The Boston Red Sox's rough start to the season hasn't done much for Craig Breslow's already-waning popularity among the fanbase. His throwing Alex Cora under the bus just one month in didn't very much help the team and only made him look more desperate.
A May 1 report from Tim Healey of The Boston Globe revealed internal front office opinions on Breslow's 2026 effort, and they're not positive, particularly the one from Theo Epstein. Breslow also isn't satisfied with how things have gone in his third year at the helm of the organization (subscription required).
“It bothers me incredibly strongly,” Breslow said. “It keeps me up at night. It consumes my thinking. If it didn’t, then I shouldn’t be doing this job.”
The Red Sox improved year-over-year in the first two seasons of Breslow's tenure and even made the playoffs for the first time since 2021 a year ago, but 2026 hasn't been the same story. Maybe because Breslow didn't address the team's biggest need, which he acknowledged was a middle-of-the-order bat with power.
Red Sox CBO Craig Breslow is feeling his seat get hotter as the season goes on without consequential improvement
Breslow is officially in the hot seat now that Cora is gone, and he seems to be feeling it. Not only has Cora's firing not changed much in Boston (although the offense is finally waking up due to Chad Tracy's lineup choices), it only highlighted that roster construction and management were the Sox's biggest problem.
Breslow's acknowledgment of his struggles won't be enough to save his job in Boston. John Henry and Fenway Sports Group seemingly were willing to go all-in on big trades and a contract for Bregman to take the next step toward a longer playoff berth, but botched negotiations and strange resource allocation only got the Red Sox so far. Sure, some of his existing players have regressed from last season, but its also his job to make up for that.
Even Theo Epstein, a former mentor,of sorts, to Breslow and the one who recommended him for the job as Boston's CBO, is disappointed with some of the choices Breslow has made since he took over, including his strict adherence to model-aided decision making. If the Red Sox had a Pete Alonso or Kyle Schwarber somewhere in their lineup, they wouldn't be in the low-power, last-place situation they're in now, and all it took was an eye test to see this coming.
Many of a CBO's regular duties seemingly don't come easily to Breslow — although he's skillfully built up the Red Sox's pitching prospect pool and development infrastructure, his communication skills and attention to the team's offensive needs have been severely lacking. Dave Dombrowki and Chaim Bloom lasted less than four seasons as CBO, both with more successes to their name. Unless the Red Sox drastically turn their season around and end up in a playoff chase, Breslow is looks to be in for the same fate, regardless of the self criticism he conflates with accountability.
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