Ex-Red Sox Bench Coach Joins Rangers Under New Title

As if the Boston Red Sox didn’t already have a busy offseason ahead of them, the organization will now be looking for a new bench coach.

Former Red Sox bench coach Will Venable was hired by the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, to “serve as associate manager on Bruce Bochy’s 2023 Major League staff,” per Rangers public relations.

Venable spent two seasons with the Red Sox, helping lead Boston to the American League Championship Series in 2021. Venable served as interim manager for seven total games across those two seasons, compiling a 2-5 record in the absence of Alex Cora. He interviewed with the Oakland Athletics last winter, but did not get the job.

The 40-year-old was a veteran of eight Major League seasons as a player and five as a coach. He has ties to Texas, having played for the organization in 2015 and was teammates with Rangers general manager Chris Young with the San Diego Padres (2008-2010). Many thought of Venable as a potential candidate to fill the Rangers manager position after they fired Chris Woodward this past season, but the job ultimately went to Bochy.

Venable’s title of “associate manager” is the first of its kind in Major League Baseball.

The Red Sox have a number of in-house options to fill the role of bench coach, including first-base coach Ramon Vazquez, third-base coach Carlos Febles and game planning coordinator Jason Varitek.