5 candidates to replace Mike Matheny as St. Louis Cardinals manager

3.  John Farrell

Farrell’s up-and-down five-year tenure as Red Sox manager ended with an ALDS loss to the Houston Astros last fall. Three 90-plus win seasons and a World Series title in his first season were diminished by two seasons with less than 80 wins and two straight early postseason exits, so Boston made a change. He also managed the Toronto Blue Jays for two seasons (2011-2012), with a 154-170 record and zero postseason berths.

Farrell is working as an analyst for ESPN and a scout for the Cincinnati Reds right now. His experience as a major league pitcher, and as a pitching coach with the Red Sox from 2007-2010, is surely informing the focus of the work he’s doing for the Reds.

The Cardinals have been hampered by injuries in their starting rotation this year, and the bullpen has mostly been bad with a 4.52 collective ERA (24th in the majors). So Farrell’s background seems likely to make him a candidate to replace Matheny, if only for the Cardinals to interview him and pick his brain regarding his philosophy about pitching.

After how things turned out with Matheny, the Cardinals seem sure to seek managerial candidates with past coaching experience. Farrell is hardly a flawless candidate, but he fits that bill as a former manager and pitching coach.