Ramon Vázquez to replace Will Venable as Red Sox bench coach
Ramon Vázquez is leaving the Criollos de Caguas to move up in the Boston Red Sox organization.
On Sunday, Edwin Hernández Jr. reported that Vázquez quit his job managing in Winter League because he’s been promoted to bench coach for the Sox. The Red Sox have yet to make a formal announcement, but the news has been confirmed by Chris Cotillo of MassLive.
NEWS-After losing tonight 2-0 to the Gigantes, Ramón Vázquez will no longer manage the Criollos of Caguas.😳
— Edwin Hernández Jr. (@LBPRCinEnglish) November 28, 2022
Vázquez has quit the job to focus on his duties as new bench coach for the Red Sox.#LBPRC⚾️🇵🇷 pic.twitter.com/uvmSKKMiES
Ramon Vázquez replacing Will Venable as Red Sox bench coach
The Sox moved quickly to replace Will Venable, who left the Sox to become Bruce Bochy’s associate manager with the Texas Rangers earlier this month. With over a decade of coaching experience under his belt, Vázquez is a natural fit. After retiring from MLB, Vázquez worked as an instructor and coach in the Houston Astros system. He served as the Cangrejeros de Santurce’s interim manager in the Puerto Rican Winter League for the 2015-16 season, leading them to their second consecutive championship, and another championship during the 2018-19 season. He also coached for the San Diego Padres in 2017 before the Sox hired him ahead of the 2018 season.
Vázquez’s playing career was also intertwined with several Boston legends; the Sox acquired him from the San Diego Padres in the Dave Roberts trade after the 2004 season, and in July 2005, sent him to Cleveland in exchange for Alex Cora. Thirteen years later, he and Cora traveled together to bring the 2018 World Series trophy to their native Puerto Rico for a victory lap.
There is some element of surprise in this promotion, as the Sox just gave former captain Jason Varitek a three-year extension with the coaching staff. But Vázquez is clearly highly valued by the organization; this is the third offseason in a row that he’s moving up in the pecking order. He’d been named quality control coach/interpreter ahead of the 2021 season and got promoted to first-base coach when the Sox dismissed Tom Goodwin at the end of their postseason run last year.
