Cleveland Indians: Who could replace Mickey Callaway as pitching coach?

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John Farrell – former Boston Red Sox manager

Probably the most popular name out there is former Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell. He is available after being fired following the Red Sox’s early exit from the playoffs.

He has a long-standing relationship with Indians manager Terry Francona, serving as his pitching coach in Boston. Farrell also had a role with the Indians front office before jumping into the coaching ranks.

I’m not as high on his as a choice as others seem to be though. He would not be a bad choice by any means, but he had a cancer scare recently and I could see him taking a year off or taking a front office role. I’m not sure he’s the type to jump right into another coaching role though you never know.

I would put the odds of him joining the Indians very high, though my money would be on a role in the front office again, not as the pitching coach.

Chris Bosio – former Chicago Cubs pitching coach

Many were shocked when the Chicago Cubs announced they had fired pitching coach Chris Bosio after they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. He served as pitching coach with the Cubs since 2012 and helped turn around such pitchers as Jake Arrieta. However, he was the sacrificial lamb of sorts after a disappointing year in Chicago and it could be the Indians’ gain.

Bosio figures to be a hot commodity for teams looking for a pitching coach and there isn’t a better opening than the one in Cleveland. If he is willing to jump back into the coaching ranks right away, he could be a big time add for the Cleveland Indians.

Carl Willis – current Boston Red Sox pitching coach

Carl Willis is a name Tribe fans should recognize rather well. Not only is he the Red Sox pitching coach but he was formerly the Tribe’s pitching coach, most notably in 2007 and 2008 when the Indians had back-to-back Cy Young winners in CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee. He was also the Columbus Clippers pitching coach in 2015, so he has experience with some of the current Indians as well.

He likely would not take a lateral move to Cleveland; however, Alex Cora, the new Red Sox manager, could decide to go a different route with his coaching staff. If Willis hits the open market he could jump to the top of the Tribe’s list.