Red Sox Hire Breslow as New Chief of Baseball Operations

Craig Breslow hired as replacement for Chaim Bloom

An outside-the-box hire was made for the Red Sox as Craig Breslow is the new Chief of Baseball Operations for the Red Sox. Breslow graduated from Yale and pitched in the MLB from 2005-2017. In 2013, Breslow was a member of the 2013 World Series winning Red Sox team. After his playing career, Breslow was hired by Theo Epstein to work for the Cubs and has risen quickly through their ranks, becoming an Assistant General Manager and Vice president of Pitching.

Reasons for Hiring Breslow

One of the first reasons is his connection to Theo Epstein. The Ownership group respects Epstein well and is friends with Sam Kennedy. His endorsement of Breslow might have gone a long way with the ownership group. Another reason is his knowledge of player development, especially on the pitching side. The Red Sox have long struggled at developing pitchers, and Breslow can help make that a strength of the organization. Even as a player, Breslow was known as one of the smartest people in baseball and, even in his playing career, used technology to improve himself as a pitcher. The last reason Breslow was hired was his time as a former player. This will help him connect with the clubhouse, and he and manager Alex Cora should have a strong connection.

Next Moves for Breslow

Breslow is faced with an important offseason with the Red Sox right away. They will let him decide who to hire as his number two employee. The Red Sox must also fill a few spots on the on-field staff, including third base and pitching coaches. As a guy with a pitching background, it would seem like Breslow will influence the pitching coach hire. The two main areas that need to be improved in the offseason are Pitching and Defense. It will be interesting to see if he decides to trade any prospects or if they make the splashes in free agency. Chaim Bloom left the organization in a good spot with minor-league talent. Breslow will have plenty to work with and has flexibility, especially if ownership spends more money.

Takeaway

Red Sox fans should be optimistic about Craig Breslow. The hire will continue their process of strong player development. Breslow will use technology and analytics to strengthen the organization. The hire is similar to Chaim Bloom. Both went to Yale. The big difference is Breslow being a former player. He must’ve got positive reviews from former teammates on the 2o13 team. It will be interesting to see his moves in his first offseason. He must be decisive and clear on his direction for this franchise. Hopefully, he will be given more than four years to prove he is the right person for the job.