How do you feel about the Breslow hire on 10/25/2023? (non-binding)

[Sille Skrub]

If at first you don’t succeed, try 7-8 more times and you’ll finally get your person!

But seriously, let’s take a wayyy too early, initial temperature of what we think of the Breslow hire.

 

[johnnyfromspain]

Breslow is intelligent, highly considered and inexperienced. Sure, his hiring is risky, but at the same time it is exciting. I am looking forward with anticipation. He is a baseball professional, with MLB experience who made the most of his talent. If he is smart enough to understand molecular physics, given his previous experience, he should be smart enough to manage baseball egos, salaries, player development, amateur and professional signings.

What is clear is that the team needed a change, I believe this is certainly a new route.

I have graded his signing with a B.

 

[Pat Spillane]

B as well. He seems to be highly thought of. Made a good career for himself with modest talent. Give it a B also

 

[streeter88]

Guy who actually played baseball, was a Red Sox pitcher no less, was personally recruited by Theo Epstein, did more for Cubs pitching in less time than Bloom did here, grew up in CT, went to Yale, and his family still lives in Boston. What’s not to like? Go Sox!

 

[Sandy Leon Trotsky]

Grade B+ on what is most sorely needed is pitching. I suspect any GM will be getting 2 starters this off-season, and I think Breslow can change the (lack of) pitching development through the system and perhaps fix the recent failures- Houck, etc… and improve marginally the almost-goods- Bello, Crawford.

 

[shepard50]

I give it a C. Specialism is not the job of a GM/COBO. You hire and guide the specialists and direct a broad strategy that balances multiple and complex trade offs.

I would be delighted to be proven wrong on this by his performance.

 

[joe dokes]

A+ for the 2013 Brotherhood of Congregation Mishkan Tefila’s Distinguished Service Award winner.
Unless he sucks.

 

[Archer1979]

I give it a B. Hopefully he has enough front office experience to get some trades done as the team is a defensive trainwreck.

His experience in developing pitchers appears to be good. I don't know enough about it to know if it's because of the raw materials or because of the program. If it's the program, bravo as young pitching has been an orgianizational weak spot since the mid-80's.

 

[Ferm Sheller]

I have no ability and I'm in no position to predict how Breslow will fare in his new role. I'd be interested to learn how others here have any basis for an opinion. Sometimes "I don't know" is an acceptable answer.

 

[Jimbodandy]

I'm optimistic about Breslow but honestly don't know one way or the other. I voted "A" because they beat the House of Representatives to conclusion.

 

[PedroisGod]

He doesn’t have the experience, but it’s tough to bet against his background. I like it.

 

[Tim Salmon]

I have no ability and I'm in no position to predict how Breslow will fare in his new role. I'd be interested to learn how others here have any basis for an opinion. Sometimes "I don't know" is an acceptable answer.

I took "Grade the Breslow hire" more globally and used it to rate the process. I docked the Red Sox a letter grade because the constant media leaks throughout the process gave the perception that the Red Sox front office is dysfunctional and not an attractive destination for executives. Whether true or not, the impression is that Breslow wouldn't have been their first choice, and there's no way to spin that as a positive for the organization. That's not a reflection on Breslow himself, he might be awesome. Here's hoping the Red Sox bumbled their way into the best person for the job.

 

[tbrown_01923]

I'm optimistic about Breslow but honestly don't know one way or the other. I voted "A" because they beat the House of Representatives to conclusion.

I'm optimisitc too, but leaned "B" because we don't knowthat much about Craig's strategy (rather historical strategies). But you do make an compelling case to upgrade the grade to an "A". I am a bit surpirsed they pulled the string this fast on Mr Breslow - i guess that is telling one way or another.

 

[SouthernBoSox]

C+

I just can’t give someone more than that when they have zero CBO or even GM experience. He’s got everything that you could possibly want. Check every box outside of a track record. Unfortunately, that’s the biggest box to check.

He’s very exciting. And I said this elsewhere but I think the front office wanted someone very different than Bloom and getting a former player was a prerequisite. The tension between Bloom and the players peaked this year and it ultimately was one of the reasons he was fired IMO.

We’ll see. I’ll feel much better if they hire a seasoned GM behind him.

 

[Ferm Sheller]

I took "Grade the Breslow hire" more globally and used it to rate the process. I docked the Red Sox a letter grade because the constant media leaks throughout the process gave the perception that the Red Sox front office is dysfunctional and not an attractive destination for executives. Whether true or not, the impression is that Breslow wouldn't have been their first choice, and there's no way to spin that as a positive for the organization. That's not a reflection on Breslow himself, he might be awesome. Here's hoping the Red Sox bumbled their way into the best person for the job.

