Former AGM Taylor Smith leaving Red Sox for Athletics is another terrible look for Boston

The Athletics have poached a rising star from the Boston Red Sox's front office (as was feared). On Monday, the green and gold announced that they hired Taylor Smith to be their new president of baseball operations as the franchise prepares to move to Las Vegas in 2028.

Smith, 31, becomes the youngest head of baseball operations in MLB. He spent the last two seasons as senior vice president and assistant general manager with the Red Sox.

Of course, this is a promotion in title and pay for Smith, but the move is still a tough look for Boston, seeing as it didn't even take a premier franchise to lure Smith away. Are we at the point where the Red Sox aren't as attractive a place to work anymore? Or was this just a matter of Smith moving on to a fatter paycheck, and nothing more? Perhaps it's a little bit of both.

Taylor Smith's move to Athletics re-raises questions about Red Sox's front office culture

Given the rich tradition of the Red Sox, their resources, and their high revenue, you'd think that any front office person would dream to work for this club. But in the Craig Breslow era (which now will extend until at least 2030), things have been a little shakier, seeing as Breslow's overseen a ton of personnel turnover, not least of all the firing of Alex Cora and multiple coaches last season.

Whether it's the uneasiness resulting from all of the shake-ups or something else, there's a pattern emerging of talented people inside Boston's front office seeking opportunities elsewhere. Smith is the most recent example, but last offseason, then-AGM Paul Toboni left the Red Sox to take the PBO job with the Washington Nationals.

Former Red Sox AGM Taylor Smith took a "better" job with a far worse organization, but is the gap actually that wide?

For Smith, joining the Athletics is a situation that brings with it a young, exciting roster, but there are also plenty of warning signs that the job could be difficult, starting with owner John Fisher, who's received mixed reviews (to put it kindly) through the years. Most notably, Smith will have to work under chronic financial constraints, something that didn't apply in Boston's front office. And yet, he's diving into the new opportunity with open arms.

Again, promotions happen all of the time. But when a high-profile destination like the Red Sox loses one of its own to a much lower-profile franchise, you begin to ask questions. Smith's new job is a clear win for him, but it remains thought-provoking that Boston wasn't able to retain him in some way, whether through offering more money, by prestige, or through a combo of both.

There are certain organizations in sports that people would stay with even in the face of higher-paying jobs elsewhere. The Red Sox have always seemed like one of those organizations, but perhaps that's no longer true.

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