As the Red Sox continue their search for a new head of baseball operations, Twins general manager Thad Levine is no longer in the running, according to Jeremy Nygaard of Twins Daily. Levine was told yesterday by the Sox that he was no longer a candidate, MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam reports (via X).
The news comes as the Red Sox have apparently taken a next step in their selection process, as the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier writes that club has moved onto a second round of interviews. Cubs assistant GM Craig Breslow is believed to have advanced to this second round, though it isn’t known how many other candidates might also be getting a second sitdown with team brass. As per The Athletic’s Chad Jennings, “information is spotty” on the situation, but Red Sox assistant GM Eddie Romero and Breslow could both still be candidates. Four other candidates known to have sat down for an initial interview remain in the process for now — Red Sox assistant GM Michael Groopman, Red Sox VP of player development/scouting Paul Toboni, former Pirates GM Neal Huntington, and former Phillies/Giants manager Gabe Kapler.
The 51-year-old Levine has been Minnesota’s GM since the 2016-17 offseason, working as the top lieutenant to chief baseball officer Derek Falvey (who turned down an interview offer from the Red Sox). Levine has over two decades’ worth of experience working in the front offices of the Twins, Rangers, Rockies, and Dodgers, though he hasn’t yet gotten the chance to call the shots in a baseball operations department. There have been a couple of close calls, however, as the Rockies and Phillies considered Levine for their most recent GM openings were respectively filled by Bill Schmidt and Dave Dombrowski.
Falvey, Kim Ng, Jon Daniels, James Click, Michael Hill, Sam Fuld, Brandon Gomes, and Mike Hazen are among the prominent executives who have declined to interview for the Red Sox job, yet it appears as though the club is satisfied enough with its current list of candidates to progress into what might be a final stage of the hiring process. Breslow may or may not be the frontrunner, as reports have indicated that the Sox definitely see him as a candidate for some kind of front office role, if perhaps a GM working under a president of baseball operations moreso than a PBO himself.
At this rate, I’ll be the next POBO of the Red Sox.
Next Red Sox hobo maybe lol
… we’re getting down to the last kid picked in gym class. With Cora staying as manager, it’s likely Romero’s gig to lose. I’d move on from Cora.
Why don’t you like Cora 30? I’m not a Sox fan, but he seems like a really top-notch manager.
Coop – Cora is a good manager. Thing is, he played a role in the Astros cheating, was given his job right back after suspension, and now is entrenched as our Manager while subsequently pushing away good candidates for POBO. This leaves a bad taste in most Red Sox fans mouth. Although, through it all he’s delivered us a WS and has made this team somewhat competitive with lackluster roster building by Bloom. I personally have no problem with the guy but I do see where the narrative comes from.
I’d fire him just because the D was so bad last yr that’s on the manager and coach’s it’s also it’s just time with all his bit**ing and crying about Bloom last makes him look like a child he’s a good manager the sox just need to move on because we all know when they blow next it will be his turn to get the boot it’s time for a fresh start
punctuation is your friend, case
Mcase…Bloom put together a team of poor fielders.prime example is not replacing the middle infield when bogaerts went to SD and Story got hurt.these guys didnt play poorly in the field overnight if cora had so much influence on the rostor its on him but you shouldnt need to teach basics in mlb..this rostor is on bloom
Bloom put together a team of poor fielders
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Not really. Casas, Yoshida, Devers are our worst fielders, and only one of those is a Bloom guy. Our best fielders were Story, Verdugo, and Wong/McGuire.
And I hold Cora somewhat responsible for the issue as well. I think the bad fielding was a well-rounded effort by all involved.
Rememberthecoop … if the Sox brass genuinely wants new leadership, then that new leader has to be granted the liberty of hiring a new manager if so desired. It’s different – I disliked Chaim Bloom because he was incompetent in his role, I think it’s time to move on from Cora because I think Cora remaining has caused more than a few candidates to decline an interview. Those declined interviews are telling. Good luck to Cora, but I’d personally drive him to any of the other 29 big league ballparks and wish him well at this point.
@30 That ship to fire Cora has sailed. I can’t see ownership pivoting from that position now. It’s been fun making fun of the RS but we’ll see next season how well their decision goes with their next PoBO. We probably can’t make a fair assessment until the Sale contract is off the books in ’25. Time is ticking until free agency opens so they’ll need to hire someone fast.
I think the Red Sox history of firing each of the last 3 POBOs after only 4 years is a much bigger issue than Cora. Cora has one year left on his contract and the new POBO can replace him then if he wants to.
Never underestimate the ability of sports writers to write copy about something they know nothing about. No one outside of top management of the Red Sox has any idea what is going on. The Sox are doing their due diligence and sportswriters are speculating and reporting their own personal gripes and anxieties as inside information. I’m old enough to remember when Kremlinologists used to scrutinize pictures of Soviet leaders on top of Lenin’s tomb during ceremonies to try and figure out who is in and out in the Soviet leadership. That process was miles ahead in effectiveness than any sports writer’s blubbering.
