In this season’s game of Managerial Musical Chairs, former Red Sox skipper John Farrell still hasn’t found a seat.
On Monday, two more major league jobs were filled with the Phillies naming former Red Sox player and Single-A manager Gabe Kapler to the top on-field job. The Nationals, meanwhile, chose long-time bench coach Dave Martinez for the vacancy made after the firing of Dusty Baker. Farrell had interviewed for both roles according to reports in the Fanrag Sports and The Washington Post.
Kapler, 42, played 12 major league seasons including 2003-06 with the Red Sox. In his final year with the club Kapler was named BoSox Club Man of the Year for contributions to the success of the club and for cooperation in community endeavors.
Following the 2006 season, Kapler retired and managed the Sox’ Single-A affiliate, the Greenville Drive, in 2007 leading them to a 58-81 record. He then returned to majors playing three more seasons for the Brewers (2008) and Rays (2009-10).
Since November 2014, Kapler has been the Dodgers’ Director of Player Development.
Red Sox Nation has long spotted Dave Martinez, 53, alongside manager Joe Maddon, first with the Rays and now with the Cubs. Martinez has been Maddon’s bench coach since 2008.
Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said in a statement that Martinez embodies what he, and so much of MLB is looking for in the new crop of managers: “Someone who is progressive, someone who can connect with and communicate well with our players, and someone who embraces the analytical side of the game.”
A couple other notes of interest to Red Sox fans:
- The Arizona Fall League’s 12th annual Fall Star Game will take place next Saturday at 8:00 ET. Sox prospect Michael Chavis made the roster. The 22-year-old infielder has gone 14-for-52 (.269) with 6 extra-base hits this fall playing in 12 games for the AFL’s Peoria Javelinas. You can watch the Fall Star game on the MLB Network or streaming live on MLB.com.
- With some of the biggest names of the Red Sox coaching staff heading in new directions, WEEI’s Rob Bradford reports via Twitter that Brian Bannister (who is also a Vice President with the club) and Dana LeVangie (who has spent his entire 27-year professional baseball career in the Sox organization) are definitely staying with Boston.
- With Joe Girardi‘s firing there was some thought that former Red Sox Tim Naehring could be under consideration to be the new Yankees’ skipper. Naehring has been a front-office executive with New York for 10 years and is said to be close to GM Brian Cashman. But ESPN’s Andrew Marchand says the former infielder isn’t interested. ESPN believes Naehring will likely be a GM somewhere in the big leagues soon enough.