Red Sox Hire Chaim Bloom As Chief Baseball Officer

dano7594

New Member
Jul 15, 2005
106
I think its rather simple, Theo runs the entire baseball ops side and reports to Henry, Kennedy runs the business side and reports to Henry. Kennedy isnt qualified to have much input on the baseball ops side is he as far as personnel?
 

Savin Hillbilly

loves the secret sauce
SoSH Member
Jul 10, 2007
18,783
The wrong side of the bridge....
I think its rather simple, Theo runs the entire baseball ops side and reports to Henry, Kennedy runs the business side and reports to Henry. Kennedy isnt qualified to have much input on the baseball ops side is he as far as personnel?
If he's running the "business side", then he'd presumably have input on decisions involving player salaries, LT, etc., though "input" and "authority" are far from the same thing.

Regardless, I'd be surprised if Theo comes back, because it's kind of a no-win situation for him. If he succeeds, it still can't ever be as glorious as his first stint here; if he fails, he's lost his touch. Maybe it would make sense for him come back as a last act before retirement, but he's nowhere near that old yet. I'd expect him to wind up in another "franchise with money to spend and nothing to show for it" situation like Seattle, the Mets, or the Angels. (Not necessarily implying any of those franchises is looking to make a change right at the moment -- just examples of the kind of situation that would seem to make more sense for Theo right now.)
 

lexrageorge

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
18,099
Both Seth Mnookin's book Feeding the Monster, and the Shaughnessy book on Terry Francona, highlighted some of the issues that Epstein had with the ownership team that were at least part of the reason he left twice. I don't have either book handy, so cannot provide exact quotes, and I'm not saying either one is 100% correct in every detail. But I don't think FSG (or FSV or whatever it's called) is the easiest organization to work for. Nothing wrong with that per se, but the general feeling I do get is that disconnects seem to develop between what ownership wants and what the baseball people think is best. I know we love to bash Cherington here (and rightfully so for his bad decisions), but he apparently was getting Henry's full support until the day they hired Dombrowski to basically do his job for him.

I don't think these issues have magically gone away with Lucchino gone. It's a bit of a no-win situation for Theo, but it's hard to know what drives him at this stage of his life and career, so who really knows for sure. It just seems like a long shot.
 
Sep 1, 2019
170
The more I read about him, the more I think that Chaim Bloom could be a young Theo on the rise. This article from this spring provides some good background:

link

Now might be the right moment to get someone like this. (note: from the Tablet, which has a conservative bent; if not your cup of tea, just disregard other articles)
 

JimD

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 29, 2001
8,681
I didn't think the Sox realistically had a shot of getting Hazen, so good for him to get a promotion and a salary bump out of this.

I'm nervously expecting the Rays to do something similar to entice Bloom to stay. Yeah, he interviewed with the Mets but I think the organization will go father this time to try and prevent a divisional rival from getting him.

I'm more than a little concerned that the Red Sox are going to have a harder time than we expect in attracting the marquee names. The big name candidates may worry about being the next DD minus the ring and the younger candidates may look at how the rug was pulled out from under Cherington after a few bad deals despite winning a WS title and overseeing a top farm system. Chasing Theo may be an exercise in futility but he'd be the one guy who would likely be immune from getting dismissed that way, given that it will likely take offering an ownership stake to get him here.
 

ookami7m

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
5,657
Mobile, AL
Buckley in the Athletic -

Memo to the next person who runs baseball ops for the Boston Red Sox: It’s going to end badly. Very badly.
But that’s just the way it is when you run baseball ops for the Red Sox, whether the title is “general manager,” “president of baseball operations” or “grand exalted poobah of hardball.” It’s going to end badly. Very badly.

And it’s not just that you’re going to be fired, though that’s most likely how it will come down. But worse even than being fired, you’ll come out of the experience bloodied, bruised and finding that your right eye twitches uncontrollably. You might even take to talking to the paintings and photographs on the walls of the executive level at Fenway Park, as Richard Nixon did during his last days in the White House before resigning the presidency.