Actually I’d say this article is close to spot on. The Red Sox are hiring for their #2 spot or 1A maybe. It’s shared controlled. They are still the Red Sox, a job everyone must at least consider. And if they were hiring to give total control over- that spot would have been filled by Ng or another top candidate by now.
Also anyone considering taking that job is already thinking about it in depth so they aren’t in any sort of hiring crisis mode. They are simply just going through a hiring process that’s public
There seems to be a lot of candidates that declined to consider it.
@stymeedone — yep, it’s not 2003 any more. It’s twenty years later, and even though the Sox have four titles since, ownership and top management have not exactly covered themselves in glory in those intervening years. Poor manager decisions, bad decisions and impulsive reactions with GM’s and POBO’s, and short sighted dealings with star players have all served to significantly decrease the desirability of the job.
That’s quite the list of talented people who said “Thanks, but no thanks.”
Breaking news: The Red Sox discover Thad is a man.
I have withdrawn myself from the running as well.
I hear Chaim Bloom is available.
I too have declined interest in the Red Sox job, citing family concerns. And by “family concerns” I mean I’m not interested in the power arrangement with Alex Cora.
So tired of this dumb joke
>So tired of this dumb joke
>So tired of speculation
Would you please consider trying to get more sleep? Or are you tired of sleep? That doesn’t work. Soon you’re going to be tired of being tired with nowhere left to turn.
bheath33
So tired of this dumb joke
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Perhaps because you have not yet declined interest in the Red Sox job. You should try it.
Cora should not be a sticking point in this process. It’s ridiculous. Just make Eddy and Breslow the POBO and GM at this point already. No Neal Huntington or Gabe Kapler PLEASE
Sooooo you tell Levine no thanks, but Gabe F’ing Kapler is still a candidate??? Maybe it’s time to fire Sam Kennedy for being that stupid?
I did not know until now that Eddie Romero is the son of former Red Sox infielder Ed Romero. Elder Ed had a nice playing career in the 80s, mostly with the Brewers.
Monkey – Do you know who the Red Sox traded with Bogaerts to the Cubs?
Well that’s it for me… go ahead guys sinch the straps tighter around back… I thought THE Ed Romero was Ed Romero from the 80”s!!! He’s okay then… but no Jackie Gutierrez!!!!
Good. Thad was too good for that gig anyway….Redsox have proven time and time again to be knee jerk in their dealings with front office staff. Who would willingly want to work for a company that will can your ass the first time you dont have a winning season?
Have fun languishing in the depths of the AL East, sox.
Hell, even when the Red Sox win stuff they still can their GMs.
Has 92-year old Willie Mays.been offered the gig?
If they only would have given me that Billy Beane money, I’d have taken the job…
Falvey, Kim Ng, Jon Daniels, James Click, Michael Hill, Sam Fuld, Brandon Gomes, and Mike Hazen
Who cares about any of these names to be honest…
So tired of speculation.
Or try skipping any article that doesn’t begin with, “Red Sox hire”.
You’ve gotta get some more sleep, man. We’re worried about you and we’re counting on you. Good luck.
I’m tired of your incessant whining. This site literally has the word “rumors” in its name so of course its all speculation because thats what rumors are! Besides, nobody is forcing you to read these articles at gunpoint. Although, if you are being held against your will, blink twice.
A lot of those people weren’t exactly stand-outs, no-miss types. Hazen already has a job, so he was always a long-shot. I like Click, but his resume is thin. Hill I didn’t want. Ng & Daniels are a mixed bag. Fuld and Gomes are kind of unknowns at the point, thought I’d like to have added Fuld somewhere.
I am not at all put off by those that declined.
Shooting for Eddie Romero Jr at this point. They need to clean house.
Speaks volumes about Levine’s job duties, presence and strategies he was eliminated in round 1 for a job most execs of his level don’t even want, lol.
Screw it …..hire Belicheck!!!
(Bottom of the second paragraph) Why is Kapler’s name still being mentioned? I know he has ties to the Red Sox but he isn’t qualified. He couldn’t do anything with a somewhat veteran team in Philly and he had one good year in SF. Giants players were publicly insinuating that they had a culture problem and Kapler was at least partly the blame in 2023.
Kapler is a mediocre field manager but could be a better front office guy. I wouldn’t make him a GM right away, but maybe he’d make a decent scouting department head or a director of personnel or some other mid-level office title and let him earn his way up from there.
What is Wayne Krivsky doing?
He prefers Thaddeus.
It’s T.S., now.
(If you don’t know, it’s a venture bros reference)
Jarred, most underrated show of all time!
Wow, another half decent GM who doesn’t want to work for the dumpster fire that is the Boston Red Sox baseball franchise! What a shocker.
Most of these people will be unemployed next year. And several might never land GM/POBO jobs. A WS appearance and or win might push Fuld way up, but the most of these candidates should be begging to be hired.
And yet, they aren’t even interested in interviewing…that has to be at least mildly concerning.
What’s a Thad?
I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.
Yep, levine is staying.
Omg. My wife just said “I’m so glad they didn’t hire that dingleberry. We need a smart POBO like Kapler.”