Carlos Febles has managed at several different levels of the Red Sox organization.
Is it time for him to lead the major league club?
It’s been speculated Febles, who has served as Boston’s third base coach for the past two seasons, might be a candidate for the Red Sox’s managerial opening in wake of Alex Cora’s departure. If so, Febles would welcome the opportunity to manage at the big league level, especially for a team like the Red Sox, who have won four World Series titles since 2004 and typically are contenders in the American League even when they’re not securing titles.
“If you want to manage in the big leagues, this is the team that you want to do it, the Boston Red Sox,” Febles told reporters Saturday at Red Sox Winter Weekend at Springfield MGM, per MassLive.com. “Not just because of the talent we have, but the organization and the fan base. You put all the perspective together, this is the perfect scenario for any manager to come in. Because this is a real special organization. An organization that they’re willing to win every year. Year in and year out.”
The Red Sox mutually parted ways with Cora last week after Major League Baseball disciplined the Houston Astros for their involvement in a 2017 sign-stealing scandal. Cora was Houston’s bench coach in 2017 and was named several times throughout MLB’s ruling, which stated the appropriate discipline for Cora will be determined once the league finishes its investigation into allegations Boston illegally stole signs during its 2018 championship-winning campaign.
Cora’s exit leaves the Red Sox without a manager less than one month before the start of spring training. While it’s unclear who Boston will target in its search for a new skipper, Febles believes there’d be an advantage to hiring an internal candidate.
“That’s huge, just knowing the players,” Febles said, according to MassLive.com. “Being around them and knowing them for so many years, Guys that I’ve managed in the minor leagues. I’ve had the opportunity to coach them here in the big leagues. So this is an advantage because you don’t have to work hard to kind of build relationships because you’ve already been here.”
Febles has been a coach in the Red Sox organization since 2007. The former Kansas City Royals second baseman managed Short-Season Lowell in 2011, Low-A Greenville in 2012 and 2013 and High-A Salem in 2014 and 2015. He then managed Double-A Portland in 2016 and 2017 before joining Cora’s staff as Boston’s third base coach in 2018.
