12:11pm: Cotillo and Sean McAdam of MassLive have now reported that Ng has declined to interview for Boston’s baseball operations vacancy, despite what the pair describe as strong interest in Ng from the Red Sox. Ng’s reasons for declining the interview are not yet known.
11:45am: In their ongoing search for Chaim Bloom’s replacement as head of baseball operations in Boston, the Red Sox have interviewed another external candidate, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe: former Phillies and Giants manager Gabe Kapler.
Kapler, 48, is something of an unorthodox candidate to take the top baseball operations job for the Red Sox. Though he has previous front office experience as director of player development for the Dodgers from 2014-2017, most of his baseball experience has come on the field and in the dugout; he was a player in the major leagues for six different teams across twelve seasons before serving as manager of the Phillies from 2018-2019 before being replaced by Joe Girardi. From there, he was promptly hired to replace Bruce Bochy in San Francisco, and managed there for four seasons before being fired just before the end of the 2023 campaign.
That being said, Kapler has plenty of ties to Boston. His major league playing career saw him play parts of four seasons for the Red Sox, including 136 games during the club’s curse-breaking 2004 season that saw them win the World Series for the first time since 1918. After initially retiring following the 2006 season, Kapler took a job as the manager of Boston’s High-A affiliate in Greenville for the 2007 season before making a comeback as a big league player from 2008-2010.
What’s more, Kapler is a fairly well-respected and decorated big league manager. Though his teams have made the postseason just once during his six seasons in the dugout, his teams have never significantly under-performed preseason expectations, and during his Giants tenure the club typically outperformed their projections. Most notable of those over-performances, of course, was San Francisco’s 107-win 2021 campaign that saw Kapler win the NL Manager of the Year award in a nearly unanimous vote. PECOTA’s projections that season gave San Francisco a projected win total of just 75, while Fangraphs projected the club to win 76. The club also outperformed it’s projections in 2020 and 2022, though not to the same staggering degree as in 2021.
Kapler is hardly the only external candidate the Red Sox are currently discussing, as Cubs assistant GM Craig Breslow, Twins GM Thad Levine, and former Pirates GM Neal Huntington are among the other candidates that have interviewed for the top job in Boston, along with internal candidates such as assistant GMs Eddie Romero and Paul Groopman. Per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, Kapler is reportedly something of a long shot to ultimately land the top job in Boston. Speier previously described Breslow as a “leading candidate” for the position as the club heads into the next phase of their search.
Cotillo adds that Kapler is believed to be interested in both on-field and front office roles as he seeks his next job after departing San Francisco. Though he’s seemingly only interviewed to run the baseball operations department in Boston at this point, there’s certainly nothing preventing Kapler from returning to the Red Sox organization in another capacity should the club decide to go in another direction for their top job.
The Red Sox have seen a number of high-profile candidates decline to interview for the position, including former Astros GM James Click and former Marlins president Michael Hill. Another high profile candidate who has been rumored for the position is former Marlins GM Kim Ng, who recently declined her end of a mutual option with Miami after ownership decided to pick up their side of the option rather than offer Ng an extension while looking to hire a president of baseball operations above her. While her departure from Miami seemingly opened the door to her joining the Red Sox, Cotillo cautions that multiple sources recently “threw cold water” on the idea of Ng matching up with Boston.
Gabe kapler, the king of failing upwards
1000 times better than Kapler
Lol
Inside Gabe Kabler’s cranium—
(Well, I generally know how to manage. So why not general manager. ???)
It’s generally managing, no?
Hemlock – Inside his cranium is more like this:
“I haven’t consumed a carb since 2021”
“I have to find a good hiding place during the anthem”
“It will be harder to break my own record for Cameo videos that I set this year”.
He is the LAST person I want in the Sox front office.
We all know what he did with the Dodgers.
For the love of God, literally ANYBODY but Krapler.
Hell, I’d rather have Bloom back than Krapler.
I literally threw up in my mouth when I saw this headline!!
