Here's how Dave Dombrowski can solve the Farrell-Lovullo Red Sox managerial dilemma

Have we seen the last of this? 

The rumors out of Yawkey Way are that John Farrell will be back as Red Sox manager for the 2016 season, provided he is healthy after treatment for Stage 1 lymphoma. This would be a mistake.

As much as I wish Farrell well in his cancer battle and respect him for his 2013 World Series success and classy demeanor, this has been a different team since his bench coach Torey Lovullo took over as acting manager. The Red Sox have played with more energy, heart, and success since the switch, with numerous late-inning comebacks -- which was not the case earlier in the season.

Lovullo is now a hot commodity, and Boston stands to lose him as other teams seek to make managerial changes this offseason. Confounding the problem is that Lovullo has already said he will not take the Boston job if his friend Farrell -- who he served as a coach in both Boston and Toronto -- is fired or kicked upstairs to a desk job.

There is a solution, however, that might satisfy both men.

Your move, Dave. (www.csnne.com)

Monday morning, new Boston baseball czar Dave Dombrowski could invite them into his office and praise them for making the most of a tough situation. Since it was by working together that they were able to turn this hopeless year into a respectable one, he could explain, he doesn't want to break up that partnership. 

He just wants to reverse it.

Imagine a 2016 Red Sox team with Lovullo as manager and Farrell as his bench coach. It would be the best of both worlds.  The grizzled veteran providing wise counsel to a protege-turned-colleague out to match his past success.

Young players like Travis Shaw, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Blake Swihart who blossomed under Lovullo this late summer would not feel abandoned, nor would veterans like David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, and Xander Bogaerts who went through the 2013 wars with Farrell. 

Lovullo has connected with players in 2015...

...as Farrell did before him. (Boston Globe)

Look at the Yankees dynasty of recent vintage. Any time he wanted in-game consultation from 1996-2003, manager Joe Torre could turn to his side and ask bench coach Don Zimmer -- a veteran of 1,744 games as a manager. The godfather-consigliere arrangement resulted in six AL pennants and four World Series titles.

Zimmer was no doubt frustrated he never won it all as manager, but he could seek solace in the fact his insights were beneficial to Torre's success -- and recognized as such. Zim didn't let his ego get in the way of a good gig.

Zim and Torre made it work. (Sports Illustrated)

Farrell doesn't quite have Zimmer's MLB tenure -- he's managed less than 800 games -- but he has won championships in the Boston pressure cooker as both a manager and pitching coach (under Terry Francona in 2007). Since pitching is the biggest fix now needed here, Farrell's expertise before, after, and during games would be invaluable.   

Both Farrell and Lovullo are proud men, but also smart enough and close enough to see that this could work. 

Even if he recovers fully, Farrell could probably benefit from being in a job with less stress and media demands. He could head home earlier after games, get more rest, and still be near the world's best medical care. 

Farrell can also look to his track record. Sure, he was at the helm for the 2013 champs, but he's also finished last 3 of his 4 years in Boston (the club was 50-64 when he stepped down this year). In six years as a manager, including 2011-12 in Toronto, he's finished over .500 once. Maybe he's a great baseball man but not cut out to lead.

Could they handle a role reversal?

Then there is Lovullo. As well as he has done in his first two months as an MLB manager, he is still largely unproven. He knew the players on this team well when he took over in August, and they responded beautifully to him. If he stayed he could help them take the next step; in another city he would be starting from scratch -- and without a close friend by his side. 

Why not give it a shot? Farrell has a guaranteed contract from the Red Sox through 2017, with a club option for 2018, so John Henry will be paying him regardless. If it doesn't work, Dombrowski would still have the option of offering Farrell another position in the organization and/or firing Lovullo. 

Dombrowski and Lovullo: still a chance. (Getty Images) 

Firing Farrell and/or losing Lovullo to Washington or another team would be a public relations nightmare. Flipping their roles would be a wonderful feel-good story, providing it is spun as a decision made by the two men involved. Farrell has already won it all, so maybe he would enjoy helping his friend do the same.

There is one more reason Dombrowski should make this move: He knows it was not Farrell who assembled the train wreck of a roster Boston had entering 2015. Farrell didn't let Jon Lester go and fail to sign a true No. 1 starter. He didn't bring in Hanley Ramirez and his crappy attitude to play left field, or overpay for Pablo Sandoval because he had a cute nickname and gaudy World Series stats.