To the extent that there's any malaise over the hire, I think that what you say is what must be driving it. Not an indictment of Breslow himself, but on the Sox's handling of the search.

 

[YTF]

Grade B+ on what is most sorely needed is pitching. I suspect any GM will be getting 2 starters this off-season, and I think Breslow can change the (lack of) pitching development through the system and perhaps fix the recent failures- Houck, etc… and improve marginally the almost-goods- Bello, Crawford.

No grade as I think it's just too early. I will say that I'm happy that he's in Boston, I'm just not sure if he's ready for the CBO position. I'm cautiously optimistic. His biggest task is clear. I strongly agree with the sentiment of hoping that he can get Houck and Whitock sorted out and in defined roles once the dust has settled and he's brought in a couple of arms to bolster the rotation.

 

[Diamond Don Aase]

I give it a C. Specialism is not the job of a GM/COBO. You hire and guide the specialists and direct a broad strategy that balances multiple and complex trade offs.

I would be delighted to be proven wrong on this by his performance.

The John Henry Weathervane Corp. hiring a candidate named Breezeblow seems a touch on-the-nose, but I suppose even sports organizations are not immune to the lingering effects from the writers’ strike.

The junior biomechanist is not only managing engineering but directing all operations. I value aptitude much more than experience, but the Red Sox hired someone suited to address a specific problem for a role that may actually inhibit his ability to focus on that problem. It appears the most significant organizational shift has been that playing out of position is no longer limited to on the field.

I, too, fervently hope that my reservations prove unfounded. It will be interesting to see how pitching coach and other roles are filled.

 

[chrisfont9]

To the extent that there's any malaise over the hire, I think that what you say is what must be driving it. Not an indictment of Breslow himself, but on the Sox's handling of the search.

Or the public perception of the Sox’ handling of the search by fans, who are working with extremely limited information about the Sox’ actual handling of the search. All of this criticism does nothing for me, executive hiring in the context of a spectator sport is not itself a very good spectator sport. All we know is that seems relevant here is that the Sox took a young, supposedly more creative thinking guy over an established one, a risky move but with the chance that, instead of just catching up to their peers, maybe the Sox will innovate and get ahead of them. Grade A for me.

 

[Big Papi's Mango Salsa]

While I of course agree with the sentiment that it's "too early to call" and that of course as fans we "know nothing", I will say that I like the hire.

It's not a clear cut, no questions asked, someone is a moron for thinking otherwise type of improvement, but who were the people that would have been. For me that list is incredibly short - Theo, Anthopoulos, Mozeliak and I'd still say Cashman. Literally none of those were realistic options.

Once you get past that list, you're into the other names like Dombrowski, Cherington, Friedman, Rizzo, Click grouping, all of whom have their own questions and / or were still wholly unrealistic (DDski, Cherington, Friedman).

Anyone that could have reasonably been hired was going to have something lacking in their profile. So once we accept that, I like the idea of going for a younger candidate vs the second go around for someone like Huntington. Candidates like Breslow, Sestanovich, Fuld, Gomes, Romero, Levine and others are all pretty similar to me in that regard - and I'd be saying mostly the same thing if we'd hired any of those individuals, to be clear, because I think of them as fairly equal candidates - from the admittedly very limited information we have on any of them.

One thing I will say is that when all other things are roughly equal, I do like the hire of Breslow because of his coming from the "Theo tree" (which I'd pick over the Friedman tree, or the AA tree or whatever). Also, I think having experience in Boston and understanding that things are "different" in places like NY, Boston and Philly is a benefit. To be clear, I'm not in any way saying its a prerequisite or something that needs to be looked for. But when you have a large number of similar candidates, I think it's a good trait to use as part of a differentiator. As an example, it's why I'd pick Fuld or Breslow over lets say Gomes or Levine if I were making the choice.

So again, with the caveats of it's so early, and we (as the public) don't know jack, I'd give the hire a B+/A- grade (and thus I went with the lower option and chose B to make a vote). My A votes would have been a Byrnes PoBO; Breslow as GM situation or hiring Click. I put this in a tier below one of those.

 

[EvilEmpire]

TISNSTAAPBOP. Jumping a guy up several levels to lead a large organization is risky. But given the situation, I don't think Boston was going to attract a proven executive. There is a reason so many dropped out. So with that in mind, sure, give the smart guy with interesting experience his big break and bet on potential.

