The Boston Globe recently featured a series of 20 predictions for the Red Sox offseason that should turn a few heads. #1 predicted GM Theo Epstine will join the Cubs, which at this point is a safe pick. #2 was a bit more of a sleeper pick, projecting the Rays bench coach Dave Martinez as the next Red Sox manager.
↵Bobby Valentine, Dale Sveum, Tony Pena... thus far, the list of potential successors to Terry Francona is hardly inspiring. The best of the lot - and the most willing to give significant consideration to the Red Sox' strong sabermetric leanings - is the former outfielder who serves as Joe Maddon's bench coach in Tampa Bay.↵
It’s no surprise other teams want our brilliant Martinez. When rumors of the White Sox targeting him as their new skipper whirled, Joe Maddon lauded the potential move and praised Martinez's ability as a future manager, but this is a bold preemptive prediction from Boston’s leading news source. With so much AL East experience and a statistical mind Bill James would approve of, Martinez fits like a glove, but the Globe is the first major news source to make the claim.
↵The article also predicted a gutting of the entire coaching staff, a departure of captain Jason Varitek and veteran Tim Wakefield, and that the team will eat money to trade John Lackey.