That was Ben Cherington and John Henry's team. The 2016 Red Sox will be all Dombrowski's, and John Farrell and Torey Lovullo should both be given a chance to lead them -- together.

    

Reasons to keep watching the Red Sox (including the chance to ruin New York's October)

Heart of the (new) order. (NY Post)

Six chances to help do in the Yankees' Wild Card chances -- starting with a 9-4 whipping last night -- is one reason to pay attention to the last-place Red Sox this September in between Patriots games. Here are some more:

The Clutch Kid

It's Yoenis' world. (Boston.com)

Seeing Jon Lester in green and yellow hurts, but the wonderful clutch hitting of Yoenis Cespedes has made it a bit easier to take. Entering last night, Cespedes had hit .382 with runners in scoring position and five game-tying or go-ahead hits in the 7th inning or later to tie him with David Ortiz for the club lead -- after just a month with the team! Last night he went 3-for-5 with his 24th RBI in 29 games for Boston, and he now has 91 overall for the year -- just four behind his new teammate Ortiz and among the American League's Top 10.

Yoenis has a pretty good outfield arm too, as the numerous runners he's nabbed at home plate and elsewhere can attest.

Young Gloves

The guy can chuck it. (Getty Images)

The rookies the Red Sox have brought up this year have all struggled at one time or another at bat, but their defense -- especially that turned in by late-season additions Christian Vazquez and Mookie Betts -- has been terrific. Betts has turned in some leaping, highlight-worthy grabs during his on-the-job training in center field, and Vazquez has been a delight at catcher. His quick throws to first base for pick-offs and to second and third to nab would-be base stealers are the best Boston has seen from behind the plate since  Gold Glover Tony Pena passed through town in the early 1990s. 

With an even more highly-touted catching prospect in Blake Swihart coming up behind him, Vazquez may not be here long -- and Betts could also be trade bait with Boston's 2015 outfield already crammed with potential starters Cespedes, Shane Victorino, Allen Craig, and new Cuban signee Rusney Castillo. Of course if Betts keeps hitting like he did last night against New York -- 3-for-5 with a home run -- he'll make that decision much harder.


The Starting Pitching Puzzle

Is Ranaudo for real? (NESN.com)

Will Clay Buchholz continue his recent channeling of early 2013? Will Anthony Ranaudo continue showing he has the stuff to join the 2015 rotation? Will Allen Webster work his way into the mix? Will Tuesday's winner Joe Kelly put together some more victories? A lot of question marks remain on this young staff, and how some of them get answered in the weeks to come may determine who Boston pursuits for its 2015 rotation -- including a possible push to get back Lester.  

Papi's Pursuit

Soon to be No. 2?

Cespedes may be the next David Ortiz when it comes to clutch hitting, but the real dude is not about to give up his spot as top dog in the lineup just yet. Despite batting third in one of the most anemic offenses in Red Sox history, Big Papi has a legitimate shot at the AL RBI title with 95 through last night. He already has 30 homers, so when he reaches the century mark in runs batted in it will mark his eighth 30-100 season with Boston -- and break his tie with Ted Williams for the most such years in franchise history. 

It will be real fun if Ortiz and Cespedes both are in the running for the RBI crown heading into the final 10 games of the year -- especially if they continue to bat third and fourth in the Boston lineup.

The Castillo Countdown 

Coming to Fenway soon. (AP Images)

Management has said Castillo (signed to a 7-year, $72.5 million contract in late August) will play as long as possible for Boston's minor league teams -- several of which reached the postseason -- but Ben Cherington would also like to get the Cuban defector his first taste of MLB play before year's end. If and when Castillo does reach the Boston lineup in September, it will be exciting to see what the guy can do against top-notch pitching. Remember, Castillo had not played any organized baseball for a year and a half before his first game with the Gulf Coast League Red Sox last week (when he had an RBI single). 


Spoiler Alert

Brett Gardner is NOT happy. (Newsday)

Wins this month mean nothing in terms of Boston's postseason chances, but they mean an awful lot to some of the teams they are playing. The Yankees and Rays are still battling for their playoff lives, and the Royals would much rather make it in as Central Division champs than face a one-and-done situation as a Wild Card. In addition to ending a sour year on a sweet note, the Red Sox also have a chance to salvage some pride rather than roll over. I don't advocate putting in a dizzy Dustin Pedroia to win, but if they can salvage a winning month with a young, piece-meal lineup, it would make 2014 just a little easier to swallow.