Yankees reportedly could steal Red Sox top pitching coach option for bench coach job

Naming a pitching coach is reportedly "high" on new Red Sox head honcho Craig Breslow's to-do list, but not high enough to get in the way of a potential game-changing Yankees interview.

Since Breslow's hire, poached from the Cubs organization, it's felt like somewhat of a fait accompli that he'd be bringing along former Giants pitching coach (2020-2023) Andrew Bailey to fill a similar role in Boston. It's been sort of an open secret along the way. Hell, he's the Director of Development for the non-profit charity Breslow founded. A toddler could accurately draw that link.

Bailey, a former Red Sox reliever, would then be a translator for Breslow's pitching brain, essentially a dugout conduit and a second "ex-player" stand-in for the man in charge.

But somewhere along the line, someone forgot to cross the Ts and dot the Is, because Bailey is in the Bronx on Monday afternoon interviewing for the Yankees' vacant bench coach job, according to Joel Sherman. The Athletic was the first to note Bailey's potential involvement in the search.

Yankees interview Andrew Bailey for bench coach role Monday

And, if you like what he has to say, don't let him leave the building. And definitely don't let him take any calls from 617 area codes.

Additional candidates for the role reportedly include Brad Ausmus, who was not named Astros manager this weekend, and internal option Luis Rojas, whose contract is reportedly now expired.

New York lost a pair of potentials in a 24-hour span when David Ross informed the team he'd only return to the game immediately for a manager role, while Joe Espada got his long-earned elevation to the head job in Houston, following Dusty Baker's retirement.

While the 39-year-old Bailey has technically never held the role at other stops, he has plenty of dugout experience, joining the coaching ranks with the Angels (replay department/bullpen coach) before heading the Giants' innovative approach to pitching the past four seasons under Gabe Kapler.

San Francisco, under new management with Bob Melvin in charge, recently named a number of coaches, with Bailey's name excluded. The ex-righty will almost certainly be moving on. Now, it's up to the Yankees to make sure Boston's assumptions make an ass out of them.