The Red Sox announced that John Farrell will be back as manager in 2016. Torey Lovullo, meanwhile, will return as bench coach for 2016.
Lovullo has inked a two-year contract extension with the club taking him through the 2017 season. Surprisingly, Lovullo has “waived the right to pursue any major league managerial openings in the 2015/16 offseason” as per the terms of his deal. Lovullo has long been considered a managerial candidate in the majors and many expected him to be a hot candidate once again this winter.
The good news within the press release is that Farrell has completed chemotherapy treatments in Boston. Ostensibly, the announcement that he will return to managing if given a clean bill of health is another positive sign for his recovery. The 53-year-old Farrell has served as the team’s manager dating back to 2013 — a season that saw the former Red Sox pitching coach win a World Series title in his return to Boston. He’s compiled a 218-220 record in the regular season while serving as Boston’s skipper and has also managed the Blue Jays at the Major League level.
So, big raise for Lovullo and an off-the-record promise of the manager job after Farrell is done?
Either way, as a Sox fan I love it and I really respect Lovullo staying with the club. I have no doubt he could have been a manager in 2016 somewhere else if he chose to.
But Farrell mightn’t be done for a nice while yet. So long as he is healthy, he will likely be managing for a long time (unless they fire him, in which case Lovullo isn’t likely to become the manager as a result). The guy is only 53.
Farrell’s contract is only guaranteed through the 2017 season (duration of Lovullo’s extension, imagine that). And if the team underperforms under his watch again next year, his job might actually end up in trouble.
Yes, that is true. I just don’t think we’ll see Lovullo as the manager if Farrell does a poor job. I think it is more likely that they would look outside than give the job to the bench coach. As I’ve seen pointed out already, the Red Sox likely gave Lovullo this extension (and as you said, likely expensive) in order to keep him as a back-up in case Farrell has a setback with his health, not because they envision giving him the manager’s role in a couple years time.
It’s likely that they hope Farrel is the long term guy. But if he is not healthy or next season starts off rough, then Lovullo is going to be the next manager. If the Sox play well then Lovullo will probably pursue a job in 2017. This is a very good situation for Lovullo. he is next in line and if they play poorly and if they play well he has a nice contract, a nice chance to get a job in 2017 and a chance at a ring next year. He probably realizes just how close we are.
Lovullo just screwed himself, it was a great thing to do be true to your friend, but he will be seen as others as having an eye on a job he will never get. I am not convinced that Farrell is a good Manager and his short commings will cost Torry
The Lovullo extension almost makes me think they’re still worried about Farrell.
From what I’ve read on other article, sort of. There’s still a chance Farrell won’t come back, so it looks like they gave Lovullo a raise to be plan B.
This was the right way to handle things and Lovullo deserves a lot of credit.
Personally, I would’ve loved for the FO to convince Farrell to go away quietly, but that could’ve been very messy.
Farrel won a world series and is a Red Sox guy. They are going to give him another chance. If they wanted him gone he would be gone. It wouldn’t have been ugly.
it would have been ugly. firing a guy after he gets cancer leave really bad blood. It was the right call because lovullo takes over if they don’t see Farrell is fit; not because of cancer.
A World Series win doesn’t mean he gets a free pass forever. He’s done a terrible job since that and Lovullo has looked great.
The Red Sox are trying to have some sort of continuity. Changing everything every year is not what they want. Farrell will have a very short leash next year but he is the guy they wanted since 2011. You can not blame him for the turn around when in all likelyhood a lot of the control of the rooster came down from the Red Sox brass. Farrel was given a weak pitching staff and a bunch of hitters underperformed. It was the young guys that turned this around. Farrel does not have the say as to who is on his 25 man rooster.
Poor choice.
I believe Jason Varitek will be the next manager in 2018. Maybe Pedro as the pitching coach.
It sucks that he has this cancer, but I’m glad he’s gonna be back for the 2016 season!