Besides their main goals on the field, the Boston Red Sox have plenty of other moves to make this offseason. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow also has some front office jobs to fill, and the Sox have begun their hiring.
The Red Sox are set to hire Taylor Smith, the Tampa Bay Rays' director of predictive modeling. Smith has been with Boston's division rival since graduating from the University of Georgia in 2018 and has previously interned with the Dodgers organization.
Sean McAdam and Chris Cotillo of MassLive believe Smith is a top candidate for a high-ranking role, like vice president or assistant general manager. However, the team has not officially announced his hiring or title.
McAdam and Cotillo reported that Smith will take over many analytical responsibilities formerly held by AGM Mike Groopman, who is expected to move to a role more focused on player acquisitions. Smith could become one of five AGMs, along with four of the Sox's internal options, Groopman, Raquel Ferreira, Eddie Romero and Paul Toboni. Toboni is rumored to be a top candidate for Boston's GM vacancy.
Red Sox front office will hire Taylor Smith, former Rays director of predictive modeling, to high-ranking vacancy
A big hire for the Red Sox: Sources tell me and @Sean_McAdam that they’re hiring Rays director of predictive modeling Taylor Smith to a high-ranking front office role, likely as an assistant GM. https://t.co/m6I5CWkXVG
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) October 20, 2024
The Rays organization is known for its ability to field competitive teams on a budget consistently. Former Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom was hired from the Rays to help Boston balance its budget after Dave Dombrowski's tenure.
Rather than spending its money in free agency, Tampa Bay has had outstanding success with player development. The Red Sox's farm system is newly stacked, and they'll need all the player development help they can get to make the best of it. Smith is the latest Rays staffer to depart the organization to share their money-conscious mindset throughout the league.
Many Sox fans had negative reactions to another mind from a small market joining the front office. But every front office in baseball is packed with mathematicians to help teams make the best of their resources. Red Sox Nation will have to wait and see what the latest external influence in management will bring next season.