So....who is the new GM/head of baseball ops?

[JM3]

I would bet that Bloom told ownership in the last 3 off-seasons that the Sox should compete for, and make, the playoffs with the rosters he assembled. I would bet that he reiterated that stance this trade deadline and was confident that the players getting off of IL would help push the Sox to the final wild card. I think Cora disagreed and thought they needed reinforcements.

I pretty strongly disagree that he would ever think or say that. He could certainly hope that, but baseball is a probabilistic game. It was clear from his comments after the deadline that he felt they were an "underdog" after the deadline. I'm sure he just didn't find any trades that he thought the incremental improvement to the team would be worth the future cost.

& in hindsight I tend to agree. Would 67.2 innings of competent pitching from Jordan Montgomery have won them an extra 10 games? Or whatever the lesser equivalent # of innings he would have pitched for us compared to pitching for the Rangers where they had the 6th ranked defense? The Rangers gave up guys who are now the Cardinals' 5th & 9th ranked prospects in that trade, & I'm sure they would do it again in a heartbeat due to all the surplus value having him in their playoff rotation has given them.

But it's also a great deal for the Cardinals because Montgomery pitching those good, but inconsequential, innings for them would have maybe won them a few more games, but it would not have gotten them to the playoffs. Just like it would not have gotten the Red Sox to the playoffs.

 

[jon abbey]

& in hindsight I tend to agree. Would 67.2 innings of competent pitching from Jordan Montgomery have won them an extra 10 games? Or whatever the lesser equivalent # of innings he would have pitched for us compared to pitching for the Rangers where they had the 6th ranked defense? The Rangers gave up guys who are now the Cardinals' 5th & 9th ranked prospects in that trade, & I'm sure they would do it again in a heartbeat due to all the surplus value having him in their playoff rotation has given them.

FWIW TEX was 4-7 in the regular season with Montgomery pitching, maybe even less relevant than a pitcher's W/L record but somewhat relevant here.

Amazingly Montgomery's two teams were just 11-21 in his regular season starts this year, even with his very strong 4.1 bWAR season.

 

[RedOctober3829]

McAdam says Breslow being deep in negotiations with the Red Sox is a bit premature and that ideally he'd be the GM with a POBO above him.
View: https://twitter.com/ChrisCotillo/status/1715097264274670061?s=20

 

[Rovin Romine]

I think people are overthinking the "power struggle." Around deadline time, Bloom probably told management something like "we can stay on our trajectory (develop and nominally compete) even if we do nothing substantial at the deadline." Cora probably told management something like, "we're gonna suck if that happens. The pitching is shot."
Management fired the guy that got it way wrong.

To an extent. Runs Scored also cratered in September, while Runs Allowed were sort of inline with the rest of the season.

Pitching in August was terrible, but the numbers are high due to Barraclough alone (10ER in one outing).

Sale came back on 8/11, Whitlock on 8/13, and Houck on 8/22.

Notable losses in August/early Sept. (excluding close games)
Aug 2: Schreiber/Bleier implosion:
Aug 3: Paxton meh, Llovera gives up 2.
Aug 6: Murphy/Llovera shellacked.
Aug 8: Lamet/Robertson 3 ER each.
Aug 16: Whitlock gives up 4 late.
Aug 17: Winckowski/Murphy 3 ER each.
Aug 21: Paxton 6ER over 4.
Aug 22: Llovera 4 R.
Aug 25: Pivetta 4 ER over 2
Aug 27: Murphy 6 ER over 4.
Aug 28: Barrawhatever 10 ER
Aug 30: Crawford 6 ER over 2.
Sept 1: Paxton 6 ER over 2, plus Walter 7ER
Sept 5: Crawford 5 ER, Jansen BS.
Sept 8: Houck 5ER, Walter 4ER.
Sept 9: Sale 7ER, Llovera 3ER.
Sept 14: Bernardino 5, Schreiber 2.
Sept 19: Llovera 2, Murphy 2.


