Sox tab Venable as bench coach

BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox have hired Will Venable to be a bench coach on manager Alex Cora’s staff.

Venable spent the last three seasons with the Cubs as a first- and third-base coach after a 12-year career as a major league outfielder, mostly with the San Diego Padres. Venable, whose father, Max, also spent a dozen years in the majors, played both basketball and baseball at Princeton.

The Red Sox also said that Jason Varitek has been named game planning coordinator, Ramon Vazquez will be the quality control coach and interpreter, and Kevin Walker has been named bullpen coach.

Picthing coach Dave Bush, hitting coach Tim Hyers, assistant hitting coach Peter Fatse, first-base coach Tom Goodwin and third-base coach Carlos Febles will be back in their previous roles.

Cora is returning to the dugout after serving a oneseason suspension for his role in the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scheme. Ron Roenicke managed the team to a last-place finish in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

METS SIGN RHP MCWILLIAMS

The New York Mets have signed right-hander Sam McWilliams, who’s spent six years in the minor leagues with three other organizations.

The Mets announced the one-year contract Friday. The 25-year-old will get $750,000 in the majors and $195,000 in the minors.

The 6-foot-7 McWilliams was in Tampa Bay’s 60player pool this year, He is 30-35 with a 3.85 ERA in his career, making 94 starts and 15 relief appearances.

McWilliams pitched in the Philadelphia and Arizona systems before making it to Triple-A with Tampa Bay in 2019.