What, you don’t think being general manager of the Red Sox could cause you to lose it? Consider that Epstein — again, he holds the distinction of twice quitting as general manager of the Red Sox during the ownership of John Henry and Tom Werner — put an exclamation point on his first resignation by skulking out of Fenway Park dressed in a gorilla suit.
 

RedOctober3829

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
55,299
deep inside Guido territory
If he's running the "business side", then he'd presumably have input on decisions involving player salaries, LT, etc., though "input" and "authority" are far from the same thing.

Regardless, I'd be surprised if Theo comes back, because it's kind of a no-win situation for him. If he succeeds, it still can't ever be as glorious as his first stint here; if he fails, he's lost his touch. Maybe it would make sense for him come back as a last act before retirement, but he's nowhere near that old yet. I'd expect him to wind up in another "franchise with money to spend and nothing to show for it" situation like Seattle, the Mets, or the Angels. (Not necessarily implying any of those franchises is looking to make a change right at the moment -- just examples of the kind of situation that would seem to make more sense for Theo right now.)
I know they won the WS and everything, but Theo hasn't exactly shined in his time with the Cubs. He gave out horrible contracts to Darvish and Heyward. He has not developed their farm system. He traded Gleyber Torres for a half season of Chapman. He traded Eloy Jiminez in a deal for Jose Quintana.
 

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat

has big, douchey shoulders
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
I know they won the WS and everything, but Theo hasn't exactly shined in his time with the Cubs. He gave out horrible contracts to Darvish and Heyward. He has not developed their farm system. He traded Gleyber Torres for a half season of Chapman. He traded Eloy Jiminez in a deal for Jose Quintana.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, I suppose, but I don't understand all the pining for Theo.
He's a fine GM, but he sure as hell isn't the messiah he's made out to be. Oh yeah, add the Kimbrel contract to the list, necessary because his bullpen construction is so bad.
Thanks for the memories, Theo, but hell no. I want some fresh young blood.
 

soxhop411

news aggravator
SoSH Member
Dec 4, 2009
46,277
Give the job to Raquel Ferreira.
This is a really good article by Speier on how she plays a much larger role than her title says.


Including this from Kennedy

I’ll tell you flat-out: [The Xander Bogaerts] deal would not have gotten done without Raquel, her leadership, her relationship with Xander, the trust and candor that they had with each other,” said Kennedy.

The same trust that allowed Ferreira to help convince Bogaerts to remain in Boston as part of the Red Sox’ future extends to homegrown players such as Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., Matt Barnes, and Christian Vazquez, who have known Ferreira since their first days in pro ball. Those relationships are precisely why she’s been asked to help stabilize the organization — along with longtime colleagues O’Halloran, Scott, and Romero — during a time of change.

“It was a natural fit,” said Kennedy.

“We wanted to make sure that during the transition, the leadership of the department was handling all baseball operations matters and nothing fell through the cracks. We tried as much as possible to be conducting business as usual. Raquel has been here the longest. She has the deepest relationships throughout the entire organization of anyone.

“She, simply put, is a leader. People look to her for input and direction and guidance. It was a complete and total no-brainer.”
https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2019/09/13/speier/OZuVifXmiltozM89RxkbKL/story.html
More at the link.


Honestly she has earned the promotion and if it helps us extend Mookie that’s a bonus (+)
 
Last edited:

geoduck no quahog

not particularly consistent
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Nov 8, 2002
13,024
Seattle, WA
I'm wondering why the firing of Dombrowski was so urgent that it had to be done during the season - and yet they didn't have a replacement ready to be named.

The only thing I can come up with is that it's going to be someone outside the organization and they need to wait for baseball to end.

Otherwise, name your internal replacement and get things moving before October.
 

Savin Hillbilly

loves the secret sauce
SoSH Member
Jul 10, 2007
18,783
The wrong side of the bridge....
I'm wondering why the firing of Dombrowski was so urgent that it had to be done during the season - and yet they didn't have a replacement ready to be named.

The only thing I can come up with is that it's going to be someone outside the organization and they need to wait for baseball to end.

