The news of Bobby Valentine getting fired is already old. Now everybody is concerned with who will have the duty of replacing Bobby V. Former Boston Red Sox manager, Terry Francona shared with ESPN the guys he would recommend the Red Sox to hire.
It is not a coincidence that these men are familiar with Boston, which why Francona thinks they can get the job done.
His recommendations feature, former Houston Astros manager and Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills, former Red Sox bench coaches DeMarlo Hales and Tim Bogar and finally current Toronto Blue Jays manager John Farrell.
Now, Brad Mills was fired by the Astros recently after three incompetent seasons down in Houston, but he was under Francona's staff from 2004-2009. He knows the players and Dustin Pedroia respects the man. Without a doubt, since the Red Sox once again cleaned the house, Pedroia is the face of the franchise.
Hales was also with Francona's coaching staff, but decided to leave last season after the Red Sox fired Terry. Hales is currently the third base coach for the Baltimore Orioles.
It would not be a bad idea getting a guy from Buck Showalter's staff. The Orioles look like they will be the team challenging the New York Yankees for the next couple of years.
Tim Bogar remained with the Red Sox organization this year despite being a member of Francona's staff. However, he and Bobby V did not get along too well. Recently, at the end of September, Bogar interviewed for a managerial position with the Houston Astros. This proves he is ready to take the next step from a bench coach to a manager.
The last candidate, though many doubt this will take place, is Toronto Blue Jays' John Farrell. He has led the Blue Jays to back-to-back fourth place finishes and is leading with some of the best talent in the league.
He manages superstars and potential stars. Farrell's roster has names like Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Brett Lawrie. He is obviously familiar with the American League East, but many wonder if he in fact is the man for the job.
We will keep you posted with the new situation in Boston.
No, Joe Torre will not come out of retirement to manage the Red Sox.
