PITTSBURGH (AP) -Boston Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell pulled his name out of consideration Friday for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ managing job.
Farrell wants to manage in the majors, and he moved from Cleveland’s front office to the Red Sox’s bench last season partly for that reason. Farrell, however, said in a statement that this is not the right time to leave a World Series-winning club.
Farrell told Red Sox principal owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner, president Larry Lucchino, general manager Theo Epstein and manager Terry Francona of the decision Friday.
“While I do have aspirations to manage in the major leagues in the future, my commitment to John, Tom, Larry, Theo, Tito (Francona) and the Red Sox needs to greater than one year for their faith in hiring me as their pitching coach,” Farrell said in the statement. “Therefore I have declined the opportunity to interview for the position of Pittsburgh Pirates manger. I look forward to contributing to and competing for another World Series title here in Boston.”
Farrell was the Indians’ director of player development from 2001-06, succeeding Neal Huntington in that job. Huntington is now the Pirates general manager and he apparently wanted to talk to Farrell this weekend.
Huntington is believed to have moved slowly with the search for Jim Tracy’s successor partly so he could talk with Farrell. The Red Sox wrapped up a four-game World Series sweep of Colorado on Sunday, and Farrell said he would not talk about any other job until the Series ended.
Now, the Pirates’ search could be further delayed because of Farrell’s pullout and the major league general managers meetings in Florida that Huntington will attend next week.
Huntington also plans to interview White sox bench coach Joey Cora, but the GM has not said if those talks have taken place. The Pirates aren’t disclosing who they are interviewing and have asked candidates not to talk to reporters.
Cora became White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen’s bench coach last season following three seasons as the third-base coach. Cora managed in the New York Mets and Montreal farm systems from 2001-03.
The Pirates’ scarcity of major league-ready talent may be scaring off some possible candidates.
Pittsburgh has lost at least 94 games each of the last three seasons and has not been above .500 since 1992. The Pirates are one more losing season away from tying the 1933-48 Phillies’ major league record for consecutive losing seasons.
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