One year after watching other teams pluck three members from Rocco Baldelli's staff by offering them promotions, it's possible another Twins coach could be moving on.
Bench coach Mike Bell, hired last winter after his predecessor, Derek Shelton, left to become manager of the Pirates, has interviewed via video call for the vacant Red Sox managerial job, multiple sources confirmed on Friday. Boston is seeking a replacement for Ron Roenicke, who was let go after just one season in charge. Roenicke, appointed to replace Alex Cora after he was implicated in the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal, guided Boston to a 24-36 record, last in the AL East.
Bell, brother of Reds' manager David Bell and son of former Tigers, Rockies and Royals manager Buddy Bell, came to the Twins after a decade in the Arizona Diamondbacks' front office. He had experience as a minor-league manager from 2007-09, and interviewed for other managerial jobs last winter.
"In some ways, I thought I was ready last year, and then I get this job and it's like, man, I've got a long way to go," Bell, 45, said in September. "It's not a rush for me. I'm learning stuff daily, weekly, by the month. I feel I've got a lot to learn. Anybody in this position would enjoy that opportunity."
In addition to Bell, the Red Sox have interviewed former Twins hitting coach James Rowson, multiple sources confirmed. Rowson, who joined Paul Molitor's staff as hitting coach in 2017, spent the 2020 season as bench coach under Miami Marlins' manager Don Mattingly.
The Red Sox have also interviewed Padres associate manager Skip Schumaker, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, and Diamondbacks bench coach Luis Urueta, according to ESPN.
In addition to Rowson and Shelton, the Twins also lost associate pitching coach Jeremy Hefner to the Mets last winter.
(Star Tribune reporter La Velle E. Neal III contributed to this report.)
