Red Sox fire first base coach Andy Fox and five other coaches
The Red Sox are making changes to their coaching staff after missing the postseason for the third straight season.
Boston is letting go of first base/infield coach Andy Fox, bullpen coach Kevin Walker, assistant hitting coach Luis Ortiz, mental skills coach Rey Fuentes, trainer Ben Chadwick, and bullpen catcher Mani Martinez, according to the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.
Fox joined the Red Sox organization in 2011 as a minor-league coordinator. He spent one year as the Sox’ first base/infield coach following his promotion as a field coordinator. Fox pays the price for the Red Sox poor infield defense from last season.
Walker joined the Red Sox staff as an assistant pitching coach in 2020 before he was moved to a bullpen coach at the beginning of the 2021 season. Walker coached at every minor-league affiliate in Boston’s system, including serving as the PawSox pitching coach in 2018 and 2019. Boston’s bullpen struggled last season, especially in the second half, blowing the most saves since the All-Star break.
Ortiz has been the assistant hitting coach since the start of the 2022 season. He had previously spent 10 seasons as a hitting coach for the Rangers, Dodgers, and Padres.
Fuentes joined the Red Sox as a mental skills coordinator at the start of the 2020 season after seven seasons with the Cubs.
Chadwick had been a member of the Red Sox training staff since 2023 after working as a strength and conditioning coach for Double-A Portland in 2019 and holding the same role for the WooSox from 2020-22.
Martinez joined the organization in 2005 and had served as a bullpen catcher for more than a decade. He is also famous for catching David Ortiz’s grand slam off the Tigers' Joaquin Benoit during the 2013 postseason.
Pitching coach Andrew Bailey, hitting coach Pete Fatse, assistant hitting coach Ben Rosenthal, third base coach/outfielder and baserunning coordinator Kyle Hudson, game planning coordinator and catching instructor Jason Varitek, and bench coach Ramon Vazquez are expected to return next season, according to MassLive’s Sean McAdam.
