After a disappointing 69-win season, the Red Sox' coaching staff was bound to change.
Boston fired manager Bobby Valentine on Oct. 4, and this Friday, Red Sox hitting coach Dave Magadan said he had been hired by the Texas Rangers to be the hitting coach there, first reported by Rob Bradford of WEEI. The hiring was officially announced by the Rangers hours later.
Magadan had been Boston's hitting coach since October 2006, and he helped the Red Sox win their second World Series title in four years. Boston led all of Major League Baseball in 2011 in hits, runs and OPS. This season, the Red Sox ranked eighth in the league in runs and 10th in batting averge.
Magadan had also been talking with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians — where Terry Francona is now the manager — about open positions, as well as with Boston about returning next season.
