The Boston Red Sox seemingly can't go more than a few weeks without some drama or rumors escaping the front office.
Within the last two weeks, it's been reported that Theo Epstein isn't thrilled with chief baseball officer Craig Breslow's reliance on analytics, internal sources have said Breslow could use a "translator" to better communicate with his players, and most recently, Red Sox ownership is reportedly getting involved in trade negotiations. During a June 8 appearance on WEEI, Buster Olney confirmed that a Red Sox owner (Onley could not confirm which one) has been inquiring about right-handed bats around the league.
Red Sox ownership could refer to any number of people, from John Henry to Tom Werner and maybe even Epstein, as he's a part owner of Fenway Sports Group. Ownership's involvement in trade talks has raised some questions from the fanbase. Do they think Breslow incapable of making a decent trade? Do they no longer trust him with their resources? Is interacting with Breslow so arduous that someone from ownership is acting as his "translator"?
One thing is certain: making trades is supposed to be Breslow's job. Red Sox ownership's heightened involvement in trade talks and Henry's presence at more games than usual hardly feels like a ringing endorsement of Breslow's body of work so far.
Red Sox ownership getting involved in trade talks has created multiple rumors among fans
Another wild rumor flew out of Boston's front office amid the news that Boston's ownership has been making trade inquiries. Executives from the Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks front offices were stunned on June 8 when the two teams had reporters reach out to them to confirm that Marcelo Mayer had been traded to Arizona (subscription required).
The rumor was obviously false, as Breslow swiftly shot it down and Mayer suited up for Boston against the Tampa Bay Rays on June 9. The Red Sox did discuss trading Mayer to the Diamondbacks over the winter as part of a package for Ketel Marte, but Marte now has a no-trade clause and it's quite early in the season for such a massive swing.
Adam Jones and Rich Keefe of WEEI also had some theories about the Mayer trade rumors that tie in to the FSG's involvement in trade rumors. Among them are that Breslow attempted to trade Mayer and ownership refused, or that ownership could've tried to trade Mayer behind the CBO's back. Both ideas are mere theories, but they sound consistent with the communication breakdown in the front office.
It's encouraging to some fans that the Red Sox are going hard to try and improve their offense while they still have a fighting chance in an underwhelming American League, but it sounds like the front office isn't on the same page. Ownership's involvement in trade talks is undoubtedly strange, but since Mayer hasn't been traded, Red Sox fans will have to wait longer to see what the front office has cooking — or if Breslow is dismissed before the trade deadline.
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