Otherwise, name your internal replacement and get things moving before October.
Certainly, if they had already decided that an internal candidate was to be DD's successor it's hard to see why they wouldn't have announced that by now. This doesn't necessarily mean they've made a definite decision against all the internal candidates, but it seems to imply that they want to at least talk to some candidates from other organizations before making a choice. Which makes sense.
 

lexrageorge

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
18,099
I'm wondering why the firing of Dombrowski was so urgent that it had to be done during the season - and yet they didn't have a replacement ready to be named.

The only thing I can come up with is that it's going to be someone outside the organization and they need to wait for baseball to end.

Otherwise, name your internal replacement and get things moving before October.
Dombrowski had asked the ownership team for clarity on his situation going forward, asking that he be let go immediately if they were not going to commit to him for next season. So they granted his request, which was the right thing to do.

It's clear they want to look at both internal and external candidates, and it's easier to look at external candidates after the regular season. GM duties are fairly minimal right now, and so it's straightforward to divide up the tasks among the Gang of 4 for now.
 

DeadlySplitter

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 20, 2015
33,252
nobody was claiming Raquel was the real catalyst behind the X deal until DD was fired. call me a bit skeptical.
 

JimD

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 29, 2001
8,681
nobody was claiming Raquel was the real catalyst behind the X deal until DD was fired. call me a bit skeptical.
Maybe not specifically about the Bogaerts deal, but there was an article earlier this year that went into some detail about how Ferreira had a close relationship with the homegrown players. Plus, given the apparent tension between Dombrowski and his two cronies and the rest of the Yawkey Way offices, it probably wouldn't have been good for Raquel if it was leaked to the media that DD didn't really deserve all of the credit for what has shaped up to be possibly the best contract of his tenure with the Sox.
 

BJBossman

New Member
Dec 6, 2016
271
nobody was claiming Raquel was the real catalyst behind the X deal until DD was fired. call me a bit skeptical.
Common sense isn't allowed here.

Pining for Bloom or Forst over internal candidates who were part of this mess is just pure lunacy...
 

TheoShmeo

Skrub's sympathy case
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
12,890
Boston, NY
For those complaining about the timing of DD's firing, I don't understand your rationale. Are you concerned with appearances? Because I see no actual benefit in letting DD ride out the year. What purpose does it serve? So we can have a feeling of completion? So he can? DD sticking around for extended garbage time this season does nothing to advance the cause for the future. And it gives the Sox a jump on the time to actively consider and pursue other alternatives.

Maybe I'm missing it but this seems to be one of those times when people are criticizing for the sake of criticizing alone.
 

lexrageorge

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2007
18,099
For those complaining about the timing of DD's firing, I don't understand your rationale. Are you concerned with appearances? Because I see no actual benefit in letting DD ride out the year. What purpose does it serve? So we can have a feeling of completion? So he can? DD sticking around for extended garbage time this season does nothing to advance the cause for the future. And it gives the Sox a jump on the time to actively consider and pursue other alternatives.

Maybe I'm missing it but this seems to be one of those times when people are criticizing for the sake of criticizing alone.
The timing was due to Dombrowski asking to be let go immediately if the team was unwilling to commit to him beyond this season. The team did the right thing by granting his request. So, yes, the criticisms of the timing are unfounded.
 

bosockboy

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
19,863
St. Louis, MO
The timing was due to Dombrowski asking to be let go immediately if the team was unwilling to commit to him beyond this season. The team did the right thing by granting his request. So, yes, the criticisms of the timing are unfounded.
Yes. That’s always been DD’s MO. Get a head start on job openings. I’m sure he wants one last gig.
 

TheoShmeo

Skrub's sympathy case
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
12,890
Boston, NY
The timing was due to Dombrowski asking to be let go immediately if the team was unwilling to commit to him beyond this season. The team did the right thing by granting his request. So, yes, the criticisms of the timing are unfounded.
Agreed that the team did the right thing by DD. For the reason you note.

But even if it had been different, and the firing was only at the team’s volition, I fail to see what they had to gain by keeping him around given that the present was a lost cause and he will have no role in the future.
 

