Farrell Says Managing Red Sox Was Always "Dream Job"

UPDATE: Gordon Edes has posted a sampling of press and blog reactions: here and here.

John Farrell asked Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos over Canada's Thanksgiving weekend (two weeks ago) about leaving his position as Toronto's manager because managing the Red Sox had always been his "dream job".

Anthopoulos:

As John explained it to me, this was a dream job for him. It was an opportunity he really wanted to pursue, so if there was a deal that could make sense for our club as well, we were going to try ... knowing that this, for him, was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity ...

Farrell:

I'm extremely excited to be returning to the Red Sox and to Boston. I love this organization. It's a great franchise in a special city and region, with great fans, and we want nothing more than to reward their faith in us.

Ortiz:

There is something about John that they can see because they've been chasing John for the last couple of years. I love John. John is my main man, even when he was the pitching coach.

But I don't know if it's fair for him to walk into this situation that we are in right now. Hopefully everything goes well and he can change things around. He's up for the challenge and what he's going to bring to the table and hopefully everything goes great. I know things didn't go the way he expected in Toronto; hopefully it works out for him here.

When he was dealing with the pitchers, he kept them lined up. What was it? I don't know, but we're about to find out if we can go back to that because we need that. We needed something different. I think you're going to notice a difference. We need somebody to increase the way things are around here and John’s the guy. I'm excited.

Ortiz also said he hopes to work out a contract before the end of the World Series.

Lester:

He helped mold me into the pitcher I am, the player I am. My work ethic, the work I do between starts, he really helped mold all of that. It will be good to have a familiar face and know what to expect coming into spring training. Last year we didn't know what to expect. I know John, and I'm excited to get back working with him.

Not everyone on the Red Sox is excited about Farrell's return, however. One unnamed position player told Mike Giardi of CSNNE that Farrell was "a hell of a pitching coach, but did you see Toronto play this year? They were as lost as we were."

CBS's Scott Miller is already second-guessing the move from the Red Sox's perspective: " If he's so good, why are the Toronto Blue Jays simply allowing him to walk?"

Jon Heyman quoted someone "with ties to Toronto" as saying, "The people there would charter a plane to get him out."

Sources say that bench coach Torey Lovullo will come with Farrell to Boston.