John Farrell is out as manager of the Boston Red Sox.
After steering a relatively young team to the first back-to-back division titles in franchise history but also consecutive first-round playoff knockouts, Farrell was dismissed with one year left on his contract, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski announced Wednesday.
Dombrowski declined to get into specifics about the move -- or offer any substantive reasons for making it -- during a 34-minute news conference at Fenway Park. He also wouldn't say whether Farrell might have been spared if the Red Sox hadn't lost to the Houston Astros in the best-of-five Division Series.
But in dumping Farrell now, Dombrowski clearly determined that the team needs a new voice in the clubhouse and a fresh public face. Despite another first-place American League East finish, the Red Sox grew increasingly unpopular this season. Prime-time television ratings on New England Sports Network dropped 15 percent below ratings last year, which was David Ortiz's final season. Read more at ESPN.
View John Farrell Managerial Record at Baseball-reference.com.