Does anyone want to run the Boston Red Sox' baseball operations?
The Red Sox are casting a wide net in their search for a new general manager after firing Chaim Bloom in mid-September. But they've had a number of external candidates turn them down, per reports, and it appears we can add another name to that list.
James Click, the Toronto Blue Jays' vice president of baseball strategy and former Astros general manager who won a World Series with Houston in 2022, spoke to the Red Sox about their GM opening but has removed himself from the running "in deference to family considerations," The Boston Globe's Alex Speier reported Wednesday.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
If you're keeping track at home, that's now nine potential candidates who have either declined to interview with the Red Sox or have taken their name out of the search. Here's that list, per Speier:
- Theo Epstein: Consultant, MLB
- Mike Hazen: VP and GM, Arizona Diamondbacks
- Jon Daniels: Former president, Texas Rangers
- Brandon Gomes: GM, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Sam Fuld: GM, Philadelphia Phillies
- Michael Hill: Vice president of baseball operations, MLB
- Derek Falvey: President, Minnesota Twins
- Raquel Ferreira: Assistant GM, Red Sox
- James Click: Vice president of baseball strategy, Toronto Blue Jays
On its face, the Red Sox' GM job seems like a highly-coveted opportunity to call the shots in a major market for a team with (supposedly) deep pockets and a strong farm system. So, why are so many candidates turning down the opportunity?
MORE RED SOX COVERAGE
While everyone's situation is different, our John Tomase reports that Boston's current infrastructure is the "biggest hang-up" for would-be candidates. The Red Sox are already committed to Alex Cora through the 2024 season and have a trio of top executives -- Brian O'Halloran, Eddie Romero and Ferreira -- who seemingly aren't going anywhere, either.
That doesn't leave much wiggle room for a new candidate to bring in their own people, and could be why some of the more seasoned candidates on the list above are deciding to pass.
The good news for Boston is that there still are plenty of candidates still out there. According to Speier, the Red Sox have already interviewed at least six names (three internal; three external) who have yet to turn them down:
- Eddie Romero: Assistant GM, Red Sox
- Michael Groopman: Assistant GM, Red Sox
- Paul Toboni: VP of scouting and player development, Red Sox
- Thad Levine: GM, Twins
- Craig Breslow: Assistant GM, Cubs
- Neal Huntington: Guardians special assistant (and former Pirates GM)
That list also doesn't include experienced executive Kim Ng, who just parted ways with the Miami Marlins and should be on the Red Sox' radar.
So, all hope isn't lost in Boston's GM search. But it sounds like they're dealing with a smaller candidate pool, in part because of their own doing.