The Chicago Cubs expect to eventually poach Craig Breslow to manage another major league team. The Cubs also realized that Breslow, a rookie manager with a Yale degree and a World Series pedigree, would be picky about his next opportunity.
Just as the Boston Red Sox must determine whether Breslow is the right player, Breslow must make his own calculations about the pros and cons of working at Fenway Park. According to sources familiar with the search process, Breslow was in advanced discussions with the Red Sox and was applying for their first job in baseball operations. However, this opportunity brings with it many complicating factors for any external candidate.
The Red Sox had to release Ben Cherington within two years of their 2013 World Series title. The Red Sox fired Dave Dombrowski less than a year after winning the 2018 World Series. The Red Sox hired Chaim Bloom to rebuild their farm system and manage major league payroll, which is a methodical process they are still in brings the American League Championship Series for 2021. Then the Red Sox released Bloom last month with one season remaining on his five-year contract.
Boston will not be a blank slate. The Red Sox have already indicated that Alex Cora will return as manager next season. Their baseball operations department also includes several long-time employees in high-level positions. Two current general managers with New England roots and similar resumes to Breslow — Sam Fuld (Philadelphia Phillies) and Brandon Gomez (Los Angeles Dodgers) — declined to interview for the position.
Craig Breslow spent 12 years in the Major Leagues and retired after the 2017 season. (Brad Rempel/USA Today)
Breslow, 43, grew up in Connecticut and still lives with his family in a Boston suburb. After a 12-year career as a left-handed hitter in the major leagues, Breslow discussed his options after playing for various teams, including the Cubs, Red Sox and New York Yankees.
Theo Epstein personally recruited Breslow to the Cubs’ front office, giving him the opportunity to learn more about baseball operations and pursue aspects that interested him. Breslow started with the Cubs in 2019, at a time when the organization was seeking sweeping changes in scouting and player development. The lack of young pitching talent was one of the main reasons the Cubs ultimately stagnated after winning the 2016 World Series.
Breslow became an influential figure in the promotion department and received a series of promotions, most recently naming him assistant general manager and senior vice president of promotion. He was given wide-ranging responsibilities: overseeing the rebuilding of the organization’s advertising development infrastructure, evaluating free agents and staying close to the day-to-day operations of the major league club.
Breslow has close relationships with Jed Hoyer, president of baseball operations, and David Ross, who played with Breslow on the Red Sox team that won the 2013 World Series. Cubs president Tom Ricketts is giving baseball executives the freedom to allocate resources and structure the department as they see fit. Should the Red Sox ultimately decide to hire two executives — but without giving Breslow the top spot and full authority — the Cubs would be well-positioned to make a strong attempt to stay in a job that already has a lot of influence .
The players always deserve credit for making this happen, but during Breslow’s tenure the Cubs were able to make significant progress on the pitching side of the organization. Justin Steele emerged as a homegrown candidate for the Cy Young Award this year. The successful return of Kyle Hendricks involved many elements of collaboration within the advertising group. Adbert Alzolay and Javier Assad, two international free agents who took years to develop into contributors, helped the Cubs stay in the playoff race until the penultimate day of the season.
Jordan Weeks, a 2021 first-round pick, made his major league debut in August and has won four straight games. Cade Horton, a 2022 first-round pick, is considered one of the top prospects in the sport. The Cubs now have a top-notch farm system, a bright future and unfinished business.
Breslow is already on track to name Chris Young head coach of the Texas Rangers. Young, 44, is a Princeton graduate who played in the majors for 13 years before working in Major League Baseball. Following the 2020 season, Young joined the Rangers as general manager and was named head baseball coach at the end of the 2022 season. Young helped engineer the turnaround that made the Rangers a World Series contender.
That’s a good picture for the Cubs organization. Either the Cubs helped develop a talented manager to the point where he could lead another storied franchise, or they created a situation so good that a key employee is in no hurry to leave.
(Top-Foto von Craig Breslow am Winterwochenende der Red Sox 2023: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
2023-10-19 14:12:39
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