Individuals are always prompted until they reach incompetency. They then remain at that level until they retire or are fired.
Kapler was in the FO for 4 years before being hired as a manager.
I agree bro
please don’t welcome back gabe Kaplan
It’s the Peter Principle
Renamed the Kapler Principle.
I don’t know how Gabe keeps failing upward.
I actually heard a good rational for that. It was part of a longer and humorous opinion piece, but folks that get promoted one spot above where they were at their best, were probably very good at what they previous did.
So if you are a master dry wall person, at a minimum, you can supervise 5 other drywall people under your jurisdiction.
Kapler? Really? Good Lord…
Day 52 The Red Sox POBO Search
Today Carrot Top declined the Red Sox invitation to interview.
I’ve heard of the concept too of being promoted one level above where you are best, but somehow Gabe is 2 or 3 levels above where he belongs.
To say nothing of being promoted until they reach incompetency.
they are now considering Bugs Bunny
The ultimate yes man.
Good point, Roy. He might suit exactly that role – trouble.
Red Sox fans heads are probably exploding after reading this news. Lol.
My wife is happy. She likes him
Life – If your wife is happy for the reason that I’m guessing, she’d be just as happy if the Brock Star took the job instead.
BROCK STAR before Krapler every day of the week!!!
She is a diehard Sox fan. She wants to win, met Kapler when he worked for the Dodgers, and thinks he is both smart and a good judge of talent. She also said he was easy on the eyes.
…and his house has, according to legend, mirrored walls….
Disco ball too?
Play the game, yield mixed results, get rewarded. Gabe Kapler is the right kind of candidate and is interviewing for a position he has no business interviewing for. Red Sox nation has been in the business of winning over the last 20 years. Their GM should at least have that same desire.
As a manager to replace Cora? This is just sad now.
I’m not sure I like him as the GM but replacing Cora as the manager wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Yes, he did a good job with the roster he was given by Farhan with the Giants, just that as a GM or POBO, he’d needs to be at least an assistant to the front office first.
Welp, what’s the worst that can happen?
I reckon you can just fire’em all again next year. And with the playoffs bein the huge lottery that they are, wins don’t even matter. Just put it all down awn Red Sox Red, Ted, and yer gone walk away with that big trophy one of them years. Just mah thoughts awn the matter.
Yes, he did a good job with the roster he was given by Farhan
==========================
I see very little talent there. Compared to SD, for example, I’m not sure if any of the SF position players would start for SD. Webb and probably Cobb would start. Doval & Rogers are good, but they would be setup guys on the Padres.
IMO, 79 wins with that roster is a very good job.
He did win 107 games in a season which is astounding
Braves Butt-Head: I forget who said it, but 2021 was like a Perfect Storm. SP, RP, starters, bench, everything came together at once. It’s not likely to happen twice, and so far it hasn’t, for any team.
if he goes to a FO position I think honestly that he will succeed better than he did as a manager. He has a good baseball mind but was always off putting when it comes to people skills and I think that lends itself better to a FO role than a manager one.
ballz – So you’re saying putting Krapler in a position where he has many people reporting to him, a position where he has to develope good relationships with dozens of agents and hundreds of players, a position where negotiating skills is vital, is a wise move for somebody that you acknowledged doesn’t have people skills?
Well alrighty then.
I think the Red Sox are going for that, “wow, shocked!” factor that Kapler would bring. He causes GMs of other teams to be momentarily dazed so that you can swoop in and steal the players you want in a trade.
Kapler: “How Fried, Acuna, and Albies for Yu Chang?”
AA: “Terrified, mortified, petrified…stupefied by you! Take them all and go away, you monster!”
Hemlock—That sounds like Snagglepuss: “Terrified…mortified…petrified even!” LOL
Snagglepuss for next Red Sox GM/POBO
Fat chance: First decision: Stage Left or Stage Right?
What the world needs now is more Snagglepuss
Look at Fever Pitch, always quick to assume and make judgment
No.
LOL !!!!!
