Tony La Russa Joins Red Sox After 4 Years with Diamondbacks

Hall of Famer Tony La Russa officially joined the Boston Red Sox on Thursday and will serve as VP/special assistant to president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, per Scott Lauber of ESPN.

On Wednesday, Chad Jennings and Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald first reported the addition.

Jennings and Silverman noted La Russa resigned as the Arizona Diamondbacks chief baseball analyst this offseason after two years as Arizona's chief baseball officer. He was in the Diamondbacks front office during the last four years.

There is a connection in place between La Russa and the Boston front office, considering he started his managing career with the Chicago White Sox in 1979. Jennings and Silverman pointed out La Russa's nine years with the White Sox "matched up almost perfectly with" Boston president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski's time in Chicago's front office.

La Russa is a Hall of Fame manager who led the White Sox, Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals for 33 years and accumulated a 2,728-2,365 record for a winning percentage of 53.6. He won three World Series, four Managers of the Year and six pennants during his impressive career.

This has been an offseason of change for the Red Sox after they fired manager John Farrell and hired Cora as the new manager.

La Russa figures to provide another veteran voice who can give guidance to Cora from whatever role he ultimately accepts.