So far the returns are pretty good.  The team has improved significantly in a few areas of note.  If had to put a grade on it I’d say B+.  The only thing that brings it down from an A was Farrell leaving Ryan Dempster in a game too long just to get a win when he clearly didn’t have it.  That shouldn’t happen.

May 3, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell (53) watches from the dugout during the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The Rangers won 7-0. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

At 27-18 Farrell has certainly accomplished his first objective of getting the Sox off to a good start.  Last year they did not win their 27th game until June 1 after a 4-10 start.

The pitching staff has thrived under Farrell and his first lieutenant, new pitching coach Juan Nieves.  The pitchers seem to have bought in to the program Farrell and Nieves are teaching and it shows in the results.

Key rotation cogs Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz  have returned to the highly effective forms they had under Farrell when he was the pitching coach for Terry Francona from 2007-2010.

This is probably the most significant factor in Farrell having a successful return in that these two pitchers were expected to rebound under Farrell’s stewardship and lead this rotation and team to good things.  So far, that has happened and Farrell and Nieves deserve the credit for getting through to these two.

Behind the top two, the rest of the pitching staff has fallen into place, despite the team having several injuries out of the bullpen and the ineffectiveness of Daniel Bard to deal with.  Farrell has put his bullpen in the best position to succeed while working around the injuries.  Getting closer Andrew Bailey back will only help give him more flexibility.

The lineup construction has been pretty consistent.  When everyone is healthy, Farrell has been able to keep his starting nine in pretty much the same order.

When the Sox experienced a slump in early May, instead of panicking and shuffling people around, Farrell stayed consistent and the team responded.  He has also been good about getting his starters rest and using his bench effectively.

Apr 22, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell (53) on the field as the players warm up before the start of the game against the Oakland Athletics at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

But more than anything else Farrell deserves high praise because he has made the Red Sox clubhouse a professional environment.  From what they say the players again want to come to work there day after day.

The players seem to respect Farrell as a manager because they know where they stand with him and that he has their back.  As much as I didn’t like the Dempster incident, I understood why Farrell did it- to build that player-manager bond.

That kind of relationship is invaluable for a group of guys who spend so much time together in such a compact six month period.

Respect and trust are essential for a team to succeed and so far Farrell has done all the right things with his players and those players appreciate it after all the uncertainty and rumors that swirled during the Bobby Valentine regime last year.

So, I’d say Farrell has been as good as advertised by Red Sox management so far.  But what do you think?

Vote in the poll below and let me know and also check out my web show here for more on Farrell’s progress.

Dec 4, 2012; Nashville, TN, USA; Boston Red Sox manager John Ferrell answers questions from the media during the Major League Baseball winter meetings at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. Mandatory credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports

“More than anything, that first conversation, first talk is a way to set the tone, which I think was clear,” Farrell said. “But the thing we want to emphasize is that it’s a matter of what we do on the field and not what we’re talking about. We’re hopeful – and with every intent – that our actions speak certainly more volume than our words.”

Farrell’s remarks, coming on the heels of Jon Lester‘s pre-emptive whine fest on WEEI and later correction after Farrell’s talk, signals to the fans and indeed to players that Boston’s new skipper isn’t going to tolerate any rogue behavior that damages team unity and the goal of a cohesive winning attitude.

Lester’s about face came two days after his first interview on WEEI and one day after Farrell address to the team for the first time. Think the timing of the second interview had anything to do with Farrell’s remarks? Read on.

“Obviously, when you’re out there competing, you’re not really paying attention, you’re trying to compete, you’re trying to get outs,” Lester said. “So, they’re sometimes where somebody has to point it out to you and say, ‘Look, you look like a baby.’ I would rather somebody say that to me than pat me on the butt and try to make it seem like it’s OK. I would rather someone come up to me and say this is terrible, you need to change it. My dad has told me that since I was in fifth grade, when I started pitching. It’s always been a problem. It’s gotten better through the years and it’s something I can always improve on.”

