John Farrell thinks the hitting coach position has evolved, and he’s therefore open to having two men to call upon.
Farrell said Wednesday, according to The Boston Globe, that he may opt to go with a hitting coach and an assistant hitting coach, which is a strategy many teams are going with nowadays.
“That would be the preference, to go with two guys,” Farrell reportedly said. “The consistency of message is what matters most.
“When you look at what the hitting coach is required to do and the amount of time spent in the cage in addition to preparing for an opponent on a given night or for a given series, I think it has evolved into more than a one-man system, one-man setup and we’re moving in that direction.”
The Red Sox named their pitching coach in Juan Nieves on Wednesday, so hiring a hitting coach — or two — might not be far behind. According to the Sox skipper, the club will begin the interviewing process this weekend as it looks to replace Dave Magadan, who recently joined the Rangers’ staff.
General manager Ben Cherington seems to be onboard with Farrell’s philosophy of a two-headed hitting coach monster, and is willing to consider Farrell’s suggestion.
“I think there ought to be some philosophical alignment but perhaps a different personality, a different background,” Cherington reportedly said. “I think both ways can work.
“There’s some guys — and Mags was one of them — who can do a good job on their own. But it’s a big job. We’re considering this approach.”
The Red Sox’ offense finished the 2012 season eighth in runs, 10th in batting average, 12th in slugging percentage and 22nd in on-base percentage.
