An Ending & A New Beginning – Au Revoir John Farrell
So, it happened.
The Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox worked out a deal to send Manager John Farrell to beantown and in return the Jays pick up Mike Aviles who will probably be the starting second baseman for Toronto in 2013.
Note: RHP David Carpenter also goes to Boston in the move.
Now, this isn’t a huge surprise to anyone who has been paying attention. Yes, the Red Sox interviewed 4 other candidates for the vacant managerial position. But the John Farrell rumours and stories just wouldn’t go away – and that’s because it was real.
And then the story broke that the 2 AL East clubs had actually been talking about compensation and an official transaction. That news pretty much sealed the deal in the minds of most fans. So we waited for more info and an announcement. And then it came. So here we are. That part is done.
The question now is, who’s got next?
Sandy Alomar Jr‘s name has been thrown around since he didn’t get the job in Cleveland when former Red Sox manager Terry Francona was hired. I like that pick, but I’m not sure if it’ll come through or not.
Other possibilities could be:
Tim Wallach: Former Expo, current 3rd base coach in LA with the Dodgers, interviewed by Boston for their gig. I remember watching Tim as a player. The book on him is that he’s a smart baseball guy and could be ready for a job as manager. We’ve had luck with 1st time managers before – and we’ve been burned. Tough call.
Don Wakamatsu: Current Blue Jays bench coach, former manager of a bad team in Seattle. Don has experience as manager, he’s well liked (as far as I know) and he is familiar with the current situation with the ball club. Having Wakamatsu take over the managers seat would help to keep things consistent and smooth out any unsettled feelings there may be.
Ernie Whitt: Former Blue Jay, minor league manager, former Blue Jays coach, Team Canada Manager. This pick is largely my own. I haven’t seen Whitt’s name brought up by the people who are smarter and more connected than I am. But why not? I love catchers as managers and Ernie could be worth a look. I especially like his experience with young players with Team Canada. The Jays have a lot of young players who need guidance and coaching.
In all honesty, I have no idea what’s going to happen. My gut says Sandy Alomar will be the guy. But my heart and head know that right now we need to get healthy, add a pitcher, figure out left field and get the roster ready for spring training.
A good manager will win you a couple games a year with their decisions and strategy. Players execute those decisions and win the 90 games a year it takes to get into the playoffs.
Keep your eyes open for news coming soon from the Blue Jays – I don’t think they’ll take long to get things figured out.
And let’s all welcome Mike Aviles to Toronto. Good luck man. 
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