The Boston Red Sox fired chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom on Thursday, parting ways with their leader in the front office after nearly four seasons. It’s sparked a search for a new top executive that will be one of the biggest storylines in baseball this winter.
Bloom played an undeniable role in the Red Sox becoming one of the biggest disappointments in MLB over the last two years. By the end of his tenure, Boston made the playoffs just once in four seasons. He was also responsible for the Mookie Betts trade that has backfired on the field and severely impacted fan support for the team.
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Of course, another influencing factor on Boston’s decline is the decision by team owner John Henry and the Fenway Sports Group to significantly reduce payroll spending over the past two seasons. It led to Betts and Bogaerts’ departures while limiting the talent the Red Sox could acquire. It will also have an influence on the ongoing search for Bloom’s replacement.
Chad Jennings, Tim Britton and Tyler Kepner of The Athletic broke down the situation in Boston, examining what went wrong and why the new vacancy isn’t as desirable as it would’ve been years ago. They also highlighted a few potential candidates to take over Red Sox baseball operations.
Boston Red Sox general manager candidates
The Red Sox’s official search for a new head of baseball operations is just beginning, with former executive Theo Epstein already ruled out for the position. Unsurprisingly, there’s a mix of internal candidates and external names to keep an eye on.
Alex Cora, Boston Red Sox manager
Jen McCaffrey mentioned Alex Cora as a name that has already been floated as a viable option to replace Bloom in Boston. In his third year since rejoining the Red Sox as manager, Cora’s team is on pace to miss the playoffs. It’s also in jeopardy of finishing with a losing record for the second consecutive season.
However, Cora is well-liked within the organization. Turning 48 in October, Cora’s previous experience came as a bench coach (Houston Astros, 2017). For his actions in the Red Sox electronic sign-stealing scandal, Cora was suspended for the 2020 season and dismissed as manager. However, Boston brought him back in November 2020. The Athletic also reported a belief around the league that Cora has an interest in a future front-office career, but he has no true experience in it as of now.
Sam Fuld, Philadelphia Phillies general manager
An MLB player from 2007-2015, Sam Fuld joined the Philadelphia Phillies organization shortly after his retirement. He’s now one of the fastest-rising executives in baseball, earning a promotion to Phillies’ general manager in December 2020. Working under Dave Dombrowski, Fuld learned from analytics-first front offices like the Oakland Athletics and Tampa bay Rays, while integrating some of his own experience as a player. of note, he’s a Durham, New Hampshire native.
Josh Byrnes, Los Angeles Dodgers senior vice president of baseball operations
Once an assistant general manager with the Boston Red Sox (2003-’04), Josh Byrnes worked directly under Theo Epstein and was one of his most trusted talent evaluators. Byrnes played a role in Boston snapping its championship drought, identifying some of the biggest contributors and helping integrate analytics even more into the team-building process. He’s been with the Dodgers since 2014. Of course, his history of working with MLB ownership groups that spend a lot of money might clash with the approach Boston’s ownership had Bloom take.
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Amiel Sawdaye, Arizona Diamondbacks assistant general manager
Amiel Sawdaye might emerge as the favorite to become the next Boston Red Sox general manager. He worked for the organization for 15 seasons (2002-’16), helping Boston win three World Series titles and he played an instrumental role in finding young talent as vice president of amateur and international scouting (2010-’16). Given his ties to the Red Sox, it would be a surprise if he wasn’t brought in for an interview.