Message delivered and received Mr. Farrell.

“Everything has a purpose,” said Farrell. “I don’t want to say there’s a sense of urgency but every day in spring training because of our current situation – new staff, a number of new players – we’ve got a lot of ground to cover.”

Again, Farrell’s remarks appear to be taking root with a number of Red Sox players, especially the new guys that want to help set the tone. Shane Victorino, Boston’s new right fielder who replaces the popular Cody Ross, said, ”It’s exciting. I’ve been on a few teams. Just to see how the goals are set here and how everything is demanded to be ran. One of the first priorities over here is to be professional. Says a lot about the organization and the players inside here. So we do that, be professional, respect the game, put some numbers up, I think we’ll be alright.”

September 11, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher Ryan Lavarnway (60) talks with starting pitcher Jon Lester (31) during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

A glut of Red Sox pitchers, including Andrew Bailey, Daniel Bard, Craig Breslow, Clay Buchholz, Felix Doubront, John Lackey, Jon Lester, Andrew Miller and Franklin Morales have already arrived in Fort Myers, FL well ahead of the pitchers and catchers first official report date of February 12.

Add catchers Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ryan Lavarnway to the mix and you’ve got yourself a motivated group that looks ready to go and will be the key to the Red Sox success or failure this season.

New manager John Farrell visited most of these players in the off season and although no one knows exactly what he said, it must have been one heck of a speech for all of these key players to report so early.

Oct 23, 2012; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox new manager John Farrell talks to the media during a press conference at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

This speaks very well of Farrell and of the expected focus and leadership he is expected to foster within this team.  He was hired partly because of his reputation for garnering respect and restoring order.

The early reporting of these players indicates to me that they are going all in with Farrell.  If true, fans are going to see a Red Sox team in 2013 that is the antithesis of the raggedy group from 2012.

It looks like Farrell has already gotten the players attention, so expect a well prepared, focused, and fundamentally sound team that follows their manager’s lead.

These are qualities this team needs if they are going to get back to winning big.  Many players have much to prove.  The earlier they get started, the better.

If this first piece of positive news is an indication of things to come, color me impressed.  The Red Sox already look committed, so the team we’ve grown to love may just be on their way back.

Let me say that the Farrell hiring, if nothing else, is a breath of fresh air after experiencing the tornado that blew through Boston in 2012 named Bobby Valentine.  Valentine was a disaster waiting to happen and it all came true and the results speak for themselves.

Sep 27, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays manager John Farrell (52) looks on against the New York Yankees at the Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays beat the Yankees 6-0. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

We can debate the pros and cons about whether Farrell is a good hire (I think he is) and whether he is a good game manager forever.  But the bottom line is the Red Sox are a normal team again.  They have a rational, level headed manager who doesn’t think he’s the smartest guy in the room.  He commands the respect of some of the key players on this roster from his time here as pitching coach and when you are trying to turn around a 69-win disaster that’s a good start.

I don’t know Farrell personally but from what I see he looks like he commands a room quite well.  Say what you want, but today’s modern athletes need a leader of men if they are to succeed.  I think we’ve seen enough evidence in sports that when players take over the locker room chaos ensues.

Players need to know who’s in charge so they can focus on going out and playing.  There’s been too little of that idea in Boston since the end of August 2011 and Farrell should bring the team the leadership it so desperately needs.

Oct 23, 2012; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox new manager John Farrell talks to the media during a press conference at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Farrell learned under Terry Francona about what does and does not work in the clubhouse and on the field.  Expect him to use those lessons.  If he’s half the manager Francona was, the Sox will be in good shape in the manager’s office for the foreseeable future.  And that matters as they try to find their way back.