So in retrospect, who do you trade for on Aug.1? A starter to replace Paxton. Or maybe a reliever to replace Llovera or Murphy?

But Llovera had a 1.42 ERA through July (SSS). Paxton had a serviceable July after a great June (and was at 70 IP). Murphy had something like 30 innings and a 1.59 ERA at the end of July. Even Schreiber came back in July got decent results, and was lit up in August.

So I don't think it's really as simple as "Bloom should have traded for pitching." I mean, yes, he should have, but the team collectively lost it in August, and cratered in September.

 

[Auger34]

I pretty strongly disagree that he would ever think or say that. He could certainly hope that, but baseball is a probabilistic game. It was clear from his comments after the deadline that he felt they were an "underdog" after the deadline. I'm sure he just didn't find any trades that he thought the incremental improvement to the team would be worth the future cost.

& in hindsight I tend to agree. Would 67.2 innings of competent pitching from Jordan Montgomery have won them an extra 10 games? Or whatever the lesser equivalent # of innings he would have pitched for us compared to pitching for the Rangers where they had the 6th ranked defense? The Rangers gave up guys who are now the Cardinals' 5th & 9th ranked prospects in that trade, & I'm sure they would do it again in a heartbeat due to all the surplus value having him in their playoff rotation has given them.

But it's also a great deal for the Cardinals because Montgomery pitching those good, but inconsequential, innings for them would have maybe won them a few more games, but it would not have gotten them to the playoffs. Just like it would not have gotten the Red Sox to the playoffs.

So, if he was asked at the deadline what the plan was by ownership/Kennedy. what do you think his response was?

 

[LogansDad]

I think the narrative that Cora warned Bloom and Bloom didn't listen is speculative at best. It doesn't add up to me. Why would Cora direct his pleas specifically at Bloom and not JWH? Why would JWH co-sign Cora's (speculated) position that the team should spend more of its assets and JWH's money? Is it reported anywhere that it was Bloom's preference — and not Henry's — to stay under the tax this year?

There's a strange and persistent fantasy that there was a constructive addition to be made at the deadline for each of the last two summers and that Bloom failed to make it. We were in the unenviable position of being 3 games back both years, and in extreme sellers' markets because of the expanded playoffs. Should we have had better teams to start the year? I wish. But that's on John Henry.

If the position is that Henry should spend more money on payroll, I'm all for it. But I don't buy the narrative that it was Bloom's idea not to spend Henry's resources. I think he determined that it was unwise to give up long-term assets for short-term fixes, even in the rotation, and I think he was right.

Jordan Montgomery would have been a great addition, but I think we should all be happy that we didn't give up Yorke and Wikelman Gonzalez for two months of him.

I'm a few hours behind, but I would also argue that Montgomery wouldn't have made the improvement he made in Texas while pitching in front of the Red Sox' defense. His BABIP dropped 11 points between St Louis and Texas, from .299 to .288. There were two pitchers on the Red Sox with more than 10 innings and a BABIP that low or lower. Meanwhile, the Rangers had 11 such pitchers.

Montgomery would have been an upgrade for this team, for certain, but this team needs to find a way to turn 3-4 more hits into outs per game in order to help the starting pitching be more effective, and to be honest, I don't know how they do that this offseason, so I fully expect more of the same next year.

 

[Snoop Soxy Dogg]

I think people are overthinking the "power struggle." Around deadline time, Bloom probably told management something like "we can stay on our trajectory (develop and nominally compete) even if we do nothing substantial at the deadline." Cora probably told management something like, "we're gonna suck if that happens. The pitching is shot."
Management fired the guy that got it way wrong.

I don’t know about a power struggle, and I’d certainly agree with the bolded. Bloom got it wrong, and he paid for it with his job.

But what about Cora? Pitching was far from the only issue (to the extend that it was one, as illustrated above). The hitting largely fell apart, the defense was terrible, and the team seemed listless at times. And this is the second year in a row this happens. Why does he get to skate, and even quite remarkably, be a central figure in selecting Bloom’s successor?

