Red Sox interview three external candidates in GM search

The Red Sox’s search for a new general manager to replace Chaim Bloom might be picking up steam. As Alex Speier reports for the Boston Globe, the team has already interviewed at least three high-profile external candidates for the position: Twins GM Thad Levine, Cubs assistant GM Craig Breslow, and former Pirates GM Neal Huntington.

On Monday, Rob Bradford of WEEI reported that Huntington and Levine were under consideration, while Joel Sherman of the New York Post suggested Breslow as another candidate. However, it was unclear if the interest was mutual. Several rumored contenders have already declined to interview with the Red Sox, including former Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels, former Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill, Phillies GM Sam Fuld, and Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes. Another rumored candidate, Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen, shut down any speculation that he would take a job in Boston when he signed a multi-year extension with Arizona.

Levine, Breslow, and Huntington join Red Sox executive VP and assistant general manager Eddie Romero Jr. as candidates known to have interviewed, although Speier suggests that Romero isn’t the only internal candidate to take a meeting about the position. Other rumored internal candidates include Romero’s fellow assistant GMs, Raquel Ferreira and Mike Groopman, along with other VPs in the organization, such as Ben Crockett, Mike Rikard, and Gus Quattlebaum.

Of the four names known to have been interviewed, Levine is the only one currently working as a general manager, but even so, he isn’t the top decision-maker in the Twins organization. He works under president of baseball operations Derek Falvey, who, funnily enough, declined an interview with the Red Sox himself (per Chad Jennings of The Athletic). While Levine is surely enjoying his team’s recent success, he might enjoy the chance to be the chief baseball executive for a new organization, especially one that typically runs a much higher payroll than Minnesota. Similarly, Huntington might be tempted by the Red Sox’s budget after so many years with the low-spending Pirates and Guardians. Meanwhile, Breslow and Romero are presumably interested in the chance to run their own front office.

Earlier this month, Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy expressed that he isn’t working under a deadline to hire a new GM. More specifically, he would not commit to having a new executive in place by the annual general managers meetings in early November. He told reporters (including Chris Cotillo of MassLive), “We plan to take our time. We plan to be very deliberate… We’re not going to let any deadline or timeline put constraints on the process.”

In other words, while the Red Sox seem to have accelerated their search in recent days, they could still take a while to name a new GM. If nothing else, they will presumably do their due diligence and consider brand-new candidate Kim Ng before making a decision. The team has not yet expressed interest in the former Marlins GM, but given her success with Miami this season and her apparent desire to run her own front office, she could be a good fit for the role.