Amaro joins Red Sox as first-base coach

The same morning the Phillies introduced Matt Klentak as their new general manager, the man he replaced officially landed his next job.

The Boston Red Sox confirmed Monday that Ruben Amaro Jr. is their new first-base coach. The career move is a unique one for Amaro, who had been a prominent member of the Phillies front office since 1999, the year after his final season as a player. He has never coached at any level of professional baseball.

In addition to his duties as first-base coach, Amaro, 50, will be Boston's outfielder instructor and help instruct baserunning. The Red Sox brought him aboard on a two-year contract.

"I guess it is unusual, but for me, I've always had kind of an itch to be back on the field," Amaro told reporters in Boston on a conference call.

Amaro was fired by the Phillies on Sept. 10 after an oft-criticized tenure of nearly seven years as the team's general manager. Before he became an executive, the Philadelphia native and Penn Charter grad played for the Angels, Phillies and Indians from 1991-98. With the Indians, Amaro was a teammate of Red Sox manager John Farrell.

The Red Sox dismissed their previous first-base coach, Arnie Beyeler, at the end of their season.

Amaro revealed to Boston reporters that he had already lost 10 pounds in his offseason and that he is ambidextrous and will attempt to throw batting practice with either arm next season.

The Phillies and Red Sox do not play each other in 2016.