Say whatever you want about kapier as a manager but as a GM he’ll do way way better just based on his experience with analytics. It would be a smart move by the red Sox to hire him for that position. Kim NG is everybody’s choice but she’s the flavor of the month right.now her ego got in the way in Miami all because the owner wanted to hire a POBO
tangerine – You think Krapler is the only one who uses analytics?
You think Bloom wasn’t heavy into analytics?
Well alrighty then.
The best thing about the Rangers/Astros series is that both managers are old school. Neither one uses analytics. They use their EYES.
avenger
Speaking of eyes
Ready to admit how your EYES let you down?
Or you going to go on believing they are infallible?
I bet you were born in 1920
Kapier- that the French variant?
lmfao. talk about desperate.
Wasn’t he the dude in “Welcome Back, Kotter”?
Welcome back to that same old place that you laughed about.
They did have a lot of success with Juan Epstein as GM.
Bobby – Epstein did call in sick quite a bit though, seems like every week there was a note from his mother saying he won’t be coming into work.
-signed
-epstein’s mother
If I recall…
Theyve already had Epstein. Time for Vinnie B
What?
Kapler needs way too much camera time to be GM, and when will he have time to crush it in the gym?
This is as dumb as when the Sox signed Ramirez and Sandoval. Pray they don’t make this move.
> Kim Ng could potentially be a great fit
Welp, Kim Ng is generally uninterested.
A GM under a POBO is essentially an assistant GM under the old front office structure. She’s not interested in that which is why she left the Marlins. She’ll take a position where she has at least the same amount of power she had or more. Sox aren’t offering that.
elmedius – Disregard the erroneous “GM” reference in the above article. Nick is a rookie, he thinks Bloom was the GM.
I would think/hope whomever replaces Bloom gets to choose the GM, but who knows with this clown regime.
“Red Sox Interview Gabe Kapler In GM Search”
immediately followed by
“In their ongoing search for Chaim Bloom’s replacement as head of baseball operations in Boston, the Red Sox have interviewed another external candidate, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe: former Phillies and Giants manager Gabe Kapler.”
With you there Fever. believe way too many not needed personel at the top giving “advice” in boston now, which just means some 2nd-3rd stringer ends up with the job. NG would have been a great choice, but why put herself in the same situation she just left and in a market with such a brutal media to boot that is never, ever satisfied?
Becoming more and more disenchanted with things in general last few years Sox wise. It’s all becoming as screwed up last few years as was during Sullivan-leRoux years and having hard time understanding since at 1 time thought henry cared about the team as much as Yawkey did.
John – Excellent post. I am fairly certain the change in John Henry is related mostly to the fact that Henry didn’t own any other franchises during his first 8 years with the club. Now, between Liverpool and the Penguins and the Boston Globe and a new wife and the Fenway Corners, his focus is (understandably) elsewhere.
It’s kinda like Elon Musk neglecting Tesla because he was focusing on his many other companies.
The RedSox company, aka John Henry are milking the team for its cash.
They put a product out there for America’s Beloved BallPark, uk.
Yes they did millions on team and 2/3 rehab but the last third is wanting.
Big bucks for the blue/green Grandstand seats from Yawkey time.
Been to 16 other parks and this one is last. Very uncomfortable place to watch a game.
Just cashing in on site with a lackluster team…..
Except that is not entirely why she left the Marlins. She didn’t just leave the post, She left an entire situation. The Marlins scuttled each of her suggestions for how to reorganize the baseball ops department, never considered her for the PoBO, and apparently didn’t even tell her they were looking for one until that final meeting..
And where would her career have gone from there? Nowhere. Because no one would hire a leader who let themselves get stepped on like that. hat reason would there have been for her to stay? They basically told her that her opinion means squat to them and they were going to do everything differently.
Any self-respecting executive with her experience and contacts in the industry would have left under that circumstance. (Except maybe Billy Eppler).
You are right, no need to get stepped on again by Henry & Company.
Plus the reality of the AL East are not in Boston’s favor.
Sox aren’t offering that.
