BOSTON -- New Red Sox manager Alex Cora has some key roles to fill on his coaching staff.
Third-base coach Brian Butterfield and hitting coach Chili Davis both departed on Thursday to fill those same roles for the Cubs, and pitching coach Carl Willis was hired to fill that job for the Indians.
All of Boston's coaches were under contract for 2018. But following the dismissal of manager John Farrell earlier this month, the Red Sox gave the coaches the opportunity to seek employment elsewhere.
Cora is currently finishing out the season as bench coach for the Astros, who are in the World Series. It's possible the Red Sox will wait until after the Series to fill their coaching vacancies.
Bench coach Gary Disarcina, first-base coach Ruben Amaro Jr., bullpen coach Dana Levangie, assistant pitching coach Brian Bannister and assistant hitting coach Victor Rodriguez are still with the Red Sox at this point.
Ultimately, it will be up to Cora if he wants to maintain some stability or go with an entirely new staff.
Bannister is highly regarded and there's a chance he could be promoted to pitching coach.
Butterfield, renowned for his work as an infield instructor, came to the Red Sox in 2013 when Farrell was hired to be manager.
Davis had been Boston's hitting coach since 2015. Willis was hired during the 2015 season and now returns to Cleveland, where he was pitching coach from 2003-09.