Andrew Bailey will be in his first season as pitching coach. His hiring was announced last month. He’ll take over for Dave Bush who Boston fired Oct. 9.
The former right-handed hurler, who pitched for Boston in 2012 and ‘13, previously served as the Giants pitching coach from 2020-23.
Ramón Vázquez will return as manager Alex Cora’s bench coach.
Pete Fatse is back as hitting coach. Luis Ortiz and Ben Rosenthal will continue their duties as assistant hitting coaches.
Kevin Walker returns as bullpen coach) and Jason Varitek returns in his same role as game planning coordinator and catching coach.
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Why Triston Casas Was At Red Sox Rookie Development Program
Triston Casas began the week celebrating his 24th birthday, and it was a surprise when he showed up to the Red Sox rookie development program Wednesday.
Marcelo Mayer and Kyle Teel spoke highly of the advice the Boston first baseman offered. The program featured players with Major League Baseball experience like Isaiah Campbell and Vaughn Grissom. But Casas was not an invitee, and he completed his first major league season last year. It turned out he was very eager to come to the program.
“I did not get invited to come,” Casas told MassLive at Fenway Park on Wednesday. “I wanted to come and I wanted be here. I would have come on the first day if it wasn’t for my birthday dinner that I had planned on Monday. I requested to come out here. It’s a lot of new faces: coaching staff, front office and especially players.”
The rookie program participants includes Boston’s top three prospects — shortstop Marcelo Mayer, center fielder Roman Anthony and catcher Kyle Teel — as well as its top two pitching prospects, Wikelman Gonzalez and Luis Perales. No. 8 prospect Nick Yorke as well as trade additions Vaughn Grissom, Isaiah Campbell, Richard Fitts and Justin Slaten also are participating.
“This is a young group of talent that I’ve heard a lot about and I hadn’t gotten the chance to meet except for today when I did,” Casas said. “I’m looking forward to developing relationships with all of them in the next couple of years.”
Casas, who’s sporting a new look with short hair and a beard, also will be heading to Winter Weekend on Friday and Saturday at MGM Springfield.
“I knew Winter Weekend was going to tough to connect with everybody so while I had a couple days to be able to, I wanted to come and get work in, go to the facility at BC, take ground balls with them and at least (begin) creating those hopefully lifelong connections.”
The Red Sox are focused on their young core of talent. Casas wanting to be here impressed members of the organization.
Casas certainly has the chance to be a leader and middle of the order hitter for the next decade. He finished in the 93rd percentile among qualified major league hitters in walk percentage (13.9%), 86th percentile in chase percentage (22.1%) and 92nd percentile in expected weighted on-base percentage (.370) in 2023. He posted a .856 OPS, 24 homers, 21 doubles and two triples in 132 games (502 plate appearances).
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