=====================
1-We don’t know what the RS are offering, and I get the bad feeling that the RS don’t really know what the RS are offering.
2-It’s hard to imagine a better opportunity. The RS have a 81-81 Py W/L, should have a lot of money to spend, and have a good farm.
Any good GM should be able to work that into 90 wins, or better going forward.
but why put herself in the same situation she just left
============================
Same reason I’ve taken jobs with good money and a fair amount of challenge. A lot of folks think she will be offered a POBO job after being passed over for a POBO job with the Marlins.
There might be 5+ people that have already declined to be interviewed. Not all those 5 people are getting a GM or POBO job this year, and probably not next year, and maybe not ever.
Somewhat surprised that Ng declined to interview. Though with the general interest out there in her I imagine she can afford to be very picky.
The Marlins had no fear whatsoever in losing Ng. The only interest in her is in the imagination of these “baseball pundits”!!
Everyone knows why Ng and the others declined to even be interviewed for the position.
Kapler had a surprisingly good year as a bench bat for the Brewers in 2008 and that is a team I completely forgot he played for.
NOoooooo! The woke bloke is a joke!
brooklyn – That’s precisely why John Henry probably called him the minute he was canned by the Giants, they share so much in common.
But did John write a number on a dinky piece of paper like he did for Pitt
wow way to shoehorn in an embarrassingly bad political take
acel – I can’t speak for others, but personally I would prefer politics be left out of sports.
However when people like Henry and Krapler seek to use their position in baseball to promote and push their political views, they are fair game when being called out for those same views.
you can come up with whatever rationalization you want to justify this comment but it still would be hollow and is defending an embarrassingly bad political take forced into the conversation. unnecessarily.
This conversation had nothing to do with Henry’s/ Kapler’s etc views nor yours. If you want to take shots at someone about something political you think Kapler said respond to it in post about that.
acel – If you think hiring decisions aren’t impacted by the level of comfort felt by the hiring manager (Henry) toward the applicant (Krapler), and if you think shared viewpoints aren’t a factor in level of comfort, then I’ve got a bridge to sell you.
Today more than ever, hiring decisions are based less on qualifications and more on how the applicant fits in.
FPG: as you always do you’re trying to change the argument. The original comment was a terrible and unnecessary political take poorly crammed into the discussion. I replied to that one not yours. You supported said terrible take and tried to justify your decision. You’re both wrong.. End of discussion.
Brooklyn
“NOoooooo! The woke bloke is a joke!”
Muted
Make Angels Great Again?
Someone said woke, everybody drink!
How could Gabe Kapler become a Manager to a GM?
The Red Sox are pretty desperate or brain-dead at this point.
Kapler was a director of player development for the Dodgers during a portion of their turnaround, as well as a manager for two teams
Brixton – You left out something about Krapler’s time with the Dodgers ….
theringer.com/mlb/2019/2/6/18213283/gabe-kapler-lo…
“Kapler might be telling the truth when he says he didn’t know about the sexual assault allegations stemming from the February 2015 incident, but he did know that a girl was harmed while one of his players stood by and filmed it, and he definitely knew about the sexual assault allegations from October 2015. In both cases, he attempted to deal with it without involving any outside authority, either within baseball or without.
The recent reports about Kapler trying to keep these events within the organization are the most serious accusations of professional misconduct levied against Kapler and the Dodgers, but not the first. This past October, Sports Illustrated reported that the Department of Justice was investigating the Dodgers for potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act while recruiting amateur players from Latin America. Kapler has not commented on the DOJ investigation, nor did Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.
In May 2017, Jeff Passan, then of Yahoo Sports, reported that Francona had claimed that the Dodgers discriminated against him and that MLB was investigating the claim. Francona, a Marine Corps veteran, wrote a letter to the league office saying that the Dodgers gradually pushed him out after he sought an evaluation for traumatic brain injury (TBI) at Home Base, a Boston-based veterans center. In that letter, Francona was especially harsh on Kapler, his direct superior with the Dodgers. Francona wrote that Kapler claimed to support him publicly but was pushing for Francona to be removed from the player development department because he went to be assessed for TBI.
