The Boston Red Sox cut ties with chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom on Thursday, signaling a "new direction" for the organization amid another letdown season.
With only three weeks left in the regular season, the Red Sox should act swiftly in finding their next president of baseball operations. Team CEO Sam Kennedy already poured cold water on the Theo Epstein rumors, so it seems that speculation can be put to rest.
So, who are the Red Sox' best options? Our John Tomase named five potential Bloom replacements, but MLB Network's Jon Morosi added two more executives to the list.
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Learn more about Antonetti and Forst's backgrounds below:
Chris Antonetti
Antonetti currently serves as the Cleveland Guardians' president of baseball operations. A UMass Amherst graduate, Antonetti's experience dates back to 1998 when he joined the Montreal Expos front office. His tenure in Cleveland began in 1999.
Boston Red Sox
In 2010, Antonetti was promoted to general manager and put in charge of managing all of Cleveland's baseball activities, including the MLB Draft and free agency. He was elevated to president of baseball operations in 2015.
Last season, Antonetti was named the MLB Executive of the Year after the Guardians won the American League Central with a 92-70 record. They accomplished that feat despite having the fourth-lowest payroll ($66.5 million) in the league.
David Forst
Forst is the current general manager of the Oakland Athletics. He initially joined the organization as a scout in 2000 and earned a promotion to assistant GM in 2004.
After the 2015 season, the A's made Forst their new GM while elevating longtime exec Billy Beane to executive vice president of baseball operations. Oakland clinched postseason berths each season from 2018-20 but has since undergone a complete rebuild. The club sold off all of its most valuable pieces -- including Matt Olson, Chris Bassitt, Matt Chapman, and Sean Manaea -- and finished dead last in the American League West in 2022. They're neck and neck with the Kansas City Royals for the worst record in MLB (46-100) in 2023.