Check out the link below for my thoughts on the move when it happened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwyQAXBckZk&list=UUnIPUCx3emTpFm-EuTfYkKw&index=8

Sep 27, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays manager John Farrell (52) talks to first base coach Torey Lovullo (7) in the dugout against the New York Yankees at the Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays beat the Yankees 6-0. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE

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Sep 27, 2012; Toronto, ON, Canada; Toronto Blue Jays manager John Farrell (52) looks on against the New York Yankees at the Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays beat the Yankees 6-0. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE

After the sacking of Bobby Valentine, Red Sox Management said they were going to make quick work of their managerial search so they could focus on rebuilding a battered team and shredded public image with their fans. Consider phase one complete.

Whether Farrell is best man for the job is a matter of debate. The fact that Boston has wanted him to be the man in the dugout since Terry Francona’s firing in 2011 is clear.

August 9, 2012; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays manager John Farrell (52) in the dugout watches on in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Lucchino has ruled with an iron fist over the Red Sox since Theo Epstein’s departure with embarrassing results. His idiocy resulted in the hiring of Bobby Valentine last winter, which gave the Red Sox a total of 69 wins, rather than picking one of several other qualified candidates the Red Sox had interviewed.

I have no doubt that John Farrell will be better than Valentine. However, the issue of compensation comes up if the Red Sox plan on hiring the current Blue Jays’ manager. Last year, the Red Sox attempted to land Farrell from the Jays, and in return, Toronto asked for Clay Buchholz. After a 73-89 season in 2012, their asking price probably won’t be as high, but the Red Sox still may need to surrender a top prospect or decent veteran.

To a certain degree, Lucchino does have a point though. As the Red Sox pitching coach from 2007-2010, Farrell developed bonds with Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, and the now departed Josh Beckett; all of those pitchers’ performances declined in Farrell’s absence. Farrell’s presence was always known in Boston and he was a man that the Red Sox respected tremendously, more than can be said about Bobby “Gets In Bad Relationships With Players Almost Immediately” Valentine.

Still, in a rebuilding phase, the Red Sox absolutely need to keep their farm system intact in recent years. I trust that Farrell could be a solid manager that could help to rebuild a winning tradition in Boston. However, I’m also confident that any of the other candidates the Red Sox interviewed could do the same. Plus, the Red Sox wouldn’t need to give anything up to get Ausmus, Hale, Pena, or Wallach.

Last time the Sox pretended to search for a new manager, it was a disingenuous kabuki show, where “Running Larry” Lucchino let it appear that the Red Sox were genuinely conducting an honest, open search, while, all the while, he knew who he would force into the manager’s position.

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It’s reported in the Boston Globe that people who know Farrell say that he and his family love Boston and would welcome the opportunity to return to the city.  That makes both parties interested in one another and given Farrell’s two-year experience in Toronto where he cut his teeth as a manager, the Red Sox would not be hiring a rookie candidate.  In fact he’d be the opposite when you consider how well he knows most of the Red Sox roster, management and daily intricacies of the team.

But it’s highly unlikely the Jays will straight out fire Farrell and thus making the acquisition process easy for the Red Sox, if in fact this is the road they choose to go down (all systems point that it is).  Valentine will likely be fired after the season, much to many fans dismay who want him gone as soon as possible, leaving the manager’s office vacant and ready for the Sox former pitching coach.  Negotiations will be difficult with the Jays as they have a new club policy that states an employee is not allowed to leave the organization to take a lateral transfer with another club, let alone one in the same division.

Should Farrell voice his desire to leave Toronto and return to Boston, then the Jays hands could be forced a little, playing into the Red Sox favor.  The Jays will want at least one solid prospect in return for Farrell and here’s where the story takes an interesting twist.  The name Rubby De La Rosa could be the link to getting Farrell back in Boston.

De La Rosa was part of the package that was sent to Boston in return for Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto.  He was one of many prospects but wasn’t initially named in the deal, but was rather one of the two “players to be named later.”

