora is also accused of employing sign-stealing schemes while he was with the Red Sox in 2018, according to The Athletic. The MLB said they would investigate the allegations in the report.