Tony La Russa set to join Red Sox as advisor

Days before the Red Sox officially introduce Alex Cora as one of the youngest managers in the game, they’re poised to also add 73-year-old Tony LaRussa, one of the most experienced and respected figures in the game, to the organization,  a baseball source confirmed.

La Russa, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014, will reportedly work with Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and serve as an advisor to Dombrowski, whom he’s known for 40 years.

Dombrowski and La Russa worked together with the Chicago White Sox in the late 1970s through the mid-1980s – La Russa in his first major league managerial role and Dombrowski as an assistant to general manager Roland Hemond.

Until last month, La Russa had worked as chief baseball analyst for the Arizona Diamondbacks, but he left their employ two weeks ago. La Russa had served as chief baseball officer beginning in 2014, but saw his role reduced as his choice for GM, Dave Stewart, was fired and former Red Sox GM Mike Hazen was brought on-board.

It’s assumed that La Russa will assist Dombrowski in evaluating talent with some scouting of prospective trade acquisitions and free agent targets involved. Allard Baird and Frank Wren, both former general managers, currently serve Dombrowski in similar capacities.

La Russa managed in the major leagues for 33 years and was named Manager of the Year four times while winning three World Series.  His 2,728 wins rank him third in that department all-time. He retired as manager after the 2011 season.

The Boston Herald was the first to report La Russa's hiring.