The Red Sox have already done more tinkering with Chad Tracy’s coaching staff than many fans expected, and the latest move carries a little extra intrigue. Boston added Shelley Duncan on November 4 in a role that has not yet been announced, according to the first report from Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam of MassLive.
Duncan comes over after most recently serving as the New York Yankees’ Triple-A manager. He brings a deep minor league résumé with him, having managed more than 1,000 minor league games over the course of his career.
That background made him a strong internal candidate for a future major league managerial opening in New York. The final year of Aaron Boone’s contract is in 2027, and if the Yankees do not move on from him, Duncan would have been a natural replacement option because of his experience and his familiarity with the upper levels of the Yankees’ farm system.
Boston’s staff has already seen some turnover this offseason. Former interim third base coach Chad Epperson is set to take over Tracy’s former role as WooSox manager, while interim first base coach Pablo Cabrera has returned to his previous post as the minor league defensive coordinator.
Duncan’s Yankees tenure also came with some notable player development. Spencer Jones, George Lombard Jr., Cam Schlittler and even Caleb Durbin all played for him before reaching the majors.
There’s another layer to Duncan’s arrival, too: he comes from a baseball family, much like Tracy. Tracy is the son of Jim Tracy, a former player, coach and manager, while Duncan is the son of former pitching coach Dave Duncan and the brother of Chris Duncan, who played parts of five seasons in the majors with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Duncan also has his own big league playing experience. He spent parts of seven seasons in the majors, appearing in 330 games for the Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Tampa Bay Rays. He played mostly left field, but also saw time in right field, at first base and as a designated hitter.
And for anyone who remembers the old Red Sox-Yankees edge, Duncan has already had a brush with it. In 2007, his debut year with the Yankees, a young Red Sox fan asked him for an autograph, and Duncan wrote “Red Sox suck!” in the kid’s notebook before signing his name.
Boston has a long history of bringing former Yankees into the fold, and Duncan is the latest to join that list. He’ll be in the mix with Durbin, Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock, Mickey Gasper, Jahmai Jones and others in the organization. And from the Red Sox perspective, the move might feel even better if it ends up costing New York one of its best Boone replacement candidates.
In Other News...
Red Sox Power Problem Could Force A Painful Offseason Decision
Bostons lack of pop was one of the defining issues of the 2026 season, with the Red Sox finishing near the bottom of the league in home runs and runs scored. That kind of offensive shortage has a way of reshaping an offseason, and it is already pushing the front office toward a familiar but uncomfortable idea: if the lineup needs a true middle-of-the-order force, the answer may have to come from outside the organization.
Craig Breslow does not have an easy path to get there. The clubs supply of young pitching prospects has thinned after recent trades, which limits the kinds of packages Boston can put together, and the most attractive chips left are Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela. Moving either one would be a serious call, especially for a player who can realistically bring 35 to 40 homers a year, because that sort of power is hard to find and even harder to pry loose. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Could Solve Two Offseason Needs With One Bold Trade
The Red Sox are still shopping for a right-handed starter and a power bat this offseason, and that has put a familiar name into the center of the conversation. Jarren Duran has been floated as a possible trade chip, and one of the more intriguing fits would send him to Texas, where the Rangers suddenly have a need for outfield help after Evan Carters hip surgery and are also working under payroll pressure.
Nathan Eovaldi is the kind of arm Boston could use to check one box in a hurry, while Duran would give the Rangers a ready-made answer in the outfield. It is the sort of one-move solution that makes sense on paper for both clubs, but for now it remains only a possibility as the Red Sox weigh how aggressively they want to attack two offseason needs at once. [Read more 🡒]
Wilyer Abreu's Rise Leaves Red Sox Facing A Costly Offseason Call
Wilyer Abreus breakout season has given the Red Sox exactly the kind of problem every front office says it wants. After winning his third straight Gold Glove in right field and leading all players in defensive runs saved and outs above average, he also put himself in position for a Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award after the best offensive year of his career. For a player who has grown into one of Bostons most valuable regulars on both sides of the ball, the rise has been as steady as it has been sudden.
Now the challenge shifts from appreciation to accounting. Abreu is arbitration eligible for the first time this offseason, and the combination of elite defense and a stronger bat figures to push his price tag up fast. That leaves the Red Sox weighing a player whose value keeps climbing against the reality that his improved profile could also make him more expensive to keep, and more attractive if the club starts listening on trade possibilities. [Read more 🡒]