Bench coach Will Venable leaves Red Sox to become associate manager of Rangers

Will Venable has interviewed for major league managing jobs, including with the Red Sox.John Tlumacki/Globe Staff

Change is coming to the Red Sox coaching staff.

The Rangers have announced the hiring of Will Venable, who served as Red Sox bench coach in 2021 and 2022, as their associate manager on the staff of new manager Bruce Bochy. The move reunites Venable with former Padres teammate and fellow Princeton alum Chris Young, who is general manager of the Rangers.

Venable, 40, is viewed as a manager-in-the-making. He has interviewed for several vacancies, including the Red Sox job after the 2020 season (when Alex Cora was ultimately rehired, and brought on Venable as bench coach) and the Royals position this offseason.

It isn’t clear whether the Red Sox will hire internally or externally for a new bench coach, but first base coach Ramón Vázquez, third base coach Carlos Febles, and game-planning coordinator Jason Varitek have all been described as future managerial candidates.

Vázquez is currently managing the Caguas Criollos in the Puerto Rican Winter League. Febles is serving as bench coach for the Licey Tigers in the Dominican Winter League. And Varitek recently signed a two-year deal with a team option for a third to remain on the coaching staff.