Blue Jays manager John Farrell spoke with MLB Network Radio on Friday and said the Red Sox have not communicated to him that they are interested in hiring him as their next manager.

“I am the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays. That’s where I’ve been the last two years and that’s where I currently am,” Farrell said.

Farrell, the former Red Sox pitching coach, is seen as the favorite of Red Sox executives for their vacant managerial position. But he is under contract to Toronto for another season, and Boston would have to get the Blue Jays’ permission to talk to him.

“This speculation started to rear its head again probably the final two months of the season. I can tell you this: In my conversations with [Toronto GM] Alex [Anthopoulos], it hasn’t distracted me from my job and what the commitment there is,” Farrell said. “I’m extremely challenged, happy as the manager of the Blue Jays. But its obvious that there’s a vacancy to fill there and they’re going about their interview process as it is.

Continue reading below

“Nothing has been communicated directly to me. If the Red Sox have contracted Alex, I’m unaware of that. Where it stands is what I said: [I’m] manager of the Blue Jays.”

All of that is probably true. But unless Farrell says he is not interested in the Red Sox, speculation will continue.

The Red Sox were scheduled to interview Dodgers third base coach Tim Wallach on Friday and Padres special assistant Brad Ausmus early next week.