The Dodgers had put De La Rosa on waivers and was initially claimed by the Jays before LA pulled him back to retain his rights, only to trade them to Boston a short while later.  De La Rosa can’t officially be traded until the off season because he was pulled back from the waiver claim, but it doesn’t mean his name has not been associated with the trade.

So the Jays have interest in the hard throwing righty who now belongs to Boston.  The Red Sox have something the Jays want and the Jays have something the Red Sox want.  Let’s make a deal right?  Not so fast.

Nick Cafardo says that De La Rosa could be a front-end starter for Boston down the road and letting him go now may not be in the cards that Ben Cherington has to play with.  Cafardo asks the question if Boston could wait one-year until Farrell’s deal with Toronto expires and then sign him without having to give up compensation. Meaning it would either be another year with Valentine or an in-term manager.  Either options are not acceptable when we hear John Henry state that the Red Sox will compete for the division next season, making a full-time manager who plans on being around for a while the only way to go.

The Jays wanted Clay Buchholz this past winter when Boston asked about Farrell, making it certain they’ll want De La Rosa and nothing short of that level of talent if they would consider letting Farrell go to Boston.  A creative title may have to be slipped in on Farrell’s business card so it’s not a straight job transfer from one organization to another, but those things have a way of working themselves out.  For now the focus is on whether or not Boston would surrender a prospect like De La Rosa.

Keep in mind that the Red Sox saw their farm system raided when the San Diego Padres took some of the best talent Boston could offer for Adrian Gonzalez.  We all know how well that worked out and now that the farm system is some what replenished, is Cherington ready to part ways with another promising arm?  Especially when you consider how badly the Sox need help in the pitching department.

Bill James is said to be back on the front lines with the Red Sox, meaning any roster moves that are made will likely go through him first.  Farrell’s position doesn’t exactly coincide with James philosophy of finding players who can get on base or pitchers who keep the walks down so giving up a promising arm like De La Rosa could be a hard sell on James.

But it is interesting to hear that the Red Sox took on De La Rosa as one of the players to be named later after the Jays had tried to claim him from the waiver wire.  Coincidence?  Possibly, but if the Red Sox are serious about bringing back John Farrell then this could be the starting point of discussions between the two clubs.  The price tag on Farrell will be high and De La Rosa is a promising talent.  How bad do the owners and Cherington want an old friend in Farrell?  Time will tell.

Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe pointed out this morning that Farrell’s current club, the Toronto Blue Jays own a record of 60-74 on the year and sit in last place in the AL East.  He led the Jays to a record of 81-81 last season, his first full campaign as a major league manager.  That’s a combined record of 141-155 and makes Abraham question if Farrell would do much better in Boston as Valentine’s successor.

The Jays, much like the Red Sox have been riddled with injuries this season.  The team’s superstar and home run slugging stud, Jose Bautista, missed a significant amount of time due to injury and it was about that time when the Jays started to slide into the abysmal world of sub .500 baseball.

Their starting pitching has been awful, just like the Red Sox, who sit 25th and 26th in all of baseball when comparing the team’s ERA to the rest of baseball.  Farrell’s strengths are said to be in the pitching department, but is it fair to write off the Jays starters and place blame on Farrell before considering the amount of injuries the rotation has endured.  To date, the Jays have had nine different pitchers start at least six games.  Only two have started more than twenty games, Ricky Romero and Henderson Alvarez with 28 and 26 starts respectively. For the record, the Red Sox have had eight pitchers who have started at least six games and four who have started at least twenty (Lester, Buchholz, Doubront and Beckett).

Last season Farrell guided his new club to an even .500 record and were said to be a potential sleeper this season as a team that could make some noise and push for a postseason birth.  But as the Jays have done over the past several years, they started to fade when late August rolled around, leaving speculation and question marks as to what this club needs to do next to take them to the next level.

