After the slightest little bit of suspense, the Jason Varitek state of affairs has been resolved. Varitek will return to Alex Cora’s teaching employees in 2026, in the identical place of game-planning coordinator and run-prevention coach (go forward and be happy to roll your eyes at that one). Subsequent yr will mark Tek’s thirtieth season with the Purple Sox. It should even be his fifteenth yr since his retirement, which means he’ll have spent as a lot time with the Purple Sox in a non-playing capability as he did as a participant. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
So the teaching employees in 2026 will look virtually precisely the identical because it did in 2025. The one change is that John Soterpulos, who initially got here from Driveline earlier than transferring to the group’s minor league teaching employees, will be a part of the massive league staff as Pete Fatse’s assistant hitting coach. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
Talking of minor league instruction, the Purple Sox are reportedly making “sweeping adjustments” to the best way they coach minor leaguers, this in response to the staff’s now-perpetual defensive points. The Sox will add full-time defensive coaches to every minor league affiliate, and likewise create a brand new place of defensive coordinator to supervise instruction throughout the farm system. “I believe what a few of our [major league] defensive lapses have accomplished is triggered us to have a look internally round the best way that we’re creating gamers,” stated Craig Breslow. (Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)
It’s not just like the Sox are fully hopeless defensively, after all. They might have the only greatest defender in the entire sport in centerfielder Ceddanne Rafaela. Nuff Cedd was simply given the 2025 Fielding Bible Award for giant league centerfielders, although he misplaced out on the Defensive Participant of the Yr Award to Giants catcher Patrick Bailey. (Fieldingbible.com)
Hopefully the minor league defensive program begins bearing fruit the best way the minor league pitching growth program already has. After seeing promising debuts from Hunter Dobbins, Payton Tolle, and Connelly Early in 2025, the subsequent arm to look at is Luis Perales, who’s impressing together with his triple-digit warmth within the Arizona Fall League as he recovers from Tommy John and prepares to compete for a roster spot in spring coaching (the 22-year-old is already on the 40-man roster). (Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)
