In an effort to rejuvenate the club following their third last-place finish in four seasons, the Boston Red Sox have announced the firing of their pitching coach, Dave Bush, and third-base coach, Carlos Febles.
These move signals a significant shift in the coaching staff as the franchise aims to rebuild for the future.
Dave Bush, who had been serving as the Red Sox’s pitching coach since the 2020 season, was let go after three years as the club’s minor league pitching coordinator.
Bush, a former Major League pitcher himself with stints at the Blue Jays, Brewers, and Rangers, expressed his disappointment with the team’s performance this year.
“Disappointed is probably the best way to put it,” Bush told MassLive.com. “I wish we had played better, wish we had pitched better. That’s the end story. We just weren’t good enough. The expectations are always high here. That’s what makes Boston so special.”
Red Sox fire pair of coaches after disappointing season https://t.co/gwoZckpkKM pic.twitter.com/dPbkPTJA2H
— New York Post (@nypost) October 9, 2023
The Boston pitching staff struggled throughout the 2023 season, posting a 4.52 ERA, ranking them 21st overall in Major League Baseball.
Carlos Febles, who played second base for the Kansas City Royals for parts of six seasons, joined the Red Sox organization in 2007. He took over as the third-base coach in 2018, a year in which Boston won the World Series.
Unfortunately, Febles, who also served as an infield instructor, couldn’t prevent the team from committing 102 errors this season, making them the second-worst in the league in this regard.
The Red Sox concluded the 2023 season with a record of 78-84, marking their third last-place finish in the American League East in the past four seasons. The team is currently in search of a new chief baseball officer after Chaim Bloom was dismissed last month.
Lots of @RedSox coaches being fired, but somehow Alex Cora, the head coach, responsible for 3 last place finishes in 4 years remains. His team also has the worst defense in baseball. Blame the others guys I suppose..
Doesn't Boston deserve better? https://t.co/1Yoot3tlZj
— Matt (@Yette1) October 9, 2023
Despite the coaching changes, Red Sox manager Alex Cora has confirmed that he will be returning to lead the team next year.
The Red Sox and Yankees are the mom and dad of the AL East. They left their kids home alone for five minutes and came back to the house on fire. From this point forward the Orioles, Blue Jays, and Rays shouldn’t be allowed in the playoffs without parental supervision.
— Jake Yasi (@jake_yasi) October 8, 2023
Looking ahead, what else does Boston need to do this offseason to get back on track???