I’m not trying to advocate for the guy to be fired – though I’d admittedly prefer a full clean slate. But some degree of accountability and self-awareness for his own role in this morass would be nice; I may have missed it, but I haven’t seen any.

 

[JM3]

So, if he was asked at the deadline what the plan was by ownership/Kennedy. what do you think his response was?

Before the deadline or after he didn't make any significant trades?

Before probably something like...

I am not sure if we are good enough to be a contending team as currently constituted. I will look for areas where we can significantly upgrade & see if we can find any decent value to try to improve the team, but I do not want to overpay for marginal upgrades & mortgage the future when, as we have discussed, next year is the year where we're going to start aggressively adding to our payroll and begin becoming a perennial contender. Players like Sale, Houck, Whitlock & Story will be back soon, which will help, but it will also make the bar to find more than a marginal upgrade higher. I will also look at options to rebalance our roster, as well as potentially to sell if teams make offers we can't refuse, and use those new assets to reposition our Major League roster as necessary.

After probably something like...

I didn't like any of the options to buy & thought they would have hurt our future more than they helped our present. I think Urias can be a substantial upgrade at the one position that could be easily upgraded & let's hope for quick recoveries & good luck. I was tempted to sell because it was a sellers market, but I think we have an outside chance of competing if things go right.

 

[JM3]

View: https://twitter.com/tylermilliken_/status/1715118341717918140

@alexspeier
with some clarity on the Craig Breslow reports about him being in “advanced discussions” with the Red Sox:

“That said, while one source familiar with the search characterized Breslow as a leading candidate, it’s not to say the process is approaching the finish line. According to multiple industry sources, the Sox have continued to conduct first-round interviews with candidates this week.”

Red Sox are reportedly still waiting to meet with one or more external candidates. Nearing the end of the first round of interviews.

 

[joe dokes]

I don’t know about a power struggle, and I’d certainly agree with the bolded. Bloom got it wrong, and he paid for it with his job.

But what about Cora? Pitching was far from the only issue (to the extend that it was one, as illustrated above). The hitting largely fell apart, the defense was terrible, and the team seemed listless at times. And this is the second year in a row this happens. Why does he get to skate, and even quite remarkably, be a central figure in selecting Bloom’s successor?

I’m not trying to advocate for the guy to be fired – though I’d admittedly prefer a full clean slate. But some degree of accountability and self-awareness for his own role in this morass would be nice; I may have missed it, but I haven’t seen any.

That's fair (whether I agree or not). And we dont know what accountability goes on behind the scenes. (although some coaches got canned, fwiw)"Listlessness" is a byproduct of winning, IMO. So, no offense, but I don't count that as a "thing." The defense sucked because they had a lot of bad defensive players. (I think less-than-full dimensional players are endemic to teams about where the maybe-sniffing-a WC-spot Red Sox hoped they'd be.) That said, Verdugo and Duran got better. and Yoshida was as advertised. (meh at best). Interestingly, they kept Hudson as coach. IIRC, he was the "OF coach." The IF was disasterous. Story was a great help, but Devers and Casas need to improve. (Was Febles the fall guy?)

 

[cantor44]

Just to be clear, I'm not saying I definitely don't think Breslow is a candidate for CBO, but something like a Byrnes, who is also from the Theo tree, as CBO with Breslow as GM makes a good amount of sense to me.

I think giving the head job to Breslow would be a bold move akin to hiring Theo. Less in the "next up" GM pecking order, and more based on the intelligence and character of the person. Of course I'm fully aware that I speaking from very limited knowledge, but from the little I do know, I like his potential hiring a lot. It would be a jolt, in the good sense.

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

I think giving the head job to Breslow would be a bold move akin to hiring Theo. Less in the "next up" GM pecking order, and more based on the intelligence and character of the person. Of course I'm fully aware that I speaking from very limited knowledge, but from the little I do know, I like his potential hiring a lot. It would be a jolt, in the good sense.

