Ever since the Boston Red Sox fired Chaim Bloom back in September, they have been searching for a replacement that could both do a good job and understand the market that he or she will be walking into.
Much of the search has been met with resistance, as most of the external candidates the Red Sox have wanted to interview have either declined or have been dismissed quickly by the team
That all may be changing soon, however, as according to a report from Patrick Mooney of The Athletic (a Chicago reporter), Boston is in "heavy discussions" with former relief pitcher Craig Breslow to take over as general manager. Alex Speier of The Boston Globe initially reported Breslow's candidacy, confirming that the team arranged an interview with him.
Can’t blame the Red Sox if they hire Craig Breslow, a Yale grad who pitched for Boston. After interviewing him in spring training one time, my first thought was: He could write my story today better than me https://t.co/QYSWouputu
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) October 18, 2023
Why does Craig Breslow make sense for Red Sox?
Breslow makes sense for a variety of reasons, but the first one is that despite working for the Chicago Cubs at the moment, he still lives locally in Newton. That means he still has ties to the area, despite not playing for the Red Sox since 2015.
Another reason is Breslow's two stints with Boston under his belt as a player, two of which were during World Series-winning seasons. While he is credited with two World Series rings, he only pitched in one (2013).
This leads to the final reason he makes sense: he knows what the fans expect. In Boston, it's no secret that the fans expect perfect, or at the very least pretty close to it. As someone who helped lead Boston to a title in 2013, a year where the city desperately needed a championship, he knows what kind of pressure would immediately be on his shoulders, were he to be hired for the position.
Red Sox president Sam Kennedy has said they will be extra careful in finding just the right person for the job, and in Craig Breslow, they may have found it.