Once the niceties of the news conference are complete, Cherington will have a long list of tasks that need to be accomplished.
The good news for Cherington is that he inherits a team that won 90 games and has an abundance of premium talent. But the Sox need a manager and have decisions to make on a number of key players. Cherington also faces the challenge of stitching up a clubhouse fabric that became torn during the team’s historic September collapse.
The new manager will play a key role in that effort. Cherington has been leading the search for Francona’s replacement, researching candidates to present to Henry, Werner, and team president Larry Lucchino. Once he is officially named GM, Cherington can bring those candidates in for interviews.
Because of the 10-day delay in Epstein’s transition to the Cubs, the search for a new manager had been on hold. It could be completed in a month.
The immediate decisions will come after the World Series when the team has to decide on the options it holds on shortstop Marco Scutaro ($6 million) and Dan Wheeler ($3 million).
Scutaro has a player option worth $3 million. The Sox originally signed him in the hope that Jose Iglesias would be ready to step in at shortstop by 2012. But Iglesias hit .235 at Triple A Pawtucket with a .554 OPS and appears to need more seasoning. That could increase the odds of Scutaro remaining with the team.
The Sox also have a brief window of exclusivity remaining with their in-house free agents: Erik Bedard, J.D. Drew, Jonathan Papelbon, Jason Varitek, and Tim Wakefield.
There is little chance the Sox would entertain keeping Drew, who is considering retirement. But Cherington will have to determine to what extent the Sox will try to retain the others.
Varitek and Wakefield have said they want to play next season and return to the Sox. But Varitek will be 40 in April and Wakefield is 45 and the Sox could simply decide that now is the right time to move on.
