It's been rumored almost since the moment that John Farrell was named manager of the Red Sox for three years, but it's now official: Torey Lovullo has been named the Boston Red Sox bench coach.
Lovullo left for the Toronto Blue Jays along with Farrell two years ago, when Farrell became manager of Canada's remaining baseball team. He was the first base coach there in both seasons, and receives a promotion with Boston in his new gig. He used to be the manager of the Pawtucket Red Sox, back in 2009, and was interviewed for Boston's vacant manager position roughly one year ago. Obviously, though, he did not receive that job.
Lovullo took over the PawSox for Ron Johnson after the 2009 season. His club went 66-78, in a year where most of the exciting player were just Red Sox on injury rehab. He got his start in coaching well before this, though, as he was a roving coordinator for the Cleveland Indians back in 2001, just two years removed from his playing in the majors, and went on to manage multiple clubs at different levels of the minors. Lovullo won consecutive manager of the year awards in the Carolina League with the Kinston Indians and then the Akron Aeros of the Eastern League.
Boston's coaching staff isn't finished, with Lovullo simply the first member of it. Tim Bogar will not be returning -- Lovullo took his role as bench coach, and Bogar is not going to move elsewhere on the staff. According to Farrell, the Red Sox are close to a deal with another coach, though, so news is imminent on that front.