Boston Red Sox: BoSox Wise to Avoid Big Name for Terry Francona's Replacement

The Boston Red Sox managerial job is one of the most desirable in all of baseball. As appealing as the job is, the team is doing the right thing by avoiding the big-name candidates that you would expect one of the premiere teams in sports to gravitate toward when making a decision this important.

According to a report by Sean McAdam of Comcast Sports Network New England, some of the names on the initial list drawn up by the team include Tampa Bay bench coach Dave Martinez, Philadelphia bench coach Pete Mackanin and Cleveland bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr.

McAdam also points out that there is a reason the team is taking this approach to determine who the next manager will be:

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None of the "name" candidates—Joe Torre, Tony La Russa and Bobby Valentine—are thought to be on the Red Sox' shopping list, as the club seeks a younger candidate, one more agreeable to working with others than a more established, veteran manager.

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Most of the "old school" candidates, like the three that McAdam mentions, do not follow the principles that the Red Sox are looking for.

They are an organization that runs on advanced metrics, or "Moneyball" to the casual fan, and none of those three names mentioned wants anything to do with that kind of thinking.

There is a lot of backlash going on in Boston right now for the way that the team finished the season, but don't forget that on August 31 this team was 82-52 and in first place in the American League East.

It is not like they are completely devoid of talent on the field and have to go through a complete rebuild to save the franchise.

They have a great foundation in the front office, and arguably the most devoted fan base in all of sports. The team is going to spend money, both in free agency and the draft, to ensure that they compete for championships every year.

Another thing to consider when you hear that the team is looking for an "unknown" candidate to be their next manager (and McAdam also points this out) is the last time the Red Sox hired someone, their final two choices were Terry Francona and Joe Maddon.

Those two guys were not household names back in 2003, but look where they are today. Maddon is widely regarded as the best manager in baseball, and Francona won two championships in eight seasons with the Red Sox.

Hiring a manager is not about finding that "big name" to appease the fans; it is about finding the right person who will do what is in the best interest of the team.

That is what the Red Sox are looking to find in their managerial search.

Now if we just knew what they were going to do with their general manager.