CLEVELAND — The Boston Red Sox opted to retain most of their coaching staff, including manager John Farrell and bench coach/interim manager Torey Lovullo, for the 2016 season.
A notable exception: First base coach Arnie Beyeler.
Beyeler, who also served as Boston’s outfield instructor for the past three seasons, won’t be back as the Red Sox look to rebound from their third last-place finish in four years. The 51-year-old has been with the organization for 12 seasons, but president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski announced Sunday that Beyeler’s contract would not be renewed.
“I just really wanted to change a little bit of the mixture on it,” Dombrowski said of Boston’s coaching staff. “I feel in Arnie’s case, he’s done a great job in so many ways. He took the news as well as you possibly can. He’s a good person. He’s worked hard. He’s been a Red Sox person. We just wanted to make a change on the staff in a direction, and that was the one we decided to go on.”
Beyeler joined the Red Sox organization before the 2000 season. He spent nine seasons managing across various levels, including two seasons as skipper of Triple-A Pawtucket, before joining Farrell’s coaching staff prior to Boston’s 2013 World Series campaign.
Beyeler joked with reporters Sunday that he “maybe peaked too early,” but in all seriousness, it was a good run for the Utah native and he seemingly left the team in good spirits.
“They called me in (Saturday night) after the game and told me then,” Beyeler told reporters in Cleveland. “Yeah, I was disappointed without a doubt, but that said, I have nothing but good things to say about these guys — ownership and these guys over here. It’s been a good ride, a lot of fun, good people over here. I thank them for everything they’ve done. It was a great opportunity.”
The elephant in the room with regard to Beyeler’s departure is Hanley Ramirez’s failed attempt at transitioning to the outfield. Dombrowski said Ramirez’s defensive struggles had nothing to do with the team’s decision, though, and Beyeler agreed, saying he didn’t get the sense that played into the move.
After all, Beyeler helped Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Rusney Castillo all improve defensively.
“I can look in the mirror walking out of here, and don’t think I’m not disappointed, but I did the best I could do while I was here,” Beyeler told reporters. “And I think you guys see and the people see what went into that, and we see the results with some of those guys, and the bottom line up here is that players got to play and it’s kind of that way everywhere, even in the minor leagues where I came from.
“Sooner or later, you can be the best coach in the world or the best guy around, but the players have to play and they have to get better and they’ve got to produce. When you finish in last place, things can change, guys get moved, people get fired. Again, that’s the nature of the business.”
The Red Sox also didn’t renew the contract of strength and conditioning coach Pat Sandora.
Thumbnail photo via Reinhold Matay/USA TODAY Sports Images
