Craig Breslow on what the Purple Sox want, what he discovered in 2013, and being an ‘Ivy League nerd’

Purple Sox

“I do know what it takes to win right here, and I’m prepared to make the laborious selections essential to ship.”

By Emma Healy, Katie McInerney, The Boston Globe

November 2, 2023 | 12:17 PM

Craig Breslow is aware of what it seems like.

“I perceive that a few of you will note me as one other Ivy League nerd with a baseball entrance workplace job,” he mentioned Thursday. “It’s true. I’m that. However I’m additionally a 13-year huge leaguer and a 2013 Boston Purple Sox World Sequence champion. I do know what it takes to win right here, and I’m prepared to make the laborious selections essential to ship.”

Breslow, 43, was launched Thursday because the Purple Sox chief baseball officer, succeeding Chaim Bloom. Right here’s what he and workforce president Sam Kennedy needed to say.

Key takeaways from Breslow’s introduction

Sam Kennedy on why Breslow emerged as the highest candidate: “All through the method, Craig clearly emerged as the perfect selection to guide the Boston Purple Sox’ baseball operations for 3 major causes. No. 1 was his unmatched readability of imaginative and prescient of the division, and particularly his plans that he articulated for participant acquisition, participant growth and in the end participant efficiency at each stage. Second was his baseball intelligence. You will have observed and it has been extensively reported on, Craig is an issue solver of the best order. He actually turned himself into a giant leaguer and turned himself right into a entrance workplace govt utilizing modern and nontraditional strategies.

“Lastly, what stood out to us was his unbelievable expertise as a significant league baseball participant. He performed for seven main league groups over a span of 13 years, and most significantly to us, he performed proper right here in Boston at Fenway Park. Craig is aware of firsthand what it takes and what it means to win right here.

Breslow’s opening assertion: “I’ve watched a variety of baseball video games at Fenway Park. Some from the stands, some from the bleachers, however most from the bullpen. I do know what it’s prefer to placed on a Purple Sox jersey, to jog by way of the bullpen gate throughout freshly lower outfield grass. I do know what it’s like to face on the mound in entrance of tens of hundreds of essentially the most passionate followers within the sport. … I do know what it’s prefer to hoist a World Sequence trophy overhead, the fruits of a bunch of individuals coming collectively to perform one thing they couldn’t have performed alone.

“Purple Sox followers deserve a typical of high quality and consistency. High quality which means a workforce that may win the AL East and contend for a World Sequence title, and consistency which means we are able to try this yr after yr.”

Breslow on his popularity: “I perceive that a few of you will note me as one other Ivy League nerd with a baseball entrance workplace job. It’s true. I’m that. However i’m additionally a 13-year huge leaguer and a 2013 Boston Purple Sox World Sequence champion. I do know what it takes to win right here, and I’m prepared to make the laborious selections essential to ship.”

Breslow on what he’s wanting ahead to: “One factor that I’m very, very excited to level to is the emergence of this actually thrilling younger core, a few of whom are contributing proper now on the major-league stage, a few of whom are reaching the higher ranges of the minor leagues, and a few who, candidly, usually are not right here simply but.”

Breslow on the Purple Sox’ greatest wants: “Pitching definitely stands out as an space of want. Protection, and I feel sure gamers getting back from harm and with the ability to solidify middle-infield protection will add to that. I feel should you take a look at the general building of the roster, there’s the chance that perhaps we are able to add a right-handed bat to even it out.”

Breslow on monetary restraints: “I don’t see monetary sources as a limiting issue.”

Breslow on presumably naming a common supervisor: “I feel essentially the most prudent path proper now’s to judge the panorama. Over time, the correct profile, the correct thought associate will unveil itself, however at the moment I’m not feeling a rush to do this. I feel there are some selections which can be extra urgent.”

Breslow on Alex Cora: “Unequivocally, he’ll be the supervisor within the 2024 season, and he’s somebody for whom I’ve nice admiration and appreciation and a long-standing relationship with. We had been teammates, again longer than I’d like to recollect, however I’m excited to construct that relationship.”

Breslow on workforce possession: “One factor that turned clear by way of this course of was the unwavering dedication to successful from possession. I feel the accountable, the prudent path of a front-office operation is to go looking all quarters for these alternatives, to overturn each stone and unearth each possibility. There are a number of pathways to constructing sustainable winners, and we have to be prepared to run down all of these.”

Breslow on what he discovered being with the Purple Sox in 2013: “I might level to the pillars of wholesome organization-building being acquisition, growth, and optimization, and the advanced interactions amongst these three issues. What 2013 informed us above all else is that there’s heavy lifting and unbelievable work to be performed within the entrance workplace by way of bringing gamers collectively and organizing a baseball operation. After which there’s the chance to get extra out of the group of gamers that’s within the clubhouse on daily basis.

“What I discovered from 2013 is that you could’t take a look at any a kind of issues in isolation, however you need to admire the advanced interactions of all three.”

Breslow on his relationship with Theo Epstein: “I spoke to Theo. He’s somebody that I might name a trusted confidant, a mentor, and somebody from whom I might search counsel, and I’m immensely appreciative not only for any of the recommendation that he’s given me by way of this course of, however for his position in bringing me to the Cubs and bringing me into the entrance workplace for the primary time.”

Breslow on constructing a constant workforce: “A part of constructing a constant winner on the main league stage is making actually daring, tough selections. A few of these embrace buying and selling favourite gamers, and a few of these embrace leveraging prospect capital to reinforce your main league workforce.”

Breslow on spending within the offseason: “I do know that we have now some must fill on our main league rosters. I feel that there are a number of methods to get there, and our job is to take as complete a glance as we are able to in any respect attainable paths there.”

Breslow on creating gamers: “We have a tendency to speak concerning the acquisition aspect of issues. I feel it’s vital to not lose sight of the chance to develop our gamers and proceed to push these and actually establish clear targets and construct actually detailed and complete plans round them and make sure that we’re executing.”

Breslow on how he’s ready for this job: “I’m able to tackle this problem. The way in which that I method drawback fixing is transferable and scaleable. I can also level to 2 issues that can assist me on this regard. One, the variety of proficient and skilled individuals on this entrance workplace, and two, the alternatives that I’ve needed to study from a few of the most profitable executives and people who I might name mentors on this sport.”

Breslow on what he completed with the Cubs: “The blueprint there was establish the present state and see how we had fared relative to organizations which have reputations as being robust pitching growth organizations, figuring out the place these gaps had been, and type of determine what we needed the perfect future state to be, after which determine the roadmap to get us there.

“Finally, the belief there was that the Cubs had a corporation that was perhaps missing within the pure stuff, the pure high quality of pitchers that might contribute to major-league success. So we labored backwards from perceive what a major-league pitching contributor seems like in every of these corresponding minor-league ranges understanding that the objective anyplace is to not construct essentially the most aggressive minor-league workforce, it’s to construct major-league worth and major-league contributors.

“Given the scale of immediately’s workplaces, given the knowledge accessible, it’s very easy to get caught up in looking for the latest, the brightest, essentially the most present data when it seems that getting a corporation directionally aligned behind one thing is way extra highly effective.”

Learn extra:

What’s on Craig Breslow’s to-do listing because the Purple Sox’ new chief baseball officer?

Craig Breslow is an issue solver. His subsequent undertaking? The Purple Sox.