According to published excerpts from Kapler’s emails and the blog post, Kapler viewed the 2015 allegations of criminal behavior as teaching moments. Kapler said part of the reason he attempted to arrange a meeting between the two players and the survivor of the February 2015 alleged assault was “to educate the players on how to be accountable.”
Gabe Kapler comes across here as ethically challenged.
Because he’s from the tribe
LMFAO
kapler misheard he’s actually interviewing for the position of roving popeye-forearms instructor
Kapler was probably just interviewed to build up the number of people interviewed. I doubt he gets hired. Kim Ng seems like no big deal like Click, so no big loss.
Ng and Click are “no big deal” huh? Interesting opinion. I am sure the Sux will get the 30th best person for the role like they did with Bloom.
That’s correct. Click and Ng don’t have a long track record of success, so they are no big deal. John Henry does have a long track record of success and he will likely right the ship.
No one of any significance or import is ever coming to Boston. You would be lucky to get a guy that won a WS (with Dusty Baker even as a manager!) or a woman that got the Marlins back into the playoffs. You got lucky with Epstein, and no one looks at Boston as a destination. Did Stearns even talk to them? Enjoy your next 100 years with no title.
Sid: You clearly hate the Red Sox. Click and Ng have pretty short track records. They seem OK, but I think there are likely many people just as talented as them. Click inherited a team that had been to 5 straight ALCSs. Ng’s Marlins finally got over .500 and won 84 games this year. No big deal.
Edit: Click inherited Jeff Luhnow’s team that had been to 3 straight ALCSs and 2 World Series.
No sir, don’t hate the Sox at all. Now Yankees and Mets….different story. Lol. I just think that Boston is a miserable place, the whole region is, really. No one in their right mind that have options would choose to go there. I lived in New England for a few years and hated it.
Sid: Where do you recommend living in the US? I am always looking for suggestions. I would say, NC, SC, GA, TN and FL at the moment.
aitstyw
“That’s correct. Click and Ng don’t have a long track record of success, ”
What a dumb way to think
Guarantees that you’re not getting the best young talent – which is often the most forward thinking talent
SBS
“No one in their right mind that have options would choose to go there. I lived in New England for a few years and hated it.”
Perhaps you are not in your right mind
Or, perhaps people in their right minds can have different preferences
filihok: Why should I believe that Click and Ng are anything but ordinary? Please explain.
aitstyw
“Why should I believe that Click and Ng are anything but ordinary? Please explain.”
I did not say that you should. Please explain why you asked me that question
I said that people without long track records can be the best choice.
Well, I assumed since you called me dumb, that you disagreed with my conclusion.
Sid – Funny how you think having a crap GM and crap manager is better than having four years of bad choices by an ownership group who blew away the Yankees for 20 years.
Your team was an embarrassment considering the money spent and the lack of success. Our ownership screwed up the last 4 years but your franchise has sucked since 1963!!!
Yep this is the 60th anniversary of the Yankees sucking!!! Congrats to you guys!!! Hey but at least you have one of the worst GMs in baseball and one of the worst Managers as well!!! Yep lots to brag about!!! hahahahaha
Southern New England sucks. Don’t lump Northern New England in with them.
aitstyw
“Well, I assumed since you called me dumb, that you disagreed with my conclusion.”
I did not call you dumb
I do disagree with your implication that because someone doesn’t have a long track record, they can’t be the best choice.
It’s a matter of personal preference. I like certain sections of The Bronx. Within a very short walk, there are several pubs, decent+ pizza, bakery, bagels, diner, etc. For a short-ish drive, I can get decent Mexican & Spanish, and world-class Italian.
Of course, finding parking is an adventure.
The correct assumption, imo, is that the newbies are a bigger risk/reward wager.
suit – I really, really, really hope you’re right.
