John Farrell's old boss says the Boston Red Sox's new manager has his dream job.
The Blue Jays agreed to a deal with Boston on Sunday that released Farrell from his contract with Toronto, allowing him to join the Red Sox.
"This was a dream job for him and an opportunity he really wanted to pursue," Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopolous said on a conference call.
"If it was a deal that made sense for our club as well, we were going to go ahead and try to complete that."
The Blue Jays have a policy that employees cannot make lateral moves to other organizations without compensation. As part of the transaction with Boston to acquire Farrell's services, the Red Sox dealt infielder Mike Aviles to Toronto for right-handed pitcher David Carpenter.
"Once John indicated this was something he wanted to pursue ... it didn't make a whole lot of sense not to see if something could be worked out," Anthopolous said.
Farrell, who was named the 12th manager in Blue Jays history in October 2010, guided the team to a 73-89 record this season, good for a fourth-place finish in the American League East division standings. It was a step back from the team's performance in 2011, when Toronto finished 81-81 in Farrell's first season as manager.
Farrell was hired by the Blue Jays after four seasons as a pitching coach with Boston.
Anthopolous says Farrell indicated to him after the season that if the Red Sox showed interest, he wanted to pursue the opportunity.
Boston approached Blue Jays' management a few days later and negotiations went from there.
"My responsibility is to the ballclub," Anthopolous said. "But I also understand the connection, I understand the ties. John had been there a long time, has a lot of strong relationships there.
"That's how he expressed it to me. This is the one job, there's no other city that was more of a perfect fit or a perfect opportunity."
Farrell received a three-year deal in Boston.
"John Farrell brings a unique blend of managerial experience, leadership and presence, pitching expertise, front office experience, and an established track record with many members of our uniformed staff and members of our front office. He will hit the ground running," Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said.
