I would love to write a column offering random thoughts on the Red Sox front office search, but I must respectfully decline out of considerations to my family...
Where to start? How about here -- was there even remotely a plan? When the Mets decided to reorganize their front office, everyone in baseball knew they had former Brewers general manager David Stearns, a New York City native, in their sights. They hired him before the season even ended. He fired manager Buck Showalter, and his arrival allowed predecessor Billy Eppler to slink away in the midst of an MLB investigation over manipulation of the injured list.
The Red Sox clearly had no plan beyond, "Fire Chaim Bloom." If Mike Hazen was their target, they probably should've known better, because the last time they had an opening, he immediately received a contract extension in Arizona. With his Diamondbacks in the middle of the National League Championship Series, history repeated itself, but Hazen was never going anywhere.
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Back channels exist for a reason, and it feels like the Red Sox didn't use them. So now they're scrambling. ...
Want to know why so many candidates are declining the opportunity to interview? Start with John Henry. The Red Sox owner has alienated a lot of good baseball people over the years, and it turns out they talk.
We all know how things ended with Theo Epstein a dozen years ago, and the frostiness of that relationship is reflected in the lack of interest his lieutenants have demonstrated in either of the last two job openings, whether it's Hazen, Arizona assistant Amiel Sawdaye, or Cubs president Jed Hoyer.
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It's not just Theo, though. Former Astros GM James Click seemed like a natural candidate after a year in exile in Toronto, but he chose to remain with the Blue Jays rather than interview in Boston. It just so happens that he's extremely close with Bloom, his former co-worker in Tampa. Think the deposed chief baseball officer had anything nice to say about working for Henry? (Or with manager Alex Cora, for that matter?)
And in a similar vein, Phillies general manager Sam Fuld has spent the last three years working closely alongside Dave Dombrowski, Bloom's deposed predecessor, who took his Red Sox ouster personally, coming less than a year after winning the World Series. He now has the Phillies positioned to win it all.
Dombrowski is a future Hall of Famer who is known for being forthright and direct. Whatever his feelings on working for Henry and the Red Sox, I have little doubt he relayed them clearly to Fuld.
Whatever the opposite of a coaching tree is, that's what Henry has cultivated. It's a loathing tree, and its roots are spreading. ...
One exec taking some undeserved heat is longtime Red Sox assistant Raquel Ferreira. She told The Boston Globe that she won't interview for the job out of family considerations, prompting criticism that she wouldn't have to move, so what's there to consider? Come on. First off, the No. 1 job requires longer hours. Secondly, not everyone must aspire to run the show. ...
If the Red Sox keep the search internal, Eddie Romero is the obvious choice, because of his long-time service, his experience in the international markets, his prominence in the organization, the fact that he's bilingual, etc. More than one team source has described him as ready for the role. The big question is if he has Henry's confidence, and on the count, the picture is less clear. ...
They haven't all said no. Twins GM Thad Levine interviewed, as did former Red Sox reliever Craig Breslow, whom AP style mandates I must refer to as a Yale grad. Breslow is a fascinating candidate, thanks to his much-publicized work developing pitchers in Chicago, although the timing doesn't feel quite right, given his lack of day-to-day experience.
The problem is, if the Red Sox offer him a GM role under a president of baseball operations with the idea of grooming him for the big chair, they leave the door open for the Cubs to offer him a promotion from his current assistant role to stay.
My thoughts: If you believe Breslow will eventually be the guy, don't wait around. Take the plunge.