Boston Red Sox fans went into the offseason expecting few changes to Chad Tracy's coaching staff, but there's already been quite a bit of movement. Former interim third base coach Chad Epperson will fill Tracy's fomer role as WooSox manager and interim first base coach Pablo Cabrera returned to his former job as minor league defensive coordinator.
After the early subtractions, the Red Sox on November 4 added a coach to their staff. Shelley Duncan has been hired in Boston to a yet-unannounced role, first reported by Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam of MassLive. Duncan most recently worked as the New York Yankees' Triple-A manager. He's managed over 1,000 minor league games in his career.
Duncan was a popular man in the Yankees organization and his years of minor league experience would've made him a good candidate for a major league managerial job. The final year of Aaron Boone's contract looms in 2027, and if the Yankees don't move on from him, New York might go up in flames. Duncan would've been a great replacement for the 2003 playoff hero, given his years of experience and knowledge of the high levels of the Yankees farm system.
Red Sox hire former Yankees Triple-A manager Shelley Duncan to Chad Tracy's coaching staff
The Yankees have produced some high-level prospects under Duncan's watch. Spencer Jones, George Lombard Jr., Cam Schlittler and even Caleb Durbin were managed by Duncan before their major league debuts.
Like Tracy, who also comes from a baseball family (his father is Jim Tracy, a former player, coach and manager), Duncan has the game in his blood. He is the son of former pitching coach Dave Duncan and brother of Chris Duncan, a former big leaguer who played parts of five seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Duncan also spent parts of seven seasons playing in the major leagues for a total of 330 games. He plyed for the Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Tampa Bay Rays in his career. Duncan played mostly left field but also had experience in right field, at first base and DH.
Duncan has participated in the Red Sox-Yankees beef in the past. In 2007, Duncan's debut year with the Yankees, a young Red Sox fan asked him for an autograph. Duncan wrote "Red Sox suck!" in the kid's notebook before signing his name.
Boston has a history of taking former Yankees players and turning them into stars, and Duncan is the latest former Yankee to enter the mix. He'll join Durbin, Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock, Mickey Gasper, Jahmai Jones and others in the Red Sox organization. Duncan's tenure will be even sweeter if it means the Yankees lose their best Boone replacement.
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