The Red Sox may have to pay a steep cost -- likely a "decent player" -- if they want to pull pitching coach John Farrell away from the Blue Jays to manage in Boston next season, a source has told Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald:
If the Red Sox [team stats] really want John Farrell to be their next manager, it’s going to cost them...
[A] major league source said yesterday that team president Paul Beeston would demand compensation for allowing Farrell out of the final year of his contract, especially to join an AL East rival.
While which players would fit the moniker "decent" in the eyes of the Blue Jays is not known, the asking price is not expected to be anything extraordinary.
Receiving a player for a manager who is under contract for with team is not without precedent. The Marlins traded two mid-level prospects to the White Sox last year for Ozzie Guillen's services, and the Tampa Bay Rays traded Randy Winn to the Mariners in 2002 in order to have Lou Pinella at the helm in St. Petersburg.
The Red Sox have yet to officially contact Farrell regarding their open manager position, but he is speculated to be the top candidate for the job. Farrell worked for four years in the Red Sox organization as their pitching coach before leaving to manage in Toronto.