Pedro avoids having to wear a potentially awful final record for the 2024 season.
The one thing Grifol gets to avoid is the infamy of having to be the manager that potentially breaks the 1962 New York Mets for most defeats in a 162-game schedule. The Sox are still on track to break that infamous 40-120-1 record.
One logical reason to keep Pedro around was he has been so bad as manager that he should face that indiginity.
Instead, his early release from the job will keep him from wearing that awful record around his neck. At the same time, someone had to be held accountable for this train wreck.
The message might have been sent too late, it still needed to be sent that losing like this is not acceptable.
If the team wants to change the culture, it has to start with meeting moments like this. The timing may have failed to miss the mark, but at least it has been met. The next moment to meet is GM Chris Getz getting the next hire correctly.