The John Farrell Debate

Bobby Valentine, thankfully, has come and gone in Boston. He only lasted a year, which just so happened to be the worst year of Red Sox baseball in my short time on this planet. In his wake, Valentine has left yet another opening at the helm of the Boston Red Sox, the 2nd in as many off-seasons.

Now the idea is that Ben Cherington will have more authority over the managerial hiring process, hopefully finding a manager more suited to the daily needs of the players. The natural candidate to replace Valentine is former pitching coach John Farrell. Farrell, the current Toronto Blue Jays manager, has a strong relationship with Red Sox executives and is touted as the apparent savior to a woefully horrendous Red Sox pitching staff.

Since the season "gracefully" came to an end, reports have circulated around the Red Sox attempting to negotiate compensation for Farrell with the Blue Jays. The Blue Jays have shown resistance, as Farrell is under contract. Most fans who I've spoken to on the issue easily anoint Farrell as the favorite to replace Valentine. The simple connection does indeed exist. Farrell is well respected, knowledgeable on the pitching staff, and capable of handling the Boston media. In other words, he's the anti-Bobby Valentine.

But is Farrell really the best fit in Boston? While on the surface the answer is an easy yes, I simply don't have the same faith in Farrell many others do. In his two seasons in Toronto, the Blue Jays have gone 154-170. Now, being the Blue Jays, this doesn't seem particularly outrageous. But this is a team with considerably more talent than in years past, and has been primed to make that next step since they fired Cito Gaston in 2010.

Instead, the Blue Jays have failed to make the steady strides that division rivals Tampa Bay and Baltimore have, prompting a return to the doorsteps of the cellar of the A.L East. Farrell's most notable strength is his ability to handle and work with pitching staffs. But during Farrell's short tenure in Toronto, Blue Jays pitchers have seen an increase in ERA, up to 4.64 last season.

What's even more concerning is that Blue Jays ace and young pitching star, Ricky Romero, had a Jon Lester-esque 2012 season. Romero completely melted in Toronto, posting a 5.77 ERA in 181 innings, with a WHIP of 1.674. An All-Star just a year ago who pitched to a 2.92 ERA, Romero could not turn around his struggles under Farrell's watchful eye.

You also don't have to remind Red Sox fans of the daily headache which presents itself within the Boston clubhouse. While some of the noise has been traded away, egos remain. Is Farrell the man to manage these egos? We can talk about the respect he warrants from executives, but Farrell did not garner full support in Toronto. Yunel Escobar blatantly painted homophobic slurs on his eyeblack, an event which Farrell did not notice until after the fact. Farrell also had small, but meaningful disagreements with respected veteran Omar Vizquel.

What worries me is the tunnel vision when it comes to Farrell's candidacy. As we read reports of the Red Sox exhausting all options to negotiate compensation with the Blue Jays, I wonder if more focus shouldn't be placed on other potential candidates? Two in particular, Brad Ausmus and Demarlo Hale, deeply intrigue me.

Former catchers turned managers are littered throughout the MLB. Look no further than the 2012 playoffs. All four managers remaining are former catchers, with Mike Matheny having no prior experience and Joe Girardi managing a single year in Florida before landing in New York. Jason Varitek is considered a manager in waiting, and other former catchers include Mike Scioscia and Joe Maddon. Ausmus is a well respected baseball mind who knows how to manage a clubhouse on a daily level, and could offer knowledge on both the pitching staff and how to call a game, one area that Jarrod Saltalamacchia is weak. (OK, he's weak in most areas. Except his hair, the man has nice hair.)

Demarlo Hale should garner attention due to his connection to Terry Francona. While Tito ended on sour terms, there's no denying the success he endured and the experiences which rubbed off on his coaching staff. Hale was the third base coach in Baltimore, and is one of the leaders in the MLB in terms of player respect. Hale also has extensive minor league managing experience, and is perhaps the most qualified for the job.

However, I'm just a blogger with too much time and too many thoughts. It seems as if the Red Sox are intent on trying to make John Farrell work, much to the dismay of some. Simply put, why try to chase what you cannot have when the answer may have already interviewed at Fenway Park, in Ausmus or Hale?