It would certainly run counter to the notion that they're looking to keep the seat warm for Cora to take over in a couple years. AC wouldn't be "learning the ropes" from an experienced hand by any means.

Breslow intrigues me but I'm not sure this is a time where they want inexperience in the big chair. At least Theo had been working his way toward that job (Director of Baseball Operations under Kevin Towers in San Diego + a year working under Mike Port in Boston). Not sure Breslow's limited front office experience is comparable.

 

[tdaignault]

It would certainly run counter to the notion that they're looking to keep the seat warm for Cora to take over in a couple years. AC wouldn't be "learning the ropes" from an experienced hand by any means.

Breslow intrigues me but I'm not sure this is a time where they want inexperience in the big chair. At least Theo had been working his way toward that job (Director of Baseball Operations under Kevin Towers in San Diego + a year working under Mike Port in Boston). Not sure Breslow's limited front office experience is comparable.

I would argue that Theo's limited (none) MLB playing experience is not comparable to Breslow. That has to count for something, right? I am starting to hope the Sox go bold with Breslow, so that likely means it won't happen, lol.

How can you argue with this from his Wikipedia entry:

Breslow was nicknamed the "smartest man in baseball" by Minneapolis Star Tribune Twins beat writer La Velle E. Neal III, and The Wall Street Journal reporter Jason Turbow wrote: "Judging by his résumé, Craig Breslow is the smartest man in baseball, if not the entire world."[1][2][3][4] In 2010 the Sporting News named him the smartest athlete on their top-20 list.[5] In 2012, Men's Fitness named him one of the Top 10 Smartest Athletes in Professional Sports.[138]

Referring to the reactions he has experienced to the plaudits, Breslow said: "There's no end to the teasing I've taken".[10] Red Sox manager John Farrell observed in 2013: "Breslow uses words in a normal conversation that I'm not used to."[139]

As to the impact of his intelligence on his baseball performance, Breslow admits that he analyzes video and looks for inefficiencies in the "kinematic system" of his delivery.[140] At the same time, he often subscribes to the "keep it simple, stupid" principle.[140]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Breslow

 

[HangingW/ScottCooper]

I think the narrative that Cora warned Bloom and Bloom didn't listen is speculative at best. It doesn't add up to me. Why would Cora direct his pleas specifically at Bloom and not JWH? Why would JWH co-sign Cora's (speculated) position that the team should spend more of its assets and JWH's money? Is it reported anywhere that it was Bloom's preference — and not Henry's — to stay under the tax this year?

There's a strange and persistent fantasy that there was a constructive addition to be made at the deadline for each of the last two summers and that Bloom failed to make it. We were in the unenviable position of being 3 games back both years, and in extreme sellers' markets because of the expanded playoffs. Should we have had better teams to start the year? I wish. But that's on John Henry.

If the position is that Henry should spend more money on payroll, I'm all for it. But I don't buy the narrative that it was Bloom's idea not to spend Henry's resources. I think he determined that it was unwise to give up long-term assets for short-term fixes, even in the rotation, and I think he was right.

Jordan Montgomery would have been a great addition, but I think we should all be happy that we didn't give up Yorke and Wikelman Gonzalez for two months of him.

I really think the Barraclough situation was the last straw for the front office and Bloom. It wouldn't surprise me if after that game Cora went up the ladder and said I was forced into this and the writing was on the wall.

 

[JimD]

I really think the Barraclough situation was the last straw for the front office and Bloom. It wouldn't surprise me if after that game Cora went up the ladder and said I was forced into this and the writing was on the wall.

I don't think the Barraclough situation reflected well on Cora at all. You don't embarrass a player like that to make a point.

 

[NDame616]

I don't think the Barraclough situation reflected well on Cora at all. You don't embarrass a player like that to make a point.

Didn't it come out that Barraclough told Cora he was gonna take the bullet and asked to keep going back out?

