For the past three years, Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell's name has surfaced in September as an option to replace the managers on the hot seat. His name surfaced in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Houston, and Colorado in recent years, but FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal says Farrell cannot accept an outside managerial position until after the 2010 season.
Farrell had worked wonders for some of the Red Sox young pitchers, and plays a role in some of the front office decisions the Red Sox make each offseason. The Indians are believed to be targeting him, and Farrell, who worked in Player Development for the Indians, seems ready to hold a managerial position.
Here's one possibility: If the Indians do fire Eric Wedge, Farrell could approach the Red Sox to get out of his contract. But it is unlikely the Red Sox would let him go easily. GM Mark Shapiro has not indicated what he will do with Wedge, despite the loud boos that fill Progressive Field as the end of the season nears. If the Indians keep Wedge to start the 2010 season, they could give him time to work with some of the young players and see if they can find success.
If things head south, fire him and replace him with third base coach Joel Skinner, who has some managerial experience, for the rest of the season. While the Indians may not target a coach long term, they've already had their sights set on Farrell for some time.