The 2022 Red Sox won't look exactly like the 2021 Red Sox. That much we know. What we have to wait for is exactly who kind of turnover we're talking about.
While the beginning of the player-related news will have to wait until five days after the World Series (which is deadline for J.D. Martinez to determine if he will opt-out of the final year of his contract), the club has made one change on its coaching staff.
Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom announced Monday afternoon that the team would not be bringing back first base coach Tom Goodwin, who also served as the club's outfield instructor.
"A change we made over the weekend is that Tom Goodwin won't be returning to the staff," Bloom said. "That aside, it's early. We haven't put pen to paper with everybody that we need to, but the intent is that everybody else will be back."
Goodwin was not at his post through the postseason due to his choice not to be vaccinated, with Ramon Vazquez taking over in the first-base coaching box.
"I think it's important to clarify because of that situation," Bloom added. "His vaccination had nothing to do with this decision. It was a baseball decision."
Bloom later added, "In baseball, there’s always changes and we love Goody, we respect Goody but we felt, I felt, as a group, we needed to move forward. There’s not a specific thing that we’re looking for. There’s a lot of things that we need to do as a group. It’s not only in that position but in all the positions. We have to keep improving. From digging for information to connecting to players to connecting with the coaching staff, connecting with the front office, and this is not a knock on Goody. It’s what we’re trying to do as a group. That was part of the conversations and we’ll see what we get. Whoever we decide is going to be a first base coach, he’s going to be a good one and hes’ going to help us to win games.”
The 53-year-old missed time in August due to close contact with a positive COVID diagnosis. He had been with the Red Sox since 2018.