Manramsclan

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
3,371
I mean if we're wishcasting, the guy I'd love to see them try to poach is AA. Seems roughly as likely as Lunhow or Friedman to me.
Do you mean Alex Anthopolous?
Or are you suggesting the Sox front office may need a 12 step program?
Both are valid imo.

I'm surprised Gammons hasn't mentioned anything about the Remarkable Peter Woodfork.
Oh he absolutely has. Either a tweet or on a podcast he mentioned him
 

The Talented Allen Ripley

holden
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Oct 2, 2003
12,723
MetroWest, MA
BJBossman was sent down here on a mission of mercy. His watch costs more than your car. He came here because Henry and Werner asked him to, they asked him for a favor. He said, "The real favor? Follow my advice and fire all their fucking asses because a loser is a loser."
 

BJBossman

New Member
Dec 6, 2016
271
BJBossman was sent down here on a mission of mercy. His watch costs more than your car. He came here because Henry and Werner asked him to, they asked him for a favor. He said, "The real favor? Follow my advice and fire all their fucking asses because a loser is a loser."
I prefer the term "Angel of Death"
 

joe dokes

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
30,243
Buckley in the Athletic -


Memo to the next person who runs baseball ops for the Boston Red Sox: It’s going to end badly. Very badly.


What, you don’t think being general manager of the Red Sox could cause you to lose it? Consider that Epstein — again, he holds the distinction of twice quitting as general manager of the Red Sox during the ownership of John Henry and Tom Werner — put an exclamation point on his first resignation by skulking out of Fenway Park dressed in a gorilla suit.
Theo was unemployed for 10 days after he left Boston. Just awful.
 

Tyrone Biggums

nfl meets tri-annually at a secret country mansion
SoSH Member
Aug 15, 2006
6,424
Give the job to Raquel Ferreira.
This is a really good article by Speier on how she plays a much larger role than her title says.


Including this from Kennedy


https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2019/09/13/speier/OZuVifXmiltozM89RxkbKL/story.html
More at the link.


Honestly she has earned the promotion and if it helps us extend Mookie that’s a bonus (+)
I'd love for a woman GM here in Boston. Would be extremely progressive. Also by all accounts she's a huge piece of what is going on here. That being said I'm probably not hiring any of the 4 to be the GM and looking outside the organization. Tim Nahering would be my favorite for the job. Former Sox and an excellent proven talent evaluator. He's going to be a GM somewhere in 2020 or 2021 might as well be here.

Bloom is the other one who would be great if they are rebuilding on the fly. Might take someone from Tampa to navigate replacing JD and Mookie while still competing.
 

67YAZ

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 1, 2000
8,730
Piece in the Trib yesterday about how Theo's "honeymoon is over" with the Cubs. Doesn't really give any inside dirt, so it's hard to say that this is much more than a local columnist banging out clickbait on a deadline. But it does grasp the generally restless atmosphere with Cubs fans this year (oh, how quickly the grow entitled and impatient): the bizarre Zobrist situation, Kimbrel not being a cure all for the bullpen, Heyward & Darvish playing below their salaries, the stink of Addison Russell hanging around the team, Maddon's schtick starting to wear thin...

I think it's much more likely Maddon moves on the winter than Theo does, but a bigger house cleaning wouldn't be a total surprise. Nor would many Cubs fans be upset about it if they miss the playoffs.

To be clear, I'm not saying I want Theo back. I'm saying there's a chance he's looking for a new gig this fall...
 

Tyrone Biggums

nfl meets tri-annually at a secret country mansion
SoSH Member
Aug 15, 2006
6,424
Piece in the Trib yesterday about how Theo's "honeymoon is over" with the Cubs. Doesn't really give any inside dirt, so it's hard to say that this is much more than a local columnist banging out clickbait on a deadline. But it does grasp the generally restless atmosphere with Cubs fans this year (oh, how quickly the grow entitled and impatient): the bizarre Zobrist situation, Kimbrel not being a cure all for the bullpen, Heyward & Darvish playing below their salaries, the stink of Addison Russell hanging around the team, Maddon's schtick starting to wear thin...

