Ron Roenicke likely to shed interim tag following MLB investigation
The Boston Red Sox have officially named Ron Roenicke their interim manager, but it may not be long before he is given the full-time position.
Roenicke served a as a bench coach for the Red Sox under Alex Cora the past two seasons, and the team announced on Tuesday that he has been named interim manager.
“Ron’s extensive coaching and managerial experience, in addition to his familiarity with our players and staff, make him an ideal fit as we prepare for the 2020 season,” said Chaim Bloom.
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) February 11, 2020
“He has the respect of everyone in the clubhouse, and the way he carries himself and communicates will be a positive influence on our entire organization. We are confident that Ron will hit the ground running, and we’re excited to work closely with him." — more Bloom.
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) February 11, 2020
So why the interim tag? There has been some speculation that the Red Sox could bring back Alex Cora next season, but that seems unlikely to happen. With Major League Baseball still investigating allegations that the Red Sox cheated during their World Series season in 2018, the consensus is that the team wants to wait for the investigation to be completed to be sure Roenicke is not implicated at all.
MLB’s investigation is not expected to be completed before the start of spring training, so Boston couldn’t wait any longer to name a new manager.
The Red Sox have been accused of illegally using the video replay room to help steal signs. If that is true, they must be confident Roenicke had nothing to do with it. They already parted ways with Cora last month after he was heavily implicated in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, and the last thing they need is another coach who had a hand in a cheating scheme.
