Red Sox Rumors: Race for manager position down to two appealing candidates

The Red Sox could hire a manager soon as their list narrows to two.

The Boston Red Sox cast a wide net in their search for a new manager but the list has been slowly dwindling. After narrowing the field to a handful of candidates, two have emerged as heavy favorites in the race.

Jon Heyman revealed on MLB Network that the race for Boston’s managerial position will likely come down to Alex Cora and Sam Fuld.

The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier later reported that the list of finalists was down to three. He followed shortly with a tweet stating that Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza is no longer in the running. It’s unclear if that means Marlins bench coach James Rowson or Pirates bench coach Don Kelly remain in the mix but they seem to be dark horse candidates at this point.

It appears this truly is down to a two-man race between Cora and Fuld with a decision expected to be made soon.

Cora has long been considered the front-runner to reclaim his former role. He mutually parted ways with the Red Sox earlier this year and served a one-year suspension for his part in the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal. Cora met with Boston’s brass after his suspension was lifted, adding fuel to the fire that the team is interested in reinstating the manager who led them to the best record in franchise history and a World Series title in 2018.

While Cora remains a strong candidate, Heyman cautions that Fuld has a “very real chance” of being the next Red Sox manager. The decision is in the hands of chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, who may prefer to start fresh with a candidate of his own choosing that separates him from the previous regime.

Fuld is a New Hampshire native who would be returning close to home if he’s selected for the position. He spent three seasons playing for the Rays from 2011-2013 while Bloom was running Tampa Bay’s front office. The Red Sox organization has as strong connection to Cora but Bloom’s ties lean toward Fuld.

After his playing days ended, Fuld was hired by the Philadelphia Phillies as major league information coordinator and integrative performance director. His job was to provide recommendations to players based on analytics, a skill set that might appeal to a Red Sox organization that values this data.

The flaw with Fuld’s candidacy is his lack of on-field coaching experience. Based on the candidates who have been interviewed by the Red Sox, it’s clear that experience as a manager isn’t a prerequisite but most have some track record in a coaching capacity. Cora had never been a manager before thriving in the role in 2018 but he had served as the bench coach in Houston.

Part of what made Cora appealing when he was hired a couple of years ago was his ability to relate and form a strong bond with his players. He honed those skills as the bench coach for the Astros and it proved valuable during his time as the manager in Boston. It’s not that Fuld is incapable of doing the same, but he’s never served in a capacity that has allowed him to prove it.

Cora is the safer choice due to his experience. He’s a proven winner who shown he’s capable of handling this intense media market. Many Red Sox players have shown their support for Cora sine his departure and they would welcome him back with open arms. He never would have left if it weren’t for the suspension forcing their hand. Now the Red Sox have a chance to rectify that.