Where Does Boston Turn?

The Red Sox scheduled organziational meetings for this week, never expecting that (now former) manager Alex Cora would become a central figure in baseball's largest cheating scandal since the 1919 Chicago White Sox were paid off by gamblers to intentionally lose the World Series.

I'm sure when Chaim Bloom took over in Boston as head of baseball operations on October 25, he never expected to have to deal with finding a new manager, just weeks before spring training is to begin.  In light of the news MLB was investigating Alex Cora and the organization for cheating, I'm sure the 36-year-old wiz kid already has a list of potential candidates ready.

With no names being mentioned yet, here is a list of candidates I'm sure will be mentioned in the days to come:

IN HOUSE CANDIDATES

Ron Roenicke

Has previous managerial experience, when he managed the Milwaukee Brewers from 2011-15, while posting a 342-331 record.  Roenicke was Alex Cora's trusted bench coach for the past two season.  He already has good relationships with the players and would provide the most seamless transition during this time for the organization.  However, he was Cora's right hand man.  Will the MLB investigation reveal he was a part of it?  If I am the Red Sox, I would not name him.

Carlos Febles

Has served as Boston's third-base coach and infield instructor the last two seasons, and has been in the organization for the past 13 years.  Febles has paid his dues in the minors where he managed 904 games.  He has an easygoing personality and would make him a popular choice with the players.

Billy McMillon

A rising name.  McMillon managed Boston's AAA affiliate, Pawtucket last season, after serving as manager for Portland (2014-15), Greenville (2010-11) and Salem (2012-13).  From 2016-18, McMillon spent as  roving minor league outfield and base running coordinator in the Red Sox Farm system.

Jason Varitek

Boston's former catcher, captain and two-time World Series champion.  Varitek has been billed as a future manager since his playing days, and perhaps that time has finally come.  Varitek has worked in the organization since he retired in 2012 and is well-versed in all areas of the game.  Even though his title was as special assistant to the president of baseball operations, Varitek has done most of his work for the Red Sox on the field.  He is an expert on game plans for a pitching staff.  To me, this is the most obvious choice and would be a popular choice with the fan base.

Dustin Pedroia

I know this sounds like an off the wall candidate, but hear me out.  Pedey is 36-years-old, he has only played nine games in the past two seasons due to a bad left knee.  He is still under contract until 2022 and could conceivably be a player-manager.  He has an old-school approach to baseball and is a leader in the clubhouse.  However, Pedroia has demonstrated little interest in managing or coaching.

Now it is time to look at the candidates outside of the Red Sox organization:

Mark Kotsay

He is the quality control coach for the Oakland Athletics.  Kotsay was a finalist for the San Francisco Giants' managerial job that went to Gabe Kapler.  He has a brief run with the Red Sox from 2008-09 and was respected throughout the clubhouse at that time for his intangibles and work ethic.

Matt Quatraro

A name to keep any eye on.  He is the bench coach for the Tampa Bay Rays and Bloom is extremely familiar with his ability as a coach.  Quatraro was a finalist for the Pittsburgh Pirates job and also interviewed with the Giants.  He is known for having strong communication skills with players and has the smarts to handle the analytics-driven approach the Rays deploy.

Joe McEwing

Bench coach for the Chicago White Sox.  He is no stranger to getting interviewed for managerial jobs, having done so four times before.  He has a scrappy attitude that served him well as a player and would play well in Boston.  He finished his playing career for the Pawtucket Red Sox in 2007.

Hensley Meulens

He is the current bench coach for the New York Mets.  Granted he just got the job, but I'm sure he would jump at the chance to realizing his dream of being a manager.  He was the runner-up for the Yankees job that went to Aaron Boone.  Meulens speaks five languages (English, Spanish, Dutch, Papiamento and Japanese), which would be a huge asset to have in a Major League manager.

Eduardo Pérez

Pérez has many of the same qualities that made Alex Cora an attractive candidate.  He currently works for ESPN and MLB Network Radio.  There are few former players in the game who are more universally liked among peers than Pérez.  He has a natural way of relating to people, which would certainly help him as a manager.  While he has never managed at the highest level, he has experience as a coach and a manager in the winter league.  Pérez has a deep knowledge and appreciation for analytics and speaks Spanish.  He is the son of Hall of Famer, Tony Pérez, who played in Boston from 1980-82.

Sam Fuld

The current major league player information coordinator for the Philadelphia Phillies.  A veteran of 8 seasons in Major League Baseball, he would be an intriguing candidate.  He interviewed in 2018 for the Toronto Blue Jays job, before withdrawing his name from consideration.  His name was mentioned this offseason in the managerial searches for the Cubs, Giants, Mets, Phillies and Pirates.  Fuld has a connection to Bloom.  He played for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2011-13, while Bloom was the team's director of baseball operations.

Mike Lowell

A long-shot candidate for the job.  A 13-year MLB veteran, Lowell is even-keeled, smart and erudite.  He has worked with MLB Network since 2011, and is a former two-time World Series champion, including the 2007 World Series with Boston, where he was named the World Series MVP.  He would be a great choice if he wanted the job

LONG SHOT CANDIDATES

There are three names that I'm sure will come up during this search, but I don't think they will be considered since their traditional methods won't fit well with Chaim Bloom's data-driven approach:  Bruce Bochy, Mike Scioscia and Buck Showalter.  Bochy and Scioscia would be great choices with their proven track records as World Series winners, but I doubt they will take the job or even be interviewed.

One name I am sure will be mentioned but I seriously doubt he will even get looked at, and that is Brad Ausmus.  A Connecticut native, who graduated from Dartmouth, Ausmus' style would seem to mesh well with what Bloom wants to do in Boston.  However, he has been fired twice in the last three seasons.

No matter what candidate is selected by the Red Sox, they have considerable work to do.