At the very least there will be a portion of the fan base excited with another young, clean-cut, ivy educated white guy that makes it easier to fantasize about a new Theo. There is some value in that.

Give it a C.

 

[Montana Fan]

The two things I like about the hire are: 1. His (now) well documented success in developing pitching and 2. More importantly, his requirement that he be allowed to build his organization in the exact manner that suits him best. I am certain that part of what he did in selling said requirement included defining success and laying out a detailed plan of how to get there.

 

[8slim]

Is this the official thread where everyone declares their narrative for the next few years? I can't decide if I should join "Team Breslow is Great and You Rubes are Idiots for Questioning Him" or "Team I Knew He Sucked From Day 1"? I mean, the choice I make today dictates the lens I see everything through for a long time!

Seriously, I give it an L+, good melody but hard to dance to.

 

[moondog80]

I don't know how to grade it, but I'm more excited than I would have been with Thad Levine, Eddie Romero, Kin Ng, or Neal Huntington. I have no idea if that's justified or not but am looking forward to finding out.

 

[Auger34]

I don't know how to grade it, but I'm more excited than I would have been with Thad Levine, Eddie Romero Kin Ng, or Neal Huntington. I have no idea if that's justified or not but am looking forward to finding out.

I gave it a B and I 100% agree with this. It's an unknown but I really like the potential

 

[E5 Yaz]

Incomplete is not an option, so I voted C, which to me means that his background/potential outweighs the lack of experience in this role. So, it's an average hire with a chance to demonstrate that he earns a better (or worse) grade.
Plus, I love giving a guy this smart a C ... probably would piss him off.

 

[Sille Skrub]

Is this the official thread where everyone declares their narrative for the next few years? I can't decide if I should join "Team Breslow is Great and You Rubes are Idiots for Questioning Him" or "Team I Knew He Sucked From Day 1"? I mean, the choice I make today dictates the lens I see everything through for a long time!

Every vote in here is permanent and forever binding.

 

[CarolinaBeerGuy]

I gave it a C, but really have no reasoning behind it. Incomplete was not an option.

 

[simplicio]

I'm excited for him, fixing the pitching sounds really great to me and it's always fun to have a guy come home. I gave it an A cause why not? Let's go win the world series.

My biggest concern is not Breslow's inexperience, but that Romero is still happy enough in his role to not get poached by another team after being passed over.

 

[lexrageorge]

It was torn between B or C. I do think that Breslow was probably not their first choice, and there is at least a perception among fans and media that there is ownership dysfunction at some level. I think other posters upthread noted correctly the risks of promoting someone without prior experience in a similar role.

At the same time, this is the same ownership team that brought in Theo, Cherington (who not only was a key player in the Theo years, but also won a WS and kept the foundation intact for Dombrowski), and Dombrowski were all good hires at the time. I don't believe Bloom was a bad hire necessarily, as he did carry out the owner's vision of upgrading the minor league system. So I graded it a B overall.

 

[AB in DC]

He'd be a great #2. I'm less enamored with him as #1. At minimum, he needs a #2 who is very experienced in the nut and bolts of contract negotiations and roster management. Until we see who's filling that role, the best grade right now is "Incomplete".

 

[SoxVindaloo]

I do like the boldness. When the more established choices seemed to be uninterested they went for the big swing. It could blow up in their faces but Neil Huntington would have been “Meh” forever.

 

[Fishercat]

TISNSTAAPBOP. Jumping a guy up several levels to lead a large organization is risky. But given the situation, I don't think Boston was going to attract a proven executive. There is a reason so many dropped out. So with that in mind, sure, give the smart guy with interesting experience his big break and bet on potential.

At the very least there will be a portion of the fan base excited with another young, clean-cut, ivy educated white guy that makes it easier to fantasize about a new Theo. There is some value in that.

Give it a C.

This is where I'm at too. It was evident pretty early any potentially available A-grade kind of choice wasn't coming to Boston on this cycle, and if the Sox have to choose between a guy like Craig Breslow and like, Neal Huntington, or worse than that, I at least like the swing for the fences mentality of going for an individual with the upside of Craig Breslow. With that said, I feel experience in the FO especially with deal negotiation is something that carries a ton of value - Bloom's reported issues in negotiations were the narrative pushed as the reason he was booted - and I don't know how much of that Breslow has. I think there's going to be a lot of learning on the job with this and I hope Boston can be patient while that happens. I trust an individual with the pedigree of Breslow and his focus will be able to take the good the team has in place and keep it going, which is a big enough plus over other choices that I'm ok with this.

