Craig Breslow Could Land Red Sox’s Baseball Ops Job

The Boston Red Sox are actively searching for a new leader in baseball operations, and it appears that one candidate is emerging as the frontrunner. According to reports from Alex Speier of the Boston Globe and Chris Cotillo of MassLive, Cubs assistant general manager Craig Breslow is the leading contender for the position.

Speier states that the Red Sox have already extended an offer to Breslow, although it remains unclear whether he has accepted the offer at this time. Cotillo suggests that the hiring process is progressing rapidly and a decision could be made soon.

At 43 years old, Breslow is a Yale graduate who had a successful career as a relief pitcher in the Major Leagues for 12 seasons. Although he played for multiple organizations, he is best remembered for his time with the Red Sox. During his five seasons with Boston, Breslow pitched 211 innings and achieved an impressive 1.81 ERA as a member of the 2013 World Series team.

Since retiring from playing in 2018, Breslow joined the Cubs organization as the director of strategic initiatives for baseball operations. He later transitioned to the role of director of pitching and eventually earned the position of assistant general manager under Jed Hoyer. Breslow has been serving in this capacity for the past three years.

Following the dismissal of Chaim Bloom as chief baseball officer, the Red Sox have yet to announce the specific title of the individual they intend to hire as head of baseball operations. Given Breslow’s current position as assistant general manager, it is possible that the Red Sox may offer him a promotion to the role of general manager, either as the leader of the front office or as the second-in-command under a newly appointed president of baseball operations.

Furthermore, Cotillo suggests that the Red Sox may also bring in two additional front office hires, adhering to the common president/general manager structure observed in many other teams. The timing of these hires does not have to be simultaneous, as demonstrated by the Tigers, who left their general manager position vacant for a season to allow incoming president of baseball operations Scott Harris to select his top lieutenant.

Even if an agreement is reached in the next few hours, the Red Sox are unlikely to make a formal announcement tonight. Major League Baseball discourages teams from releasing significant news on days when postseason games are taking place. With two days off between the NLCS Game 7 and the start of the World Series, it is plausible that a final decision will be made tomorrow or Thursday.