Report: Red Sox extend contract of GM Ben Cherington - MLB

Though specific details are not yet known, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe is reporting that the Red Sox have extended the contract of general manager Ben Cherington beyond the 2015 season.

Cherington didn’t have much to say about his contract status. Via Speier:

“I’m under contract. I have a contract,” said Cherington. “We understand that contracts for people in uniform are important and need to be discussed. We feel, I think I’m speaking for ownership, for the leadership of the organization, I feel fortunate to be a part of, we’re all working together to try and do the same thing, that’s be successful. I have a contract. I’m in good shape. There’s no issue. Glad to be working with [principal owner John Henry] and the rest of the group.”

Cherington has been in the GM role with the Red Sox since late October 2011. In his three seasons, the Red Sox have gone 237-249, winning the World Series once in 2013. Cherington gave the Red Sox a new look for the 2015 season, adding free agents Hanley Ramirez, Pablo Sandoval, Rusney Castillo, and Justin Masterson while trading for Wade Miley and Rick Porcello.

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Roger Clemens will be an analyst for ESPN when the defending World Series champion Houston Astros host the Chicago White Sox on opening day.

Clemens made four appearances on last year’s KayRod Cast with Michael Kay and Alex Rodriguez. He will be stepping in on March 30 for David Cone, who will be doing the New York Yankees opener against the San Francisco Giants on YES Network.

“Roger has been sort of a friend of ours for the last year, so to speak, he’s in. He’s been engaged, knowledgeable and really present,” said ESPN Vice President of Production Phil Orlins. “You know, whatever past may be, he’s still tremendously engaged and he really brought that every time he was with us.”

Clemens was a seven-time Cy Young winner but his career after baseball has been tainted by allegations of performance-enhancing drug use. He is a Houston native and pitched for the Astros for three seasons.

Orlins said that with the rules changes and pitch clock, it is important to have a pitcher in the booth with Karl Ravech and Eduardo Perez.

“We don’t feel like we have to have the dynamic of Eduardo with a pitcher, but we certainly think that works. Throw in the added factor of rule changes and it is better to have a batter-pitcher perspective,” Orlins said.

Orlins did not say if this would open the door for future opportunities for Clemens as an ESPN analyst.