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The Boston Red Sox fired manager Ron Roenicke yesterday. Roenicke, who was the bench coach for the BoSox under Alex Cora in 2018-19, was named as manager after Alex Cora resigned (and subsequently received a one year suspension) as a result of his role in the Houston Astros’ 2017 sign-stealing scandal.
The Red Sox did not come into 2020 bearing high expectations, with the team having dealt Mookie Betts and David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers, stripping away two key members of the club. They then lost ace Chris Sale to Tommy John surgery in March, and saw lefthanded starter Eduardo Rodriguez miss the year due to heart issues stemming from COVID-19. Boston ended the year at 24-36, which was the fourth-worst record in baseball.
Roenicke, who managed the Milwaukee Brewers from 2011 until early 2015, seemed to be something of a placeholder for the club, given that Cora stepped down in January, and there was little time to find an outside replacement. General manager Chaim Bloom has indicated an openness to bringing back Cora, who was very well regarded by the organization during his two years managing the club in 2018-19.