For the past six weeks, Red Sox ownership has been on the hunt for the next leader of their front office. During that time, at least ten executives declined the opportunity. Ownership faced high scrutiny when they fired Dave Dombrowski in 2020 and again when they fired Chaim Bloom this past September. The team also chose to retain manager, Alex Cora, and keep former GM, Brian O’Halloran, in the organization. Ultimately, after much rejection, the Red Sox were able to land their guy. Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer (CBO): Craig Breslow. Undoubtedly, this news sent a shockwave through Boston sports media.
Breslow’s Playing Career
Embed from Getty ImagesCraig Breslow’s roots are and always have been in New England. Born in Connecticut, Breslow grew up around Boston sports before eventually attending Yale University. There, he began to truly shape his baseball career and double majored in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. Breslow had a strong college career but still had to wait until the 26th round of the 2002 MLB draft to hear his name called. The Milwaukee Brewers selected him 769th overall.
Breslow would spend two seasons with the Brewers before they released him after the 2004 season. Unfortunately for the Brewers, they gave up on a player they could’ve used in the long run. Breslow would go on to sign with the Padres and make his MLB debut in 2005.
Breslow’s MLB career would certainly qualify under the definition of a journeyman. Over 13 MLB seasons, Breslow pitched for seven teams, including five seasons with the Boston Red Sox. Most notably, Breslow was part of the 2013 Red Sox World Series team. He finished his career with a 3.45 ERA over 570.2 innings.
The Fine Details of Pitching
Breslow was consistently complimented on his intelligence throughout his career. He was nicknamed the “smartest man in baseball” by Twins beat writer, La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. In 2012, Men’s Fitness named him one of the “Top 10 Smartest Athletes in Professional Sports”.
Using that intelligence, Breslow made a career from learning the details of pitching. Knowing he didn’t have the ability to overpower batters, he knew he needed to maximize his abilities in other ways. He focused on ball movement, pitching mechanics, and creating deception on his pitches. This is something that Breslow capitalized on that carried him through his playing career and now into his front office jobs.
I’ve been seeing a lot about Craig Breslow lately as it relates to the Red Sox head of Baseball Ops search.
— Garrett Mashburn (@G_Mashburn) October 18, 2023
I thought it would be useful to find something with him talking about his thought processes to put a visual/audio aspect to the chatter.
Here’s an interview with Rapsodo: pic.twitter.com/bWXvUyl5Fz
Post Playing Career
As mentioned, Craig Breslow was highly intelligent and an accomplished academic. Throughout his career, he made an impact on numerous coaches and players. Breslow finished his career in 2018 and baseball front office guru, Theo Epstein, was quick to recruit him into the Chicago Cubs front office. In January 2019, the team hired Breslow as their Director of Strategic Initiatives for Baseball Operations. Over the next ten months, he clearly impressed as he was then promoted to the Director of Pitching and an Assistant to the General Manager (GM) and President.
The Cubs assigned Breslow the task of revamping their pitching development. In November 2020, Breslow was again promoted. While he continued leading the pitching development of the organization, he also became an Assistant GM. Breslow would spend the next three years working with the inner circle of the Chicago Cubs front office. He worked closely with President of Baseball Operations (POBO), Jed Hoyer, and GM, Carter Hawkins, in addition to the coaching staff on the day-to-day decisions of the roster and game prep.
The Big Job
Embed from Getty ImagesThe most valid question around Craig Breslow is whether he’s ready for the job in Boston. Breslow has only four seasons working in the front office and has never been the final decision-maker. For some fans, the preference was an experienced executive who had done the job before.
In the end, every executive who goes on to lead an MLB front office was once a rookie at the job. In the Cubs front office, Breslow served as a highly trusted and major voice over the past few years. He worked in all aspects of the organization including some work in free agent meetings and negotiations.
The Right Fit
In terms of fit, some are saying the Red Sox didn’t move far from the style of the executive they just fired. Chaim Bloom demonstrated a highly analytical mindset and Breslow follows a similar philosophical approach. The main difference between the two is the player experience and pitching development capability. Bloom’s downfall came from his mistakes of not addressing the team’s pitching staff and his unwillingness to make big splashes to the major league roster. You could say his extreme patience in what was a clear rebuild was his ultimate downfall.
Now the question is, can Breslow succeed in Boston? The belief is that he will be able to keep the analytical approach, while bringing his playing experience, overall baseball knowledge, and experience working with highly reputable minds in Chicago, to the table. It shouldn’t be undervalued what former playing experience can do for an executive. The ability to truly understand the players and coaches is something that Chaim Bloom seemed to struggle with.
Final Thoughts
As mentioned, Breslow is a New England native and a former Red Sox player. He knows what it’s like to play and win here. His family already lives in Massachusetts as well. After what was a heavily monitored and scrutinized search for the next leader of the Red Sox front office, I believe ownership landed on its feet. It is to be determined who will work under Breslow. It has been reported that he will be able to pick his number two. Internal options like Eddie Romero and Michael Groopman are logical fits. That being said, it could be beneficial for Breslow to bring in a veteran executive who has previously run the show for another organization.
Craig Breslow has a tough road ahead. Red Sox media and fans are hungry for a winning team and don’t want to wait around any longer for it. The roster and farm system are set up well for Breslow and the hope is he can help take the major league team to the next level.
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Featured Image: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox
