The news Friday afternoon that the Detroit Tigers hired former Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch -- an announcement hard on the heels that the Chicago White Sox had brought back Tony La Russa -- means the Red Sox have the managerial field to themselves. For now, they're the only one of 30 MLB teams still looking to hire.
That eliminates any competition, though truthfully, the Red Sox were never interested in either La Russa or Hinch.
Still, alone in their job search, they no longer have to worry that they have to speed up their search out of fear that they could lose a candidate to another organization.
In the meantime, here's what has emerged from the search:
- According to a baseball source, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom is very much aware that former manager Alex Cora is the consensus favorite of both ownership and senior management. Owners John Henry and Tom Werner, along with president/CEO Sam Kennedy would love to see Cora return to the team he managed to a World Series title in his first year on the job. Such a move is seen as one that would also resonate with most -- though clearly not all -- fans, no small factor for a franchise that is attempting to recover from its worst season in better than 50 years.
However, while Bloom could eventually decide that Cora represents the best fit for the 2021 Red Sox and beyond, he is very much open to going with another candidate should someone else overwhelm him in the interview process. He also remains cognizant that the looming presence of Cora -- and his newfound eligibility -- sets a high bar for any other candidate to clear. - According to numerous outlets and confirmed by BostonSportsJournal.com, Cora has been contacted by the Red Sox. That, in itself, shouldn't come as any surprise. Cora managed the team from 2018-2019 before mutually agreeing to part ways last January after Cora was shown to be complicit in the Astros' sign-stealing scandal. The exact nature of the communication is unknown. Cora remained at home Friday in Puerto Rico and on some level, would not need to interview in person a job he held as recently as 10 months ago. He's certainly a known commodity. But perhaps Bloom and ownership would want to meet in person and get a sense of Cora's view on what took place -- both with the Astros in 2017 and the Sox in 2018, which also merited an MLB investigation -- before making any final decisions. In the past, both Kennedy and Bloom have made public comments to the effect that Cora needs to undergo some rehabilitation after being suspended.
- Of all the new candidates interviewed to date, one source said New York Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza has done the most to impress Bloom and the Baseball Operations. Mendoza has earned a second interview. He managed the Yankees' Gulf Coast League affiliate in 2011 and has twice managed teams in the Arizona Fall League. He's been part of the Yankees major league coaching staff since 2018, previously serving as infield coach and quality control coach.
- MassLive.com reported Friday that Luis Urueta, bench coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks, is no longer a candidate. Urueta is the only known candidate to have spoken to the Sox back in January, when the post first became available and also again this fall. That Urueta was invited back for another interview had been interpreted as a sign that he was very much in contention, but that's apparently not the case.
- The Boston Globe reported that Pittsburgh Pirates coach Don Kelly has also been interviewed twice.
- It's believed that Chicago Cubs coach Will Venable, while seen as a future managerial candidate and interviewed for the position, is no longer in contention for the opening.