The Boston Red Sox on Tuesday announced that Alex Cora has ceased to be the team's manager.

"Today we met to discuss the commissioner's report related to the Houston Astros investigation. 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," said the Red Sox in a statement.

Cora has coached the Red Sox for seasons and helped the team win the 2018 World Series title defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1.

"We agreed today that parting ways was the best thing for the organization. I do not want to be a distraction to the Red Sox as they move forward. My two years as manager were the best years of my life. It was an honor to manage these teams and help bring a World Series Championship back to Boston. I will forever be indebted to the organization and the fans who supported me as a player, a manager and in my efforts to help Puerto Rico. This is a special place. There is nothing like it in all of baseball, and I will miss it dearly," said Cora in the statement.

Though the two sides claimed that they "mutually agreed to part ways," it is apparently the latest consequence of the sign-stealing scandal by the Houston Astros in 2017. Cora was Houston's bench coach back then and his name has been mentioned 11 times in the Majors' nine-page investigation report.

The MLB on Monday announced the penalties for the Astros: the team's general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch are suspended for a year; the Astros lost their first two rounds of picks for the 2020 and 2021 MLB Drafts; the team are fined five million U.S. dollars, the highest allowable under the Majors' rules.

About an hour later, the Astros' owner Jim Crane announced at a press conference that both Luhnow and Hunch have been sacked.

"I have higher standards for the city and the franchise, and I am going above and beyond MLB's penalty. We need to move forward with a clean slate, and the Astros will become a stronger organization because of this today. You can be confident that we will always do the right thing and will not have this happen again on my watch," said Crane.

Both Luhnow and Hinch later announced to take their responsibilities but also denied that they participated in sign stealing.

Both the Astros and the Red Sox now have vacancies to fill in their top offices. Chaim Bloom, who just took over from Dave Dombrowski as Red Sox chief baseball officer has a lot on his plate, including balancing the team's heavy payroll burden, deciding which player can represent the team's future and, most importantly, finding a new manager before spring training.