Why Theo Epstein is 'Disappointed' in Red Sox's Craig Breslow: Report

Epstein will always be the gold standard of Red Sox execs

Jul 15, 2019; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs President of baseball operations Theo Epstein is interviewed by media before the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jon Durr-Imagn Images | Jon Durr-Imagn Images

Craig Breslow is just the latest in a growing group of Boston Red Sox executives struggling to live up to the example Theo Epstein set earlier this century.

Epstein will always be a legend among Major League Baseball execs because he broke not one, but two long title droughts. He won the Red Sox's first World Series in 86 years in 2004, then the Chicago Cubs' first World Series in 108 years in 2016.

These days, Epstein serves as a part-owner and senior adviser for Fenway Sports Group, so he's got some sway in the Red Sox's front office. And not unlike many Red Sox fans, he evidently doesn't love the way Breslow has run the ship so far.

Why Epstein is "disappointed" about Breslow's tenure

Dec 9, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow speaks with the media at the Hilton Anatole during the 2024 MLB Winter Meetings. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

On Monday, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reported that Epstein had some misgivings about the way Breslow was running things, particularly when it came to the heavy use of analytics/data in decision-making.

"Theo Epstein has been disappointed by the Sox’ intense analytical direction under Breslow, multiple league sources said. A minority owner and adviser who led the franchise to two World Series titles as GM, Epstein has long been a mentor to Breslow, hiring him to the Cubs front office and helping him get the Sox job," Healey wrote.

In addition, Healey cited a former Red Sox evaluator who worked under Epstein who praised Epstein's ability to think outside the numbers -- presumably informing his distaste for Breslow sticking to them too often.

“Theo was an all-forms-of-information guy,” the evaluator told Healey. “He didn’t just live on Carmine (Boston's internal data system at the time). He listened to people.”

In Epstein's day, the Red Sox faced less competition to field one of the highest payrolls in Major League Baseball. But Breslow's calculated decision-making in free agency, which has led to Boston finishing second or third in a lot of sweepstakes, is one example of why opponents of analytics often say the front offices that rely too heavily on them won't prosper.

We know from anecdotes over the past few seasons that Epstein has helped Breslow on numerous occasions when it comes to getting deals over the finish line. Red Sox fans can only hope that support is less necessary in years to come, regardless of how much longer Breslow stays in power.