 

[Sandy Leon Trotsky]

Before the deadline or after he didn't make any significant trades?

Before probably something like...

I am not sure if we are good enough to be a contending team as currently constituted. I will look for areas where we can significantly upgrade & see if we can find any decent value to try to improve the team, but I do not want to overpay for marginal upgrades & mortgage the future when, as we have discussed, next year is the year where we're going to start aggressively adding to our payroll and begin becoming a perennial contender. Players like Sale, Houck, Whitlock & Story will be back soon, which will help, but it will also make the bar to find more than a marginal upgrade higher. I will also look at options to rebalance our roster, as well as potentially to sell if teams make offers we can't refuse, and use those new assets to reposition our Major League roster as necessary.

After probably something like...

I didn't like any of the options to buy & thought they would have hurt our future more than they helped our present. I think Urias can be a substantial upgrade at the one position that could be easily upgraded & let's hope for quick recoveries & good luck. I was tempted to sell because it was a sellers market, but I think we have an outside chance of competing if things go right.

I'm pretty much in agreement with JM3 here but I do think Bloom could have done something to improve the team in the long run with a trade using middle infield minor league surplus for Montgomery and then pushed to extend him. Or something like that. Perhaps not Montgomery but a starter heading into FA so the cost would be relatively low. And yeah, I'd be fine dealing Yorke. He's somewhat blocked above him and has good quality depth behind him. He's the most valuable trade chip that isn't needed long term.
Obviously the idea that Montgomery would have been open to an extension is 100% hypothetical but he would definitely have cost less than he would have after his playoff success so far. But even my minor issue with Bloom's last two seasons trade deadline inaction, I think his long view is the correct one and still think he deserved another season (with Cora too). I think Henry cut bait too soon.
That said... I'm liking the idea of Breslow as GM with Romero operating above him. It keeps the Bloom "plan" in place with Romero (even though he preceded Bloom) but brings in a different angle with Breslow, who I would expect may be able to help with the stagnation (or backwards development even...) of Houck and Whitlock.

 

[simplicio]

Whoever their new person ends up being, I hope they line up an interview with Sara Goodrum; she was the director of player development in Houston the last two years (and a hitting coordinator with the Brewers before that), a Click hire that Dana Brown fired last week.

 

[RorschachsMask]

View: https://twitter.com/BOSSportsGordo/status/1715391043296698834

 

[JM3]

View: https://twitter.com/ChrisCotillo/status/1715391460671987744

 

[The Filthy One]

I'm starting to feel like I have a real chance at this thing. I figure I'm a few rungs below Gabe Kapler, but when he inevitably withdraws due to family concerns, well, it's all lining up for me.

 

[Petagine in a Bottle]

Kapler and Breslow would be two pretty compelling additions to the org, no?

 

[jon abbey]

BP writer/Mets fan:

View: https://twitter.com/jaseidler/status/1715391974637760882

 

[JM3]

Feels like it's just one of those things where they get people in the building they might be interested in being part of the team, & since they don't have a #1 right now, everyone gets interviewed for that job, while probably also being evaluated for fit & potential interest in other jobs.

 

[Petagine in a Bottle]

Why? He was the director of player development for the Dodgers. He played in Japan, coached in Israel…what makes Kapler not a compelling candidate? Respected former player, manager, analytical…what am I missing here?

 

[TheYellowDart5]

This is probably the biggest disqualifying reason for Kapler: https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/questions-surround-kaplers-handling-of-sexual-assault-allegations-against-dodgers-players/

ETA: It also just makes no sense on the surface. Nothing about Kapler's background or recent work suggests he'd be a viable POBO or GM. It's throwing shit at the wall.

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

Why? He was the director of player development for the Dodgers. He played in Japan, coached in Israel…what makes Kapler not a compelling candidate? Respected former player, manager, analytical…what am I missing here?