I wonder about the effect of this on the very, very seasoned front office. Craig Breslow made his Red Sox debut after Eddie Romero started with the team. Raquel Ferreira has been with the Sox as long as Craig Breslow has gotten paid for being in baseball. I'm not at all concerned about their professional demeanor but we know at least Romero went for this job and was passed up for someone with far less experience in general and especially in Boston, that could lead him to look elsewhere too I'd imagine.

I will say, I'd have preferred they kept Bloom for Year 5 than go through this whole process, but once they made that call, Breslow is certainly on the higher end of realistic outcomes.

 

[chawson]

I gave it an A. There are certainly some questions but no more than I'd have with anyone else. It seems like a strong, constructive choice and not a reactive one (based on experience elsewhere).

The Theo stamp is interesting. I wonder if this is the final front office executive Henry hires before getting out (he's 74).

I think Bloom's relatively cautious approach the last four years was a condition of the state of the team (and various obstacles, like the pandemic and lockout) than a specific style. A big part of the job seemed to be acquiring and cultivating assets that could help the next great team, not flipping them for short-term gains. Still, I hope Breslow is a more active GM than what we've seen the last few years.

 

[Al Zarilla]

Not from a lot of knowledge about the position (exactly what are his duties/mission) or even about Breslow's qualifications, I'll give it a WAG of a B. However, just think of the misery and hand wringing here if he'd turned down the offer, given the other people that have said no to the Sox.

 

[E5 Yaz]

I just want to hear him say during his intro presser that "I was reading SoSH (short o) the other day, and I can't believe how many of them gave me a C"

 

[JM3]

Every vote in here is permanent and forever binding.

I gave it a B. I'm looking forward to being very cautiously optimistic things will work out pretty ok every step of the way.

 

[Rovin Romine]

I went with a C. (solid) anecdotal aptitude v. lack of experience. And then there's the unknown question of his "fit" with the existing org, and his power to fix that fit.

I wish him luck!

 

[67YAZ]

As a hire, it's pretty uninspiring because we have to grade based on what the organization was able to do here.

An A would be luring a very successful CBO over to the Red Sox, folks like Friedman, Neader, Mozeliak, or Anthopoulos. Maybe Click based on how you assess what went down in Houston.

A B would be something like a current #2/GM with a long track record in a successful organization who is ready to step up into the top role: Fuld, Byrnes, Mejdal, etc. Maybe Ng based on how you assess what went down in Miami.

A C would be getting someone with experience but no great track record of success, maybe a retread (e.g., Daniels), someone without a great track record (e.g., Huntington), or an internal promotion. Not that these folks couldn't be excellent in the role, but it is an average hire because these folks are qualified but come with hesitations.

Hiring Breslow is a D. They reached down a couple of levels for a guy who has been in the front office for 5 years, the last 2 as an assistant GM. His tenure coincides with 2 Wild Card appearances and 1 division title with an overall regular season .506 winning percentage. By all accounts, he did awesome wok in his dedicated area (pitching development), but has limited experience in other aspects of the job.

Breslow may be great. He might lead the organization to a new golden era. Or he might be out in 4 years. We can't know, but the Red Sox made a below average hire by reaching down for someone without relevant experience or time in a highly successful organization that would typically qualify someone for the job.

 

[MuppetAsteriskTalk]

I give it a C. Specialism is not the job of a GM/COBO. You hire and guide the specialists and direct a broad strategy that balances multiple and complex trade offs.

I would be delighted to be proven wrong on this by his performance.

You saved me drafting a reply. Same grade for same reason and same hopes to be proven wrong.

 

[FlexFlexerson]

B, acknowledging we know essentially nothing about the behind the scenes of any of this, so a grade representing optimism. Breslow seems like a moderate risk/high reward guy if the seeming potential is for real. At worst, I guess, is he never fully adapts to the big chair and we're back in the 4 year Sox hiring cycle circa 2027.

 

[Pilgrim]

Hard to give it a grade until we know which right-handed CBO he will be paired with.

He definitely hits some of the biographical criteria you want in a modern GM. Hes a nerd with playing experience. He has no track record though, so that's all we are relying on. B-/C+? Any grade higher than that you would have to reserve for someone who has actually done the job before and done it well.

 

[BigSoxFan]

C

Not an imaginative hire or that inspiring but he’s clearly a smart guy based on all accounts. I’ve hired great team members who didn’t have a ton of experience. I’ve had bad hires who checked off all the boxes but didn’t deliver. You just never know.

Clearly, the stakes are high here. This is a team with financial flexibility and a good system. I just wonder about the power dynamics at play here. Will there be a bunch of shadow GMs or will he be able to exert full authority?