Toronto could be looking for a fresh start next season and relieving Farrell of his duties might be the scapegoat they need to do so.  He has one-year left on his three year deal, making any move outside of a firing difficult for the Red Sox to try and lure him away from our northern friends.  There has been suggestions that trading a prospect or two might be enough to make Jays GM, Alex Anthopoulos think about parting ways with Farrell.  Anthopoulos won’t comment on the Farrell rumors but one thing he hasn’t done is come out and state that Farrell will not be leaving Toronto as part of the club policy that sees an employee leave for a latter job transfer (which Farrell would be doing).  In other words, he’s not helping the rumor mill.

The Jays don’t spend the money that the Red Sox or Yankees do, but that doesn’t mean a manager can’t get the best out of his players.  Take a look at Joe Maddon in Tampa Bay or better yet, Bob Melvin in Oakland and the job they have done with a small budget. Farrell has not lived up to the billing and while injuries have handcuffed the team this year, a last place showing in the division is likely considered unacceptable.

But would bringing back John Farrell solve all the issues that this Red Sox club currently has?  He does know the pitchers, at least most of them given his 2010 pitching coach title with the club.  Interesting to note however that in Farrell’s last year with the Sox, the team’s ERA was 4.20 and ranked 22nd in the majors.

In 2009 the Sox pitchers combined for an ERA of 4.35 and sat 16th in all of baseball.  For the 2008 season they were 9th in all of baseball with a 4.01.  A trend is developing here and that’s as Farrell’s time in Boston grew, so too did the team’s ERA, accompanied by a slide down the ranks in the majors.  For the record, the Jays ERA in 2011 was 4.32 and ranked 24th.

Maybe Farrell isn’t the answer that everyone wants him to be if Boston could acquire his services, this time as the manager. If he is said to be a manager who can relate to the pitchers and get the most out of them, the numbers we just analyzed don’t reflect that.  We all know that the Sox need pitching help in the worst way imaginable.  He also has a history with the Red Sox making him susceptible to knowing too much when it comes to past behaviors of the players and an opinion on the owners which could be good, bad or otherwise.

Perhaps a fresh start is in order for this club and if that includes steering away from past players and former coaches then so be it.  Maybe a manager who has no former ties with Boston is what the Red Sox need.  Of course they need to get rid of the one they currently have before they can proceed, but that day appears to be coming.

Remember in 2004 when a guy named Terry Francona got the job and no one gave him a chance to succeed?  How did that work out for the team and it’s fans?

Spring training may not mean much in the way of the standings, but what it can do is boost a fan’s base confidence when a team is cruising in first place in the Grapefruit League.  That is exactly what the Toronto Blue Jays are doing this spring. With a record of 12-2, only the Detroit Tigers have a better winning percentage with the Jays having the most wins in all of baseball when you include the Cactus League in Arizona.  But just ask the Minnesota Twins from a year ago and they’ll tell you that winning in March doesn’t translate into a spot in the October dance.  None the less, this Blue Jays team is showing everyone that they are a legitimate threat to contend in the AL East.

Recently both Alex Rodriguez and Brian Cashman of the New York Yankees went on the record and declared the Jays to be considered a contender in not only the AL East but the American League.  Joel Sherman of the New York Post had the story.

“They are knocking on the door. It is undeniable that they are going to win and win for a while. They are reaping the benefits of great scouting, patience and doing things right.” – Brian Cashman

“They aren’t a secret anymore,” – Alex Rodriguez

The truth be told, our friends to the north are a serious threat to the Red Sox and it starts this April.  Their lineup is full of power and ability to get on base and that is consistent one through nine.  All-star slugging Jose Bautista leads the charge and comes as no surprise as one of the most feared bats in all of baseball.

Adam Lind is expected to carry a big portion of the offense and after a slow start in 2011 he came around to put up good numbers by the end of the season; 26 homers, 87 RBI, .251, .295, .439, .734.  The Jays brass may becoming impatient with Lind and should another slow start hold the team back this year Lind may be found on the chopping block.

