Yankees coach in the running for Red Sox manager job

Carlos Mendoza might leave the Yankees for the Boston Red Sox

While Aaron Boone led the New York Yankees to an ALDS that saw them fall to the Tampa Bay Rays, the Boston Red Sox were relegated to the cellar of the AL East, as the loss of Mookie Betts and Alex Cora coupled with the lack of starting pitching proved too much to overcome. The Red Sox haven’t wasted a ton of time trying to find their next manager in 2021, and they think that the best candidate might be wearing Yankee pinstripes right now.

The New York Post is reporting that Mendoza is being considered as a candidate to replace Ron Roenicke as manager of the Boston Red Sox.

Carlos Mendoza was a major player in the Yankees’ success this year

Mendoza, who was a career minor league player that worked his way up through the coaching ranks in the instructional leagues, got his big break in the majors when he was named an infield coach in 2017. He was promoted to bench coach before this season after Josh Bard left to become the Los Angeles Dodgers’ bullpen coach. Mendoza, who has served as acting manager on occasions when Boone has been ejected, has developed a reputation as a great leader and someone who connects with his players.

The Red Sox are not the only team that is interested in bringing Mendoza on board, as the Detroit Tigers have also looked into hiring him to replace Ron Gardenhire.

Mendoza might be inexperienced, as he only has four seasons of work at the big league level and just one as a bench coach, but hiring a relatively young bench coach worked out for Boston when they brought in Cora. If he is willing to cross the Yankee/Red Sox divide, Mendoza could be a great manager in 2021.