You're missing nothing. People want drama for clicks and all that. I think JM3 is right, they're casting a really really wide net under the auspices of filling the #1 job but in reality they're looking to possibly fill multiple positions. Maybe by doing so, they find their answer(s) in someone they didn't expect.

 

[Auger34]

Thad Levine is starting to look like the best candidate that's still in the running and by a wide margin at that

 

[chrisfont9]

Why? He was the director of player development for the Dodgers. He played in Japan, coached in Israel…what makes Kapler not a compelling candidate? Respected former player, manager, analytical…what am I missing here?

I like it. In a lot of sports we see management retreads, and yeah experience is a factor, but there's something to be said for a guy who played not that long ago and has a pretty fresh feel for how things are down on the field right now. Whether he has all the other skills -- for whichever job they are considering him for -- I wouldn't know, but I wouldn't laugh it off either.

 

[SouthernBoSox]

I think it’s in everyone’s best interest to wait until the hire(s) are made to pass judgement.

Clearly a lot of under the surface churning but to points raise earlier, they could be bringing in a number of new people for a number of things.

 

[Laser Show]

https://twitter.com/chriscotillo/status/1715413354548707797?s=46&t=maKAX0PnmH697FOv1x7kUg

 

[BigSoxFan]

https://twitter.com/chriscotillo/status/1715413354548707797?s=46&t=maKAX0PnmH697FOv1x7kUg

For those who can’t read it, Kim Ng declined chance to interview with Sox. Wonder on what grounds or why she might not have been interested.

 

[canderson]

Seems pretty clear to me something is amiss with this front office that is known to high degree/qualified candidates.

 

[HangingW/ScottCooper]

I don't think the Barraclough situation reflected well on Cora at all. You don't embarrass a player like that to make a point.

I don't think he was making a point, I think that's all he had available to him.

 

[JM3]

It's definitely not a great look when people don't even want to talk to you about your job.

Ng is the latest high-profile candidate to eschew a chance to interview with the Red Sox, joining Phillies GM Sam Fuld, Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes, former Marlins boss and current MLB executive Michael Hill and former Rangers GM (and current Rays adviser) Jon Daniels, Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey, Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen and assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye and others. Red Sox assistant GM Raquel Ferreira removed herself from the equation, as well, citing family reasons. After interviewing, former Astros GM James Click, who won a World Series in Houston a year ago, pulled himself out of the running.

https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2023/10/kim-ng-declines-red-sox-interview-becoming-latest-to-pull-out-of-gm-search.html?utm_campaign=masslivesports&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

View: https://twitter.com/ChrisCotillo/status/1715418579405770950

 

[YTF]

It's definitely not a great look when people don't even want to talk to you about your job.



https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2023/10/kim-ng-declines-red-sox-interview-becoming-latest-to-pull-out-of-gm-search.html?utm_campaign=masslivesports&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

View: https://twitter.com/ChrisCotillo/status/1715418579405770950

It's all good as I'm sure when the new hires are made the announcement will reveal that "we got the two candidates that we were keying in on from the start.".

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

If ownership is still laboring under the perception that this is a desirable situation to walk into as GM, they've hopefully been disabused from it by now.

And this isn't a defense of Bloom, who IMO deserved to be shown the door. It's a reflection that the the outside view of this franchise is one of disarray and underperformance and ownership may not not to spend to rectify those issues.

 

[FlexFlexerson]

Someone leaving Miami and not even wanting to kick the tires in Boston feels brutally damning, even if there's more to it than that (which I'm sure there is).

 

[jon abbey]

If ownership is still laboring under the perception that this is a desirable situation to walk into as GM, they've hopefully been disabused from it by now.

And this isn't a defense of Bloom, who IMO deserved to be shown the door. It's a reflection that the the outside view of this franchise is one of disarray and underperformance and ownership may not not to spend to rectify those issues.

It also probably doesn't help that a lot of potential candidates have connections to Bloom and have presumably been asking for his perspective on the situation.

