The Boston Red Sox coaching staff won’t officially start to take place for another week or so, but the seeds are already being planted for Alex Cora’s supporting staff.
The Red Sox on Sunday announced Cora as the 47th manager in team history, but the club will wait to introduce Cora, currently serving as the Houston Astros’ bench coach, until after the World Series, where the Astros will battle the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Whether Cora’s coaching staff will be filled out by then remains to be seen, but it appears the Red Sox already are focused on at least one candidate for pitching coach: former Tampa Bay Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey.
According to multiple reports, the Red Sox already interviewed the 56-year-old about filling the role previously held by Carl Willis.
Rays pitchers enjoyed plenty of success under Hickey, as he helped turn one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball into one of MLB’s top units. Much of Hickey’s tenure with the Rays was under current Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that Chicago also reportedly has interest in Hickey. The St. Louis Cardinals are also said to have interest, according to reports.
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
