Boston Red Sox: Five candidates to replace Alex Cora as manager
By Matt Clark
If the Red Sox decide to part ways with Cora, they are almost certain to give strong consideration to a man who is held in great regard by fans and the organization alike. That man is none other than The Captain, Jason Varitek.
Varitek, who played from 1997 to 2011 with the Red Sox, is currently serving in a role as a special assistant in the organization. He originally accepted the role with the team in 2012 under then general manager Ben Cherington, a role he would continue to serve in under Dave Dombrowski.
In addition to his role as a special assistant, he has also worked with the team as a catching instructor. The 2016 Red Sox Hall of Fame inductee, who currently lives in the Boston area, possesses a great deal of leadership ability. His leadership skills are the reason that the Red Sox named him as only the fourth captain in team history, joining Jimmie Foxx, Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice as the others.
Varitek is regarded as an excellent communicator with a great understanding of the game. That understanding was on full display in the record four no-hitters that he caught in his career with Boston.
The two-time World Series champion has no official managerial or coaching experience in baseball. However, that has not served as a deterrent for teams to have interest in him as a manager. In 2016, Varitek interviewed for the manager’s position with the Seattle Mariners, who opted to hire Scott Servais instead.
He was rumored to be considered for the vacant manager position with the Red Sox in 2017, but the team would instead decide to hire Cora. When asked about his future as a manager in Major League Baseball, Varitek indicated that he would strongly consider it.
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If the Red Sox want to hire an individual who would make fans quickly forget about the scandal surrounding Cora and the team, Varitek would be the perfect opportunity to do so. If they were to select him as their next manager, they would be hiring an excellent baseball mind who is as respected as anyone to ever put on the Red Sox uniform. Plus he is intimately familiar with the franchise and would represent an option for a smooth transition away from Cora.