I think it's much more likely Maddon moves on the winter than Theo does, but a bigger house cleaning wouldn't be a total surprise. Nor would many Cubs fans be upset about it if they miss the playoffs.

To be clear, I'm not saying I want Theo back. I'm saying there's a chance he's looking for a new gig this fall...
If he's available he goes to the top of the list. No question. You pay him any amount he asks for. Outside of him Nahering and Bloom look good.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2009
20,676
Maine
Proven. Knows the market and its demands. Succeeded with building a self sustaining flow of minor league talent to the bigs. Lots of reasons why Theo is the number 1 choice if available.
He built a "player development machine" during his first run in Boston in part by taking advantage of the Red Sox financial might. He drafted well in part because the Red Sox spent more than most other teams, and were willing to overpay picks who slipped because other teams weren't willing to pay what they wanted. Can't do that any more. He spent heavily in the international market...can't do that any more.

And to spite all those advantages, the machine was starting to run a bit dry at the end of his last tenure. Some of the big contract mistakes made at the tail end of his time were spurred by the lack of flow out of the minors. Lackey was signed because there were no more pitchers in the pipeline after Justin Masterson. In Theo's defense, the few promising prospects in 2009-2011 were tripped up by injuries (Lowrie, Kalish) or simply flamed out (Anderson, Lavarnway) but it's not like it was a "self-sustaining flow" even with those guys.

Then in Chicago, his pipeline of minor league talent was built largely on him stripping the team down and tanking for a couple years. The Cubs picked in the top 10 in the draft five years in a row (2011-2015) and picked Javier Baez, Albert Almora, Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, and Ian Happ with those top 10 picks. All have been contributors to varying degrees in the Cubs success.

Maybe Theo can do that again in Boston, but I don't think the fanbase or the ownership group really has the patience for a full strip down and rebuild like that. I'm not going to strenuously object to bringing back Theo if that's what Henry and Werner decide to do, but I really don't see him as a clear cut #1 choice if he were to be available.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
24,376
I mean, WHOEVER is the next GM (or Prez of baseball ops or whatever the title is) is going to have his or her work cut out for them, right? There's a lot to work with, but there are a lot of problems to be sorted through.
 

bosockboy

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
19,863
St. Louis, MO
He built a "player development machine" during his first run in Boston in part by taking advantage of the Red Sox financial might. He drafted well in part because the Red Sox spent more than most other teams, and were willing to overpay picks who slipped because other teams weren't willing to pay what they wanted. Can't do that any more. He spent heavily in the international market...can't do that any more.

And to spite all those advantages, the machine was starting to run a bit dry at the end of his last tenure. Some of the big contract mistakes made at the tail end of his time were spurred by the lack of flow out of the minors. Lackey was signed because there were no more pitchers in the pipeline after Justin Masterson. In Theo's defense, the few promising prospects in 2009-2011 were tripped up by injuries (Lowrie, Kalish) or simply flamed out (Anderson, Lavarnway) but it's not like it was a "self-sustaining flow" even with those guys.

Then in Chicago, his pipeline of minor league talent was built largely on him stripping the team down and tanking for a couple years. The Cubs picked in the top 10 in the draft five years in a row (2011-2015) and picked Javier Baez, Albert Almora, Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, and Ian Happ with those top 10 picks. All have been contributors to varying degrees in the Cubs success.

Maybe Theo can do that again in Boston, but I don't think the fanbase or the ownership group really has the patience for a full strip down and rebuild like that. I'm not going to strenuously object to bringing back Theo if that's what Henry and Werner decide to do, but I really don't see him as a clear cut #1 choice if he were to be available.
Theo to be fair also had a superstar in Westmoreland. Possible the Crawford signing never exists if he didn’t become ill.
 

