Bailey already has close ties with Craig Breslow, with the duo spending five years together as teammates.

Andrew Bailey will reportedly join Alex Cora’s coaching staff in 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Just a few weeks after the Red Sox hired former relief pitcher and 2013 World Series champion Craig Breslow as their new head of baseball operations, Boston is reportedly adding a new ex-bullpen arm to Alex Cora’s coaching staff.

According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports: the Red Sox are close to hiring Andrew Bailey as the team’s next pitching coach. Alex Speier from The Boston Sphere confirmed later that Boston is nearing a deal with 39-year-old Bailey, who has been the Giants’ pitching coach for the past four years.

Bailey, who pitched for the Red Sox in 2012 and 2013, is expected to take over for Dave Bush, who was fired as Boston’s pitching coach shortly after the 2023 regular season.

The 2009 AL Rookie of the Year already has a close bond with Breslow, with the duo spending five years together as teammates with both the A’s and Red Sox.

Bailey still serves on the board as development director of the Strike 3 Foundation, the charity Breslow founded to support childhood cancer research.

But even with his connections to Breslow, it was far from a guarantee that Boston would land Bailey, who was highly regarded in MLB circles for his resume as a coach with both the Giants and Angels.

It was reported on Monday that Bailey interviewed for the Yankees’ vacant bench coaching position – a coveted position higher up the management food chain. Aaron Boone’s former bench coach, Carlos Mendoza, was introduced as manager of the Mets on Monday.

But based on the reports from Rosenthal and Speier, it looks like Breslow and the Red Sox got their man.

The Red Sox have plenty of work to do when it comes to strengthening a weak pitching staff that ranked 21st in MLB in ERA last season (4.52). A case can be made that Boston needs to sign at least one or two impact starters to lift a rotation that has struggled for most of 2023 due to injuries and ineffective play.

But a coach with Bailey’s resume should be able to help Cora and his staff right the ship after posting a 78-84 record last season.