Former Milwaukee Brewers manager Ron Roenicke to be named manager of Boston Red Sox following MLB investigation, per report

In the wake of the sign stealing scandal that has hit baseball, the Boston Red Sox parted ways with their manager, Alex Cora, who had been heavily involved in it while he was in Houston. This left the Red Sox without a manager as the 2020 season approaches. With Spring Training about to begin and the regular season not far behind, the Red Sox went internal, and it’s a name Brewers fans are familiar with. According to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe, former Brewers manager (and current Red Sox bench coach) Ron Roenicke will be named the manager of the Red Sox.

Roenicke was originally hired by the Brewers in 2011 after serving as a coach for the Angels for over 10 years. He immediately led the Brewers to the playoffs in 2011, but the next two years were rougher as talent left the team and the Brewers dealt with Ryan Braun’s suspension for PEDs. In 2014, the season started well and the Brewers were on track for another playoff appearance. They had a 6 ¹⁄₂ game lead in the division at one point, but the team slumped and went from a 6 ¹⁄₂ game lead to 8 games behind and out of the playoffs by the end of the year. Owner Mark Attanasio and GM Doug Melvin gave him one more chance in 2015, but a 7-18 start to the season ended his tenure as manager. He finished his tenure as manager with a record of 342-331, and his 342 wins place him sixth all time among Brewers managers.

Since then, he’s been serving as a coach for a few different teams. He re-emerged late in the 2015 season as the Dodgers third base coach, then returned to the Angels in 2016 and 2017 as their third base coach. Alex Cora brought him in to be the bench coach for the Red Sox in 2018, and he has spent the last two seasons with them.

The Boston Globe spoke with former GM Doug Melvin about the promotion, and here’s what he had to say about Roenicke:

“He’s pretty poised. He understands the game, understands there’s good games and bad games . . . Things don’t bother him to the point that he’s going to do something stupid,” said Doug Melvin, Roenicke’s general manager in Milwaukee. “I think Ron’s the type of guy who can work with any general manager . . . He’s not afraid to speak his mind, but in a diplomatic way. “I’d love to see Ron get a second chance. I do think there are a lot of guys who, with second chances, do better. This game is great for learning from past experiences.”

The move is not official yet, as the Red Sox are waiting for MLB’s investigation on their team to conclude first. An official announcement will follow once that has concluded.

EDIT: Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com tweeted a statement from the Red Sox, saying that they have not completed their search. This does not mean that Roenicke will not be named manager, though.