Red Sox's Front Office Plans Changed After Nationals Heist: Report

Apr 17, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Nationals hats and gloves in the dugout against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the sixth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Were the Boston Red Sox really ever looking for a general manager?

As the regular season wound down, multiple reports surfaced that Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was looking to hire a second-in-command. However, it seems as though the real story was that there was one executive Boston didn't want to lose.

Former assistant general manager Paul Toboni was hired by the Washington Nationals in late September to be the new president of baseball operations. And one insider's report on Sunday shows Toboni may have been the entire cause of Boston's GM search.

Red Sox seemingly wanted Toboni as GM

May 10, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view of a Boston Red Sox's cap and glove on the field before a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

Sean McAdam of MassLive reported that the Red Sox had gotten close to naming Toboni their new GM before the Nationals swooped in. And with Toboni gone, it seems there may not end up being a new GM after all.

"According to an industry source, the Sox and Paul Toboni were 'pretty far down the road' on a deal to elevate Toboni into the role of GM," McAdam wrote. "But with the Washington Nationals having made Toboni their new president of baseball operations, there’s now far less urgency for the Sox to name anyone for that role.

"The chief reason to promote Toboni would have been to prevent a rival from poaching him, and while there are valued members of the current Baseball Operations staff, the Sox feel they’re in no danger of losing anyone. Thus, status quo could prevail."

The other assistant GMs in the Red Sox staff directory include Raquel Ferreira, Taylor Smith, Mike Groopman, and Eddie Romero.

Losing a top talent is never high on an organization's wish list, but the Red Sox have clearly built a more sustainable roster under both Breslow and his predecessor, Chaim Bloom. Breslow has operated without a GM for the last two seasons, so there's no reason to think he couldn't continue.

Will there be any front office hires for the rest of the offseason? It's just another subplot to watch with this always-busy Red Sox team.

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