Ever since Alex Cora and the Red Sox mutually agreed to part ways, fans have speculated that Jason Varitek could become Boston’s next manager.

Whether such speculation is warranted remains up for debate, but team CEO Sam Kennedy nevertheless addressed the topic Wednesday afternoon. His comments were delivered shortly after the conclusion of a press conference centered around Cora’s exit as manager.

“It’s not appropriate to talk about specific managerial candidates,” Kennedy said, via NBC Sports Boston. “But Jason is a beloved not only alum but member of our organization, and our hope and desire has been for him to continue to take on more and more of a role as he develops the next stage of his baseball career.”

Here’s more from Kennedy on Varitek, via MassLive’s Chris Cotillo:

"He is part of the organization as an alum, part of the Red Sox family and part of our baseball operations staff. Hopefully, whether it’s as manager or something else, will be taking on a broader role. That would be my hope." — Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) January 15, 2020

Varitek joined the Red Sox front office in 2012 following the conclusion of his 15-year playing career, all of which he spent in Boston. He has held the title of ‘special assistant to the general manager” ever since.

Regardless of who eventually is hired as the next Red Sox manager, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom faces obvious obstacles in identifying the right man for the job.