Sunday will conclude a second straight losing season for the Boston Red Sox, but manager John Farrell's prior success is keeping him at the helm in 2016.
The Red Sox announced Farrell is returning to the dugout next year, along with bench coach Torey Lovullo and other assistants:
As reported by Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com, Lovullo has been rewarded with a two-year contract extension and has foregone the right to pursue a manager position with a different team. Edes indicated Farrell's health is a big reason Lovullo is being retained.
Lovullo has been filling in for Farrell since August, when the skipper was diagnosed with lymphoma. Stunned when Farrell told him about the situation before it became public knowledge, Lovullo explained how Farrell was optimistic about Boston's future despite the ominous circumstances, per Edes:
I didn't say anything for about 10 seconds, and he said, 'Hey are you there? Are you OK?' In true John Farrell fashion he just said, 'Hey, I'm going to be OK. We're going to make it through this and we're going to come out the other end. We're going to have a great year this year, we're going to have a great year next year. There's no other option.'
What Farrell said is starting to come to fruition, as he was discharged from the hospital Thursday after completing his last round of chemotherapy. During his interim stint, Lovullo has posted an exceptional 28-19 record ahead of Sunday's regular-season finale against the Cleveland Indians.
High Heat Stats MLB notes the drastic improvement by Boston since Lovullo took over, albeit over the span of far fewer games:
Farrell won a World Series title in 2013, his first year with the Red Sox. The results haven't been as strong since, but a regime change headed by new President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski, Farrell's inspiring recovery and the club's performance under Lovullo provide reason to believe Boston will turn it around this next season.
The Red Sox extended Farrell's contract through 2017 with a club option for the following year this February. Provided his health holds up and the team factors into the playoff hunt, it's likely he will experience an excellent comeback in 2016 and bolster his job security.
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