Joe Cronin grew up cheering for the Boston Red Sox, and went on to spend five years working for them as well.

“Truthfully, a dream come true for me,” the Scarborough native said.

That tenure ended Saturday, when the plummeting Red Sox fired Cronin, four other coaches, and Manager Alex Cora, in a shakeup that rocked Major League Baseball.

Hitting coach Peter Fatse, third base coach Kyle Hudson, bench coach Ramon Vazquez and assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson were also let go.

Cronin, who joined the organization in 2021, was the team’s major league hitting strategy coach.

“You work in this industry, and you know that something like that is always possible,” said Cronin, 31, who starred at Scarborough High and then for Boston College before spending four seasons playing in the Minnesota Twins’ organization. “It’s kind of what makes what we do great. And at the end of the day, it’s part of it. Everyone who works in baseball, and sports in general, understands that and accepts that as part of working here.”

Cronin declined to provide details about how he was informed, though he acknowledged “it’s disappointing, for sure.”

“It’s just sad to leave Boston,” he said. “I went to school here, I’ve been coming to Sox games my whole life. From a human side, (I’m) sad to leave, and sad to leave all the people I’m close to.”

Cronin had warm words for the organization.

“I’m really grateful to the organization for the time I spent here,” he said. “I have a ton of friends here. I care a lot about the people that are still here and I wish them nothing but the best going forward.”

Some Red Sox players voiced their unhappiness with the firings, with infielder Trevor Story among the most critical.

“Some of the best coaches in the world didn’t get a fair shot,” Story told Yahoo Sports.

Asked if he thought he got that fair shot, Cronin said, “We all did,” but declined to elaborate.

“The only emotions I have are truthfully just thankful,” he said.

After being released by the Twins in 2020, Cronin joined the Red Sox as a player development intern in 2021. He became a development coach for the Greenville Drive (Boston’s Single-A minor league affiliate), then joined the major league team as a clubhouse analyst in 2023. Last season, he became Boston’s hitting strategy coach.

“I did a lot of our advanced scouting work and game-planning work for the opposing pitchers we’d face,” he said. “Other than that, just general assistant hitting coach duties. Running (batting) cage sessions, talking game-plan approach. Pretty generic hitting stuff.”

Cronin flew back home on Monday to San Diego, where he said he’ll “take a step back and see where everything falls.” But he’s not ready to leave the sport that has been a lifelong passion.

“I love baseball, I love the game. This doesn’t change any of that, at all,” he said. “I would love to stay in it. … I really loved my role here and I loved what I did. I love the hitting space, and that’s kind of the area I’ve leaned into.”

His job with the Red Sox had him in the dugout, working in a hands-on role with the players. He said that place for him was a natural fit for his interests.

“I was drawn back to the dugout and that desire to compete, and be in the fight with the guys on a nightly basis. That’s something that drives me,” he said. “(But) I know there are a lot of jobs in this industry, be it at the major league level, minor league level, in the office, what have you. I’m open to anything.”