Craig Breslow earned a World Series championship pitching in relief for the Boston Red Sox back in 2013. It was part of a broader 13-year MLB career in which he hung on as one of those valuable lefty specialists.
Now more than a decade removed from his playing career having ended, Breslow is headed back to Beantown.
According to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, Breslow has been hired as the Red Sox new head of baseball operations. He replaces the recently ousted Chaim Bloom in that role after two consecutive down seasons for the organization.
The Red Sox had vetted several candidates to replace Bloom following a 78-win 2023 season. That included Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen earlier in the process.
Los Angeles Dodgers vice president Josh Byrnes and Philadelphia Phillies general manager Sam Fuld were also bandied about as possibilities. But as the process played out, it seemed clear that Breslow was going to be the choice.
Related: Boston Red Sox insider offers disappointing update on team’s chances to land Shohei Ohtani
What the Boston Red Sox are getting in Craig Breslow
In addition to his experience as a player, Breslow is well respected as a great front office mind. The Ivy League grad has worked under former Red Sox front office head Theo Epstein with the Chicago Cubs over the past several years.
In fact, Breslow had been promoted by the Cubs three times in the past four years. He most-recently held the title of assistant general manager in Chicago.
It’s no longer a rarity for a former player to take over such an important role in the front office. A former pitcher himself, Chris Young has helped build a World Series team with the Texas Rangers since taking over as general manager.
As for Breslow, it’s going to be a task in Boston. Bloom drew the ire of fans by trading Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a deal that ended up bringing very little back in return. He also signed infielder Trevor Story to a six-year, $140 million contract ahead of the 2022 season. It has not panned out with the former All-Star having hit .227 in two seasons with Boston.
Breslow will be under immediate pressure to build a contender in Boston with the team coming off consecutive 78-win seasons and having made the playoffs just once since winning the World Series back in 2018.