After what was a disappointing end to a rather disappointing season, the Boston Red Sox decided to retool in a big way. After a lot of criticism from fans and media members, the Red Sox brass decided it was time to part ways with their polarizing Manager, John Farrell. Farrell has often been criticized for his lack of success with the Red Sox since their World Series win in 2013. After the win that year, Boston would miss the playoffs the following two years, before winning the American League East Division the last two years, but losing in the ALDS both times, including the most recent loss to the Houston Astros.
Farrell’s firing does not come without its criticisms. For starters, John Farrell became the first manager in Red Sox history to win three AL East crowns, and the first to win consecutive division titles. In his five seasons with the Sox, Farrell compiled a record of 432-378. Considering that he won a World Series title, Farrell will be considered one of the most successful managers in team history.
Farrell certainly deserves some praise after the way he managed the team in 2013, but he also deserves criticism for how it performed in the following four years. Farrell, when not struggling to have a winning season, had allowed the Red Sox to struggle with being mentally ready for the postseason. Just last season, a Red Sox team that lead all of baseball in runs, struggled to score against Cleveland. This season, the Red Sox offense struggled all year long, as they ranked in the bottom four of home runs hit by a team, after being in the top 10 the season before.
The fact is that John Farrell had lost his voice in the clubhouse. He relied on superb individual play in 2016, but when the individual effort of young players diminished, the team was just barely good enough to make the playoffs this year. After the loss of David Ortiz’s leadership, the team needed to be managed and Farrell was unable to pull his core of young, talented players together. There are other things to point out with Farrell, like his inability to form a consistent bullpen, or his overuse of Chris Sale. These are just supplementary things, though, at the end of the day John Farrell was unable to realize the potential of a very talented Red Sox team.
Dave Dombrowki stated that he will begin his managerial search immediately. In a press conference, Dombrowski stressed the importance of a manager that has job knowledge “running the game, running the pitching staff [and] dealing with the media.” Adding onto that, Dombrowski also stressed that candidates don’t need to have managerial experience, but it does help. He merely stressed that the person should have experience “being in the dugout during a game.”
Many members of the media have begun speculating on who the next Sox skipper will be. One of the more common names is former Sox shortstop and current Astros Bench Coach Alex Cora. Cora has been on the job in Houston for one year, but has caught the eye of many teams around the league as a potential big-league manager. Some of the other names connected to the position have been Brad Ausmus, a former Detroit Tigers manager and New England native, who grew up a Red Sox fan, and Ron Gardenhire, the former longtime manager of the Minnesota Twins.
Ultimately, this decision is make or break for the Sox. With a young core heading into their crucial development stage, the team needs the right manager to help them realize their potential. After the offense’s collective slump in 2017, hopefully the next Boston skipper will be able to put the Red Sox back on track, and continue on toward a World Series.