While the Red Sox currently clock in with a winning record, this 2017 season has the whiff of disappointment about it. The Sox of course had heavy expectations coming into the year, thanks in part to a strong base of positional talent and high payroll in tandem with the trade for ace lefty Chris Sale, which cost the Red Sox their top prospect in Yoan Moncada, among other long-term assets. Still, right now they're in third place in the AL East, and that's not good enough. 

All of that has led to speculation that Boston manager John Farrell might be in danger of losing his job. No less an insider than Ken Rosenthal recently said he wouldn't be surprised if Farrell was let go in a matter of days. Now, though, it appears Farrell has more time than that. As Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports, Sox boss Dave Dombrowki recently have Farrell a vote of confidence. Cafardo has plenty of quotes from Dombrowski, and here's a notable one: 

"But it's one of those where I think to pin those things on John Farrell are just not fair. I think we're in a position where he's managed well, he's managed divisional champions. I think we're in a position, we have a good club. We just need to get in a better flow of things."

The Sox have played one of the tougher schedules in baseball to date, and it doesn't figure to get easier. That said, David Price's return to the rotation might be in sight, which will certainly help their current depth issues. It's still reasonably early, and the Sox are just 3 1/2 games out in the AL East. There's plenty of time to play up to their level. 

As for Farrell, he's in his fifth season in Boston. He guided the Sox to the World Series trophy in 2013 and an AL East title last season. Along the way, he has compiled a record of 362-330 as Boston skipper.