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
For the second day in a row, Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has answered questions about the club’s firing of manager Alex Cora.
On Sunday, Breslow and president and chief executive officer Sam Kennedy held a press conference and answered questions about the club’s decision to fire Cora and a handful of others. Kennedy also made it clear that Breslow made the recommendation.
The decision to fire Cora out of the blue certainly got a lot of criticism. But that’s not all. The way the club delivered the news to the team also has been under fire. Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story has been the most outspoken of the group and questioned the direction of the franchise publicly.
“I mean obviously, it’s kind of up in the air what the true direction of the franchise is,” Story said. “Some of the best coaches in the world didn’t get a fair shot.”
It was reported that the Red Sox players were not given an opportunity to ask questions about the decision. Simply put, they were told about the decision and that was that. Veteran reliever Garrett Whitlock noted that noted that the club made it “very clear” the players are paid to play baseball and not make the franchise decisions.
Craig Breslow Responds
On Monday, Breslow responded to the criticism, as transcribed by MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith.
“I think the most important thing, just given the timing and how this all came together, was to get the group together and make sure that they heard from me and then give them a chance to spend some time with [interim manager Chad Tracy],” Breslow said, as transcribed by Smith. “And since then, I’m here on the trip, I’m making myself available. I’ve had conversations with a number of players.
Breslow also noted that he spoke to Story specifically.
“Trevor and I had a conversation,” Breslow said. “Trevor obviously is a very important part of this team. He’s also a leader on this team, and he’s incredibly well respected in the clubhouse and by the staff and by me. I’m grateful for the chance to have the conversation with him.”
This is the second year in a row that there has been chatter about the way the club has communicated a major move. This was the cast last year with the entire Rafael Devers saga from when he transitioned from third base to designated hitter and also when he was traded to the San Francisco Giants.
It’s a bit surprising. Breslow played 12 seasons in the big leagues. He won a World Series with the Red Sox as a player in 2013 and played in 576 games in the majors. You’d think that communicating big-time moves would be on the easier side for Breslow simply because of the fact that he’s been on the other side. He played with the Red Sox, along with a handful of other teams.
At the end of the day, it’s in the past now. Now, it’s about how Breslow and the team in general responds. Boston took down the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of the Chad Tracy era on Sunday and kicked off a new series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night.