After the two veterans in Bautista and Lind, the secret of the Jays is out: their youth is good and ready to win……now!

Players like J.P Arencibia, Edwin Encarnacion, Colby Rasmus and the phenom Brett Lawrie.  These four players highlight a group of youngsters that are making waves in the MLB and will be relied upon to win ball games for Toronto.  Who could forget Lawrie’s dramatic walk-off home run late last year against the Red Sox.

Lawrie is poised to become the next big thing in the Jays organization.  With raw power, tremendous bat speed and above average hitting ability, the Canadian native brings the full package to the plate.  His numbers last year prove that: 9 HR, 25 RBI, .293, .373, . 580, .953 and this was all in only 150 at-bats.  Had he started the year with the big club and kept up this pace he would have been the walk-away winner of the AL Rookie of the Year.

Colby Rasmus was a highly sought after prospect with the St. Louis Cardinals, hence the reason the Jays wanted him so badly.  So badly in fact they dealt four players and cash to the Cards for Rasmus and three others.  Injury limited his season in 2011 and his numbers reflect it, hitting just .173 and an OBP of only .201.  But he’s only 25-years old leaving plenty of room to grow and mature into the everyday outfielder the Jays are banking on, adding another piece to the offensive and defensive puzzle.

While the Jays boast an offensive loaded lineup that can compete with any AL East club, their pitching may be their Achilles heal. Currently their rotation features Ricky Romero, Brandon Morrow, Brett Cecil, Henderson Alvarez and Dustin McGowan.

Romero and Morrow provide a nice one-two punch but only if Morrow can consistently deliver.  His talent is true, but his inability to perform every fifth day is holding him back from being a legitimate number two starter.  An ERA of 4.72 last season will need to be reduced to enable the Jays to count on him as a starter.

Cecil and Alvarez are a work in project and could blossom this year giving the Jays a solid back end to their rotation.  Alvarez had a WHIP of just 1.13 last season to go with a nice ERA of 3.53 despite starting just 10 games.  Cecil meanwhile needs to avoid the big innings that ballooned his ERA to 4.73 with a WHIP of 1.33.  Both pitchers will be counted on to fill their share of innings and if one struggles, a deal for a veteran pitcher may be in order for Toronto.  They’ve already been tied to Gavin Floyd and John Lannan and with an overloaded prospect system they have the best chance of anyone to offer what other teams are looking for.

Their fifth starter in Dustin McGowan, at least for now, did have the makings of an ace.  Two shoulder surgeries later and McGowan finally returned to the mound in 2011 to make four starts but struggling with control.  He could be the wild card to the Jays chances of contending this year with a solid bounce back year.  Waiting in the wings is prospect Kyle Drabek who could be used as trade bait later in the year.

The Jays bullpen was completely overhauled this winter that saw the acquisitions of Sergio Santo, Darren Oliver and Francisco Cordero, giving them one of the best bullpens in the division, at least on paper.

Keep in mind that this club is managed by the brilliant mind of John Farrell and has plenty of financial backing from the Rogers Communication Group.  Meaning this team’s payroll should increase as they continue to contend, allowing them to spend more money on some high profile free-agents while locking up their core pieces for years to come.  As mentioned, they are littered with talented prospects, too many to name.  This will allow them to be aggressive on any trade they feel will help them improve the ball club now.  Suddenly the Yankees and Red Sox have serious competition when going after the big names via the trading block.

In short, this club is good, very good and the spring training games are proving just that.  If I had to pick one sleeper to surprise everyone this year in the American League it is the Toronto Blue Jays.  They may be one starting arm away from pushing for a Wild Card spot.  Get in to the dance and anything can happen on the floor.

For all the latest news and analysis from BoSox Injection, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or with our RSS feed.

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On Tuesday, the Jays management decided to alter their organization policy on not standing in the way of any employee wishing to seek employment elsewhere. 

