John Farrell to return as Red Sox manager in 2016
Having completing his final round of chemotherapy treatment last week, John Farrell will return as Boston Red Sox manager next season, the team announced Sunday.
Diagnosed with stage one lymphoma in mid-August, Farrell stepped away from the team to undergo treatment while bench coach Torey Lovullo took over in an interim role.
The Red Sox stumbled through the first five months of the season under Farrell, going 50-64, but managed a 28-19 record under Lovullo's watch.
Despite his success, Lovullo waived his right to apply for any managerial jobs and signed a new two-year contract to resume his former title.
"It was a difficult decision for me," Lovullo said. "It just felt right to be here. To see this through ... before I ran out on (Farrell)."
Lovullo acknowledged that Farrell wanted to make sure that he was OK returning to the bench after managing the team.
"I said, 'I love you. I'm loyal. That will not be an issue,'" Lovullo said.
Doctors informed president Dave Dombrowski that it will take three-to-four months for Farrell to fully recover, making extending Lovullo as an insurance policy a priority.
"The commitment is made to John, but we also wanted to make sure we protect ourselves," Dombrowski told reporters.
The rest of the Red Sox coaching staff was retained with the exception of first base coach Arnie Beyeler.
Farrell owns a 246-239 record in three seasons with the Red Sox, winning the World Series in 2013.