With the end of baseball season comes roster turnover, as well as changes to the coaching staffs in almost every dugout. The Boston Red Sox are no exception.
Fortunately, Boston will not be looking for a new manager as multiple other teams attempt to fill such a vacancy on their staff. The Red Sox will keep Alex Cora and the majority of his coaching staff for the 2026 season, but the managerial turnover around the league could still affect them.
MLB insider Jon Heyman of New York Post reports that the Minnesota Twins seek an interview with longtime Red Sox coach, Ramón Vázquez, for their managerial vacancy. Minnesota announced on September 29 that it planned to part ways with manager Rocco Baldelli after he spent seven seasons with the club. The Twins posted a 70-92 record in 2025 and had a fire sale at the trade deadline after a rough first half.
Vázquez has been a member of Boston's coaching staff since 2018, the season Cora took over as manager. The two coaches are close, and the Red Sox even traded Vázquez for Cora to begin the latter's Red Sox career in 2005. According to Ian Browne of MLB.com, Cora has believed that Vázquez deserves a chance to manage, and his time may be coming.
Red Sox retain most of their coaching staff for 2026, but Ramón Vázquez and Jason Varitek could be coveted as managerial candidates
Vázquez has held multiple jobs in the Red Sox organization, including scouting, statistical analytics, interpreter and first base coach positions. Boston may need to find a new bench coach if Minnesota's interview with Vázquez goes well.
Like Vázquez, the Red Sox also expect Jason Varitek back in their dugout in 2026 — for now. The longtime catcher's contract expired after the 2025 season and the Red Sox are willing to renew. Chris Cotiilo of MassLive notes that Varitek could be a coveted candidate for many of the managerial openings around the league.
Varitek became a uniformed coach in the Red Sox organization in 2020 and he's served as the game planning coordinator and player information coach under Cora. He's been a staple in Boston ever since his playing days began in 1997. Carlos Narváez has cited him as a major player in his development in his first season in Boston.
Most Red Sox coaches will return to their jobs next season, including pitching coach Andrew Bailey, bullpen coach Chris Holt, hitting coach Pete Fatse, first base coach José Flores and third base coach Kyle Hudson. Assistant hitting coach Ben Rosenthal, however, will not return in 2026. Boston hired Rosenthal before the 2022 season. Before that, he played Minor League Baseball in the Cardinals organization, and coached the Astros Triple-A affiliate.