BJBossman

New Member
Dec 6, 2016
271
I mean, WHOEVER is the next GM (or Prez of baseball ops or whatever the title is) is going to have his or her work cut out for them, right? There's a lot to work with, but there are a lot of problems to be sorted through.
Yeah, he's gonna need to completely rebuild a farm that is one of the worst we've seen in a while.

What they do with Hernandez is gonna have an effect on their winter as well. But I still don't expect whoever gets the job to spend big on a closer.

The last few big closer deals:

Kimbrel
Chapman
Jansen
Melancon
Kimbrel

Maybe 1 out of the 5 teams is happy with their deal.

Another fun reason to look at Bloom or Forst, they've been a part of teams that built pitching staffs out of scotch tape and bubble gum.
 

Tyrone Biggums

nfl meets tri-annually at a secret country mansion
SoSH Member
Aug 15, 2006
6,424
Theo to be fair also had a superstar in Westmoreland. Possible the Crawford signing never exists if he didn’t become ill.
Right. You can't blame him for Westmoreland at all. Everyone on here thought he was going to be the second coming and is one of the bigger what ifs of the last 20 years or so. Reds assessment is correct however you can still get tough signs with the intention of sacrificing parts of the draft. So I'm not too concerned with him being able to adapt to the rules with the Sox given his success with the Cubs. He did also leave the Sox with Mookie on his way out the door. I don't think its realistic he returns due to his relationship with ownership but if he does then I'm confident he can draft talent without having to do a full strip down of the team. Its seemingly obvious that JD and Mookie probably wont be here next year so whoever comes into this situation is going to have a lot of pressure from the beginning.
 

67YAZ

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 1, 2000
8,730
My darkhorse candidate is Houston’s Brandon Taubman.
This is a great call. Over the past 6 years, Taubman has worked in every department of the Astros baseball ops & was promoted to assistant GM this year. Hiring Taubman would import knowledge about the Astros’ successful approach, which the Sox would do well to adopt and adapt.

Plus he has a background in finance, so he and Henry can kick back and talk about derivative futures or whatever.
 

joe dokes

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
30,243
This is a great call. Over the past 6 years, Taubman has worked in every department of the Astros baseball ops & was promoted to assistant GM this year. Hiring Taubman would import knowledge about the Astros’ successful approach, which the Sox would do well to adopt and adapt.

Plus he has a background in finance, so he and Henry can kick back and talk about derivative futures or whatever.
And, I would assume he has some sort of relationship with Cora.
 

67YAZ

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 1, 2000
8,730
And, I would assume he has some sort of relationship with Cora.
Taubman was Director of Baseball Operations during Cora's season as bench coach. I'd assume they worked together quite a bit, which will make Cora's voice key if they do consider Taubman.
 

Tony Pena's Gas Cloud

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 12, 2019
358
Yeah, he's gonna need to completely rebuild a farm that is one of the worst we've seen in a while.

What they do with Hernandez is gonna have an effect on their winter as well. But I still don't expect whoever gets the job to spend big on a closer.

The last few big closer deals:

Kimbrel
Chapman
Jansen
Melancon
Kimbrel

Maybe 1 out of the 5 teams is happy with their deal.

Another fun reason to look at Bloom or Forst, they've been a part of teams that built pitching staffs out of scotch tape and bubble gum.
Wade Davis too
 

Red(s)HawksFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2009
20,676
Maine
Right. You can't blame him for Westmoreland at all. Everyone on here thought he was going to be the second coming and is one of the bigger what ifs of the last 20 years or so. Reds assessment is correct however you can still get tough signs with the intention of sacrificing parts of the draft. So I'm not too concerned with him being able to adapt to the rules with the Sox given his success with the Cubs. He did also leave the Sox with Mookie on his way out the door. I don't think its realistic he returns due to his relationship with ownership but if he does then I'm confident he can draft talent without having to do a full strip down of the team. Its seemingly obvious that JD and Mookie probably wont be here next year so whoever comes into this situation is going to have a lot of pressure from the beginning.
My point was that his drafting success with the Cubs was in large part rooted in having five straight years of picking in the top 10 due to the tanking. He worked the new draft slotting system well because he had a lot more money to use in his bonus pool. If they're not stripping down the Red Sox and rebuilding from scratch as was done in Chicago (and Houston and Atlanta), I think it's a much steeper hill to climb to restock the farm...for whomever the GM winds up being. I'm not convinced that Theo is going to have any sort of magical success that another young and hungry GM couldn't have.
 

