BOSTON - While the Red Sox on Friday prepare to interview their first managerial candidate, Dodgers third base coach Tim Wallach, the speculation is that current Blue Jays manager and former Sox pitching coach John Farrell remains the object of much of their interest.
Farrell, though, remains resolute that his interest is with the Blue Jays. He told MLB Network Radio today that he has not been told if the Sox have requested permission from the Blue Jays to speak to him.
"I'm the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays," Farrell told MLB Radio Network. "That's where I've been the last two years; that's where I currently am. This speculation started to rear it's head again, oh, probably the final two months of the season. I can tell you this -- in my conversations with Alex Anthopoulos, Blue Jays general manager, it hasn't distracted me from my job and what the commitment there is. I'm extremely challenged, happy as manager of the Blue Jays. It's obvious that there's a vacancy to fill there and they're going about their interview process as it is with a couple of guys coming in there today and tomorrow, I guess. Nothing has been communicated directly to me. As far as if the Red Sox have contacted Alex, I'm unaware of that. So where it stands is what I said -- manager of the Blue Jays."