“Due to the distraction caused by media speculation regarding our employee permission policy, the Toronto Blue Jays have amended their policy and will not grant permission for lateral moves,” courtesy of the Jays president and CEO, Paul Beeston and Senior V.P. of Baseball Operations and General Manager Alex Anthopoulos.

So you can take Farrell’s name off the list of potential managers for the Sox.  It appears as though the Jays are standing their ground and don’t want to lose Farrell, who’s just completed his first year as the Jays skipper. 

No reunion in Boston for Farrell and Red Sox Nation is unfortunate.  This could’ve been the guy to right the ship in the clubhouse. 

For all the latest news and analysis from BoSox Injection, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or with our RSS feed.

The latest rumors in the Red Sox managerial search has turned to a former Red Sox pitching coach, John Farrell.  The rumblings started late last night that Farrell, now manager of the Toronto Blue Jays was the latest suspect to be on the Red Sox manager radar. 

The story really picked up some speed when Dan Shulman of ESPN tweeted that the Jays would not get in the way if Farrell wanted to return to the city where he served as the pitching coach for five seasons. 

To quote Shulman, “To those who asked…if #redsox have interest in John Farrell and he wants to go, my understanding is #bluejays would not stand in his way.”

The latest news to break comes from Canada’s Sportsnet, the home of the Jays broadcasting network that says Farrell has gone on the record to state that he has no knowledge of the Red Sox being interested in him, he doesn’t want to comment on the situation and it’s business as usual with focus on the Jays. 

So while it doesn’t reveal much at this point, it is worth asking the question.  Would John Farrell be a good fit for the 2012 Red Sox? (more…)

About a year ago, I began a series titled 5 Questions. It was an opportunity for me to ask top baseball writers in New England a set of 5 questions and share them with all of you here on BoSox Injection. Now that Spring Training games have begun and baseball is in the air, I am bringing back the series. Our 1st sports-writer is a well-respected writer from the Hartford Courant in my home state of Connecticut. He writes about the Boston Red Sox/New York Yankees rivalry and since joining the Courant, Dom Amore has won 12 regional or national journalism awards, four in the last five years for his coverage of major league baseball. A graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, Dom teaches journalism as an adjunct professor at his alma mater. Without further ado, here is the 1st installment of 5 Questions for the 2011 season with Dom Amore. (more…)

Continuing with my breakdown of each AL East team leading up to Spring Training, here is my take on the Toronto Blue Jays. The only MLB franchise north-of-the-border has been beating the winter cold with several moves, both trades and acquisitions. GM Alex Anthopoulos has done an impressive job keeping busy, attempting to put together a competitive team in the most competitive division in baseball. The 2010 season was the 1st for Anthopoulos as GM, after 8 years of J.P. Riccardi at the helm, so he still has a lot to prove. Last season, the Blue Jays finished with a very respectable 85-77 record, but it was only good enough to place them 4th in the AL East, 11 games behind the 1st place Tampa Bay Rays. (more after the jump) (more…)

AP Photo

After a week or so of speculation, former Oakland Athletics Pitching Coach Curt Young was named the Red Sox Pitching Coach, replacing John Farrell. From the get-go, Young seemed like the front-runner for the job and deservedly so given his incredible experience developing young talent and his great pitching staff numbers in his years with the A’s. Young’s staff had a league best 3.58 era in 2010 and he looks to continue that same success in Boston. For more information about Young and my feelings on the move, check out my article on him from October 27th. Welcome to Boston Curt, we’re glad to have you.

We are lucky to be able to add an experienced pitching coach the caliber of Curt Young to the organization. Curt has a proven track record of success in this job, mixing excellent relationship-building skills with expert knowledge of pitching and how to get hitters out at the Major League level. Pitchers who have worked with Curt swear by him, and the results speak for themselves. We think he will work well with our pitching staff and within the culture of our clubhouse. -Theo Epstein