Valentine agreed to a two-year contract, with options for 2014 and 2015, to succeed Terry Francona, whose eight-year term was highlighted by World Series titles in 2004 and 2007. But Francona’s final season was pockmarked by an epic 7-20 collapse in September that resulted in the squandering of a nine-game lead in the wild-card race and led to Francona’s departure two days after a season-ending loss at Baltimore.
“When I got the offer, it took me 20 minutes [to agree] and there was no counteroffer that I asked for,’’ said Valentine, when asked if he was comfortable with the terms. “I was very comfortable. Let it be known, I would’ve taken one.’’
Cherington disputed any notion that Valentine was not his choice and that he wound up on the losing end of a power struggle with Lucchino. Cherington also said there were no concerns that the club would be subjecting Valentine to a similar fate as Francona, who believed his voice in the clubhouse had been muted by a lack of support from ownership when the team did not pick up his option.
“I don’t necessarily agree with that,’’ Cherington said. “Whatever challenges Tito was having this year, my personal opinion was that it didn’t have anything to do with the option. It had something to do with the fact he had been here for a long time and he had worked his butt off for a long time, and had gone through the grind for a long time, and it’s a difficult thing to do for a long time. And he did a great job for a vast majority of that time.
“My personal view is that the option was not a factor in anything that happened this year. I don’t think it’s a factor [for Valentine]. I think he’s going into this confident and I don’t think the term of the contract matters to him.’’
