Red Sox' Managerial Search Continues During MLB's Investigation

The Red Sox are still looking for a new manager as the start of Spring Training inches closer.

On Friday, The Boston Globe's Pete Abraham reported the Red Sox are planning to hire bench coach Ron Roenicke as its new skipper but are waiting for Major League Baseball to conclude its investigation into the team's 2018 sign-stealing saga before making an announcement.

However, the club released a statement to MassLive's Chris Cotillo denying the report. 

"Our managerial search is not yet completed. We will comment at the completion of the search," Boston said.

Red Sox third base coach Carlos Febles, Diamondbacks coach Luis Urueta and former Blue Jays manager John Gibbons have also reportedly interviewed for the job. 

Roenicke has four-plus years of managerial experience with the Brewers, where he went 342-331 from 2011-15. However, after the Brewers started the 2015 season at 7-18, he was fired and replaced by Craig Counsell.

The Red Sox have been looking for a new manager since firing Alex Cora last month in the wake of the Astros' sign-stealing scandal. During its investigation, MLB found the Astros stole signs electronically with the use of an outfield camera during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Cora, who served as Houston's bench coach in 2017, was named in the report.

According to MLB's report, Cora was the person who called for the installation of a monitor adjacent to the Astros' dugout, which broadcast a feed directly from a centerfield camera. Cora and other "lower-level baseball operations employees," in conjunction with players, used that feed to determine the opposing team's signs based on the catcher's signals. The team banged a trash can to indicate if an off-speed pitch was coming, while no bang indicated a fastball was coming.

MLB learned of the Red Sox' alleged sign-stealing operation in 2018 during its investigation of the Astros. Commissioner Rob Manfred told Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci that MLB is looking into Boston's allegations with the "same thoroughness and vigor that we did Houston."

Speaking Thursday after an owners meeting, Manfred said he's looking to finish the league's investigation into the Red Sox by the start of spring training next week.

In 2017, MLB also fined the Red Sox for using Apple Watches to steal signs against the Yankees at Fenway Park.