The Boston Red Sox announced Wednesday several moves within their baseball operations department.
One of the changes included a former Red Sox fan favorite joining the coaching staff in the very lower part of the organization.
Super utility man Pedro Ciriaco, who played parts of two seasons with Boston from 2012-13, was hired as an instructor for the Red Sox’s affiliate Dominican Summer League team.
Will Middlebrooks, who played alongside Ciriaco and now serves as an analyst for NESN, strongly endorsed the franchise’s decision to bring Ciriaco on board.
“Ciri was one of my favorite teammates,” Middlebrooks tweeted. “He was one of those players that everyone gravitated to. Great pick up by the organization.”
In his first season with the Red Sox, Ciriaco seemingly came out of nowhere and flashed as a depth piece. He hit .293 with with two home runs and 19 RBIs while also stealing 16 bases in 76 games. Ciriaco also displayed incredible versatility in the field as it’s easier to list the positions he didn’t play in 2012. He suited up at every spot on the diamond except at first base, pitcher and catcher.
Ciriaco played in 28 games for the Red Sox in 2013 before being designated for assignment. He then played for the San Diego Padres, Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves with his big league career coming to an end in 2015.