Yelling At Clouds

Post-darwinian
SoSH Member
Jul 19, 2005
3,405
Can someone make an argument for Theo that doesn't revolve around the fact that he used to work here? It’s a different baseball world than it was in 2003.
 

BJBossman

New Member
Dec 6, 2016
271
I'd love for a woman GM here in Boston. Would be extremely progressive. Also by all accounts she's a huge piece of what is going on here. That being said I'm probably not hiring any of the 4 to be the GM and looking outside the organization. Tim Nahering would be my favorite for the job. Former Sox and an excellent proven talent evaluator. He's going to be a GM somewhere in 2020 or 2021 might as well be here.

Bloom is the other one who would be great if they are rebuilding on the fly. Might take someone from Tampa to navigate replacing JD and Mookie while still competing.
I'd rather get the best candidate without the need for useless virtue signaling or grandstanding.

There's a long list of better candidates. Many have been rattled out in this thread already.
 

DanoooME

above replacement level
SoSH Member
Mar 16, 2008
19,831
Henderson, NV
I like the internal promotion or Taubman ideas the most because of the connections already developed between Cora and the existing front office and/or Taubman.

I think if Theo goes somewhere, it's Cleveland to try and put them over the top. Good team already, middle of the road farm system, good relationship with Francona, and a chance to end a third long World Series drought. He won't have a huge checkbook to work with, so there's probably some appeal there to show that he can do it without a big budget or a big market.
 

chawson

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
4,660
My point was that his drafting success with the Cubs was in large part rooted in having five straight years of picking in the top 10 due to the tanking. He worked the new draft slotting system well because he had a lot more money to use in his bonus pool. If they're not stripping down the Red Sox and rebuilding from scratch as was done in Chicago (and Houston and Atlanta), I think it's a much steeper hill to climb to restock the farm...for whomever the GM winds up being. I'm not convinced that Theo is going to have any sort of magical success that another young and hungry GM couldn't have.
Theo obviously had favorable draft positions, but he made some savvy pickups and under-the-radar moves too. He got all-star caliber guys like Rizzo, Hendricks, Arrieta, and Fowler for virtually nothing, and real contributors like Strop, Rondon, Travis Wood, Valbuena, Villanueva, Edwards Jr., Coghlan, Hammel, Caratini, Bote, DeJesus, La Stella, Montero and Montgomery off the scrap heap.

He’s excellent at identifying Mark Bellhorn-style acquisitions — unspectacular 2- or 3-win positional players and solid late-inning types that are kind of buried in other orgs.
 
Last edited:

Sad Sam Jones

Member
SoSH Member
May 5, 2017
2,495
I think if Theo goes somewhere, it's Cleveland to try and put them over the top. Good team already, middle of the road farm system, good relationship with Francona, and a chance to end a third long World Series drought. He won't have a huge checkbook to work with, so there's probably some appeal there to show that he can do it without a big budget or a big market.
What? There's not going to be a job opening in Cleveland. Chris Antonetti holds the same position Epstein has in Chicago and has been with the organization since 1999. He was the de facto GM well before Mark Shapiro left for Toronto, as he was always Shapiro's first-hand baseball and analytics guy (he was hired to construct their entire evaluation system) whereas Shapiro was more of a front office facilitator. Antonetti isn't under fire (any team failure is rightly laid at the feet of cheap ownership) and obviously holds no wanderlust... if Mike Chernoff does, then they'll hire from within and groom the next guy (and obviously Epstein's not going to work under Antonetti). The last time the Indians hired outside the organization for the role was November 1987 when they brought in Hank Peters to revamp the organization top to bottom along with his protege John Hart. The only way I see Cleveland gutting its front office and rebuilding from the outside is if the Dolans sell the team to a bullish new owner.