Mike Hazen
Arizona Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen has ties to Boston, having grown up in a suburb of the city. Rumors swirled that he might replace Bloom this year, as his contract with the Dbacks was coming to an end, but they were quickly put down when Hazen extended his contract to stay in Arizona through 2028.
With the Diamondbacks having such a successful postseason run, grabbing the last Wild Card spot in the NL after a down-to-the-wire fight with the Chicago Cubs, and working their way up to a Game 7 in the NLCS, it's not much of a surprise.
Jon Daniels
Tampa Bay Rays senior advisor and former Texas Rangers GM Jon Daniels is another candidate who was offered a chance to interview with the Red Sox in October, but he too turned it down swiftly. WEEI reported that Daniels wanted to keep his family in Texas, which is a fine enough reason on its own, but it doesn't factor in the fact that the Rangers have also seen a remarkable postseason run this year. He joins the list of executives unwilling to leave their comparatively more successful teams to take on the uphill battle of restoring the Red Sox to its historical glory.