The Boston Red Sox have far too talented of a roster to be hovering around the .500 mark this far into the season, and that typically does not bode well for the manager. If the team can’t turn things around in the coming weeks, John Farrell could be on his way out.
In a column that examines why Farrell is planted firmly on the hot seat, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports explained how Farrell has not always been popular in the clubhouse — even dating back to when the team won the World Series in 2013. That all seems a bit magnified this season, as sources told Rosenthal that some Red Sox players feel Farrell does not support them enough in the media when the team is struggling.
The way Farrell manages games has been highly criticized, especially when it comes to the bullpen. There’s an almost daily discussion on local Boston sports radio surrounding Farrell’s decisions late in games, and let’s just say that discussion is rarely ever flattering for the manager.
As Rosenthal notes, second-guessing of game management exists across the league, though some managers are scrutinized more than others. For the Red Sox, incidents like the one where Dustin Pedroia took the side of an opponent during a heated series earlier in the year are far more concerning. Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes threw at Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado two days after Machado slid spikes-high into Pedroia, and Pedroia immediately made it publicly known that he did not support the retaliation (video here).
More recently, Farrell and starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz exchanged words in the dugout last Saturday when Pomeranz wanted to stay in the game after throwing 97 pitches in four innings.
If the Red Sox get a healthy David Price back and go on a hot streak, Farrell’s job will likely be safe. But if they continue to lose as many games as they win, the manager will be the first one to go.
