When Boston handed Chad Tracy the reins after moving on from Alex Cora, the reaction mostly centered on the major league club. But there’s another name in the organization that deserves a long look too: Liam Carroll.
Carroll has been managing in the Red Sox system since 2023, when he took over Single-A Salem, and he moved up to High-A Greenville in 2025. In that stretch, he’s built a reputation as one of the more reliable developmental voices in the organization.
The list of players he’s worked with says plenty. Zack Kelly, Connelly Early, Eduardo Rivera, Roman Anthony, and Payton Tolle are among the names he’s helped shape, and there are others who reached the majors elsewhere, along with prospects who are now close to Fenway, including Franklin Arias.
That’s part of why Carroll stands out. Minor league managers matter across the board, but Carroll has made himself especially hard to ignore.
He’s already piled up more than 200 wins in the minors, and he’s also coached with Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic. At under 45, he’s got a lot of runway left and enough experience already to make him a real asset.
What makes him appealing is the blend. He brings energy, but he doesn’t lose control of the room. He lets young players enjoy themselves, which matters in a setting where they’re still learning and growing, but he also knows when to tighten things up.
Justin Gonzales offered a good example this season. The massive Greenville prospect was a key part of the lineup and had a habit of taking his time after one of his towering home runs.
That sort of swagger is part of the fun - until it sparks something bigger. One of those moments helped lead to a brawl, and Gonzales was suspended.
After that, Gonzales appeared to have more urgency when circling the bases. There’s no way to know exactly what was said behind closed doors, but Carroll’s influence was easy to imagine there. Gonzales, for his part, seemed to handle it well.
That’s the bigger point with Carroll. He has the passion, the knowledge, and the presence to guide young players without squeezing the life out of them. He’s respected, he’s well liked, and he’s already proven he can help develop talent on the field and in the clubhouse.
If Boston is serious about valuing every part of the player-development pipeline, Carroll should be part of that conversation. He’s one of the best in the business.
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One intriguing name is Teruaki Sato, the 27-year-old third baseman from the Hanshin Tigers, who is expected to be posted and available to major league clubs. Jeff Passan noted him as a possible fit, and the appeal is obvious from the numbers he has put up in Nippon Professional Baseball, where he has shown real power and a high OPS. For a Red Sox club looking for offense and a cleaner answer on the left side of the infield, he represents the kind of winter target that can change the conversation quickly. [Read more 🡒]
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Red Sox Turnaround Is Suddenly Unlike Anything MLB Has Seen
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The rebound was built on a mix of veteran production and unexpected help from everywhere on the roster. Willson Contreras, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu helped steady the lineup, Caleb Durbin and several minor league call-ups added fresh energy, and the front office gave the push a late boost by landing Adley Rutschman from the Orioles before the trade deadline. Even with all that in place, the bigger question for Boston now is how much of this second-half surge can hold once the season's final accounting is done. [Read more 🡒]