The Boston Red Sox have an opening at general manager following the departure of Mike Hazen but aren’t reportedly in a hurry to fill it.
#RedSox may not fill their GM opening: https://t.co/8EAEVgITnb
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) October 24, 2016
Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has backtracked on comments about hiring a new GM, admitting the organization was “still working on some final decisions.” Abraham speculates Boston might no longer be actively looking to fill their GM opening.
The report suggests the Red Sox were put in a bind following the departure of former GM Hazen and VP of amateur and international scouting Amiel Sawdaye, both of whom departed for bigger roles with the Diamondbacks. Sawdaye was a top candidate for the open post.
It might seem strange, but going without a traditional general manager wouldn’t be a crazy move, should the Red Sox choose that route. The general manager role has become less important over recent seasons, with the president of baseball operations having final say on roster decisions for a handful of teams. That appears to be the case in Toronto, Los Angeles, and Chicago. As Abraham notes, with Dombrowski leading the charge, the GM title is just a fancy promotion with little final-say power. Hence, the Red Sox can be choosy in who they hire (if anybody).
So, don’t panic Red Sox fans if the GM position isn’t filled by the start of next season. Dombrowski was and still is, the man in charge. That’s not going to change with a new hire.