 

[The Filthy One]

I like it. In a lot of sports we see management retreads, and yeah experience is a factor, but there's something to be said for a guy who played not that long ago and has a pretty fresh feel for how things are down on the field right now. Whether he has all the other skills -- for whichever job they are considering him for -- I wouldn't know, but I wouldn't laugh it off either.

Isn't that what Cora's role is, though? I assume he has input into the players they bring in (that assumption may have been wrong during the Bloom era, but that was the way I assumed it worked). Do we need another of those?

 

[E5 Yaz]

Someone leaving Miami and not even wanting to kick the tires in Boston feels brutally damning, even if there's more to it than that (which I'm sure there is).

So does Click withdrawing after being interviewed. It implies something didn't pass the smell test for him

 

[BaseballJones]

Someone leaving Miami and not even wanting to kick the tires in Boston feels brutally damning, even if there's more to it than that (which I'm sure there is).

But, like, what could possibly be SO BAD about this job? Ownership has shown a willingness to show you the door after like 4 seasons, but man, a good GM can do a LOT with this organization in 4 years. So you're here for 4 years, take this great foundation, add to it, win a WS, then get canned and find another job.

 

[sezwho]

I'm starting to feel like I have a real chance at this thing. I figure I'm a few rungs below Gabe Kapler, but when he inevitably withdraws due to family concerns, well, it's all lining up for me.

How’s your relationship with Cora?

 

[jon abbey]

But, like, what could possibly be SO BAD about this job?

Besides all of the obvious internal power structure stuff, you're competing in maybe the toughest division in MLB history, and you need to instantly somehow add top level SPs to a team in a hitter's park with a bad defense that will be tough to improve as some of the worst offenders are long-term core parts. For FA SPs, you're going to be competing with a lot of other desperate teams who don't have those other negatives.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

But, like, what could possibly be SO BAD about this job? Ownership has shown a willingness to show you the door after like 4 seasons, but man, a good GM can do a LOT with this organization in 4 years. So you're here for 4 years, take this great foundation, add to it, win a WS, then get canned and find another job.

No one who would want to be a GM would ever think like this. 4 years is nothing. There must be a perception that ownership is never going to back you no matter the course you choose, and you go into the job forced to accept Cora as manager.

No one worth their salt would ever take the job as shaped like this.

 

[RedOctober3829]

This is pretty embarrassing for the organization. How far have they fallen in the league circles that all these executives are turning down interview requests?

 

[Sandy Leon Trotsky]

It's pretty hard to not see that the Sox FO is dysfunctional. I don't know how anyone could pretend to not see it. Coveted position? Probably... but as many here have pointed out, the ownership seems disinterested and then suddenly very interested... Cora has oversized power. I just don't think it's as appealing to a lot of the more in-demand types... so here's my outside-the-box thinking: Steve Grogan. That's right. Someone that doesn't know much about baseball. A real outsider, but familiar with New England sports and media. You're welcome.

 

[BaseballJones]

Besides all of the obvious internal power structure stuff, you're competing in maybe the toughest division in MLB history, and you need to instantly somehow add top level SPs to a team in a hitter's park with a bad defense that will be tough to improve as some of the worst offenders are long-term core parts.

So top GM candidates - who are presumably highly competitive people - are not even going to interview because the AL East is a tough division?

 

[jon abbey]

So top GM candidates - who are presumably highly competitive people - are not even going to interview because the AL East is a tough division?

That was only one of four factors I mentioned, combine all of them together and yeah, don't want the job, not going to interview.

 

[chawson]

If ownership is still laboring under the perception that this is a desirable situation to walk into as GM, they've hopefully been disabused from it by now.

And this isn't a defense of Bloom, who IMO deserved to be shown the door. It's a reflection that the the outside view of this franchise is one of disarray and underperformance and ownership may not not to spend to rectify those issues.

Or it's a reflection that the outside view of working for this franchise includes dealing with its obsessively faultfinding fanbase and shit-stirring media corps.