Hope he’s more aggressive than Bloom but short of being reckless. Not an easy balance to strike.

 

[RedOctober3829]

I think Chris has the situation in proper context.
"Craig Breslow deserves a chance to thrive. This search, though, will be remembered much more for who said no than for who said yes — and it should serve as a massive wake-up call to the Red Sox."

"Just three weeks ago, Sam Kennedy assertively claimed that anyone who wanted to run a baseball organization would want to come to Boston. He then asked 10 people who fit that category and they said no."

https://twitter.com/ChrisCotillo/status/1717203113180844129?s=20

 

[astrozombie]

I gave it a C not out of pessimism, but because it is such an unknown. I could easily see this being a genius hire where the Sox jumped on a great candidate who just needed a chance... and I could see him being so in over his head on day 1 that it ends up being a disaster. That said, I liked the Bloom hire on day 1 (even if I ultimately soured on him) and will afford Breslow the same benefit of the doubt. At least he was willing to take this job, unlike several other more experienced candidates.

 

[Average Game James]

Feels a lot like trying to give out NFL draft grades in April. I have no idea where McShay and Kiper had Breslow on their big boards, though I’m told the more analytics oriented PFF really had him ranked highly… still, the number of established executives that turned down the opportunity to even discuss the job is telling and I think it’s fair to call the hire a bit of a reach. Still, he does fill an organizational need given his track record on pitching development which is encouraging. Feels like a B- that can be retroactively reframed to call this a good or terrible move once we actually have some real information.

 

[wallythe24]

Breslow is intelligent, highly considered and inexperienced. Sure, his hiring is risky, but at the same time it is exciting. I am looking forward with anticipation. He is a baseball professional, with MLB experience who made the most of his talent. If he is smart enough to understand molecular physics, given his previous experience, he should be smart enough to manage baseball egos, salaries, player development, amateur and professional signings.

What is clear is that the team needed a change, I believe this is certainly a new route.

I have graded his signing with a B.

You've saved me some typing.
Everyone was inexperienced at one time.

 

[Pedroia's Itchy Nose]

I voted B, but I also want to go on record that I think this exercise is actively counterproductive. Breslow has done some compelling work, but as many others have pointed out is inexperienced at the top levels. The range of outcomes here seems pretty wide to me. I voted "B" because there's a significant downside risk, but at least the upside points at a direction of organizational weakness. I can see a C or an A as being reasonable too. It all depends on what your personal criteria are.

The reason why I think the exercise is counterproductive is that it's an attempt to rush to judgment on a topic that hasn't even begun to unfold yet. I'm so tired of the culture of hot takes and taking sides, and imo it feeds into the worst parts of the experience of being a Red Sox fan.

 

[Sille Skrub]

I voted B, but I also want to go on record that I think this exercise is actively counterproductive. Breslow has done some compelling work, but as many others have pointed out is inexperienced at the top levels. The range of outcomes here seems pretty wide to me. I voted "B" because there's a significant downside risk, but at least the upside points at a direction of organizational weakness. I can see a C or an A as being reasonable too. It all depends on what your personal criteria are.

The reason why I think the exercise is counterproductive is that it's an attempt to rush to judgment on a topic that hasn't even begun to unfold yet. I'm so tired of the culture of hot takes and taking sides, and imo it feeds into the worst parts of the experience of being a Red Sox fan.

Your objection is duly noted and will be added to the record.

I'm kinda surprised on the pushback here. This is not a legal, binding evaluation of Breslow or his performance as a member of our species. I merely wanted to take the temperature of people's initial thoughts. Maybe I shouldn't have made it a grade and should have made it a "How do you feel after this announcement, 5 being very happy and 1 being very sad" poll as to not hurt anyone's feelings.

 

[RS2004foreever]

C - but I could have been convinced to make it a D. No real track record and very young. Maybe it works out - but I don't really see what makes him stand out.

 

[Hank Scorpio]

I can’t even begin to grade this hire until I, at minimum, get to hear him speak about his philosophy and what his approach to building this team is going to be. Hearing ownership chime in on their vision for 2024 and beyond will also be helpful, as will giving Breslow at least this off-season to make some decisions.

Who does Breslow want to target this off-season? What are his thoughts on offering contracts to any of Ohtani, Yanamoto, or Imanaga? Trade or Keep Verdugo? What could Marcelo Mayer fetch in a trade, and are we even willing to explore that route? And so on.

Speaking of grades… our last three GM/POBO’s initials look like a mediocre report card.

BC DD CB CB.