One thing I wonder about, perhaps Henry wants to keep Krapler in some sort of front office position so that if Cora doesn’t manage beyond next year, they would have a replacement already in-house?
Fever: Maybe, but I doubt they are thinking about the next manager at this point. I sure hope they are not thinking about that. They have to hire a POBO and shouldn’t get distracted from that.
If am remembering correctly Fever.. Sox organization was upset at Kapler 1st time he announced his retirement, had managed a yr with them (minors), then attempted a comeback with ?? Organization. Was Cherington in charge then with his clan?
I think we’re at the point where past problems are starting to dictate future outcomes.
BOS has a history and perception problem related to its front office structure and responsibilities/powers for those coming in. Tenure is just a part. But, it’s created a situation where top talent won’t consider coming in. As you interview lower-ability candidates, you just set up a situation where they don’t meet expectations, and then, you have to turn over the front office again after another short period of time – reinforcing the perception, and, adding to the history so on and so on.
The only REAL fix is allow a free hand and back off the whole cora/agms/coaches are protected.
I’d rather they hire a random guy off the street than Gabe Kapler
John Henry drives around Boston and sees a guy holding a “Will Work for Food” sign. He stops and yells, “HOP IN!!!”
Can ‘Roids boost your performance as a General Manager too?
Why, Gabe..whatever do you mean? Maybe managing is just not your game. I know! Let’s make you a general manager!
( Gabe’s response) … I’m your dingle berry…
Ng declined for the same reason she opted out in Miami – lack of autonomy.
The best pieces in Miami came from before Kim Ng was GM. What happend to the best for the job? That’s what’s America was about, not gift wrapping high profile jobs so the word first can be attached to the media piece on it. Huntington did well in Pittsburgh to an extent. There was a lot of bad luck mixed in and an obsession with drafting MI players like. It seemed towards the end he was influenced by clueless talk show hosts who wanted to trade for Archer the over hyped #4 pitcher. McClatchy actually holds 95% of the blame for their long history of losing but gets a pass for certain reasons.
No surprise Ng declined.
Hell to the No on Kapler!
As much as people hate Kapler, he was loved as a manager two years ago. I’m not sure what to expect with him.
If you receive calls from a J.H. and/or J.C. on your caller ID, do not answer as they’re trying to pitch you a Fenway Park timeshare.
Boston isn’t woke enough for Kim Ng.
Far left liberal taking a job in a far left liberal city, makes sense.
Yeah, them damn commies! Why I oughta…
dpsmith
Muted
filihok14 hours ago
Muted
==========================
Just for fun, how many posters have you muted? 50? 100?
awesome! it is xmas!!
The pain of facts always scares them off.
so someone else dropped the word woke and you were disappointed they beat you to it so you felt the need to escalate. You’re clearly winning the race to the bottom now dp.
Somebody said woke, everybody drink!
doesn’t count when you’re quoting someone else
Drink up!
Bart: nope. has to be in context
Okey dokey.
When will this stupidity end? The report from Sean McAdam was that Ng was “thought to be of strong interest” to Boston. The reporters are making things up. They don’t even go so far as to say a “source” reported it.. Truth is we have no idea if someone in the Sox front office was just doing due diligence contacting Ng or there actually was some interest.
Wake me when the Sox hire someone.
Agreed. I think the reporters are just throwing stuff against the wall at this point. At some point, the RS are likely to hire someone that one of the writers mentioned.
In other news, the Giants have asked the Red Sox for permission to speak to Jason Varitek for their managerial opening.
Mets and Red Sox are laughable. Cannot find people to take MgR and FO jobs. Have to pay double just to find candidates. Only signed up Stearns because he wanted to please his mommy.
Heidi Watney or Don Orsillo would be a billion times better than Kapler
Heidi would at least make the conferences more worth watching…
He certainly fits the profile
Either they already have a decision made and these are courtesy interviews.. or they are really grasping at straws here. Yikes.
How long until we call this guy what he is? Sweet talking good looking guy that is completely mediocre everywhere he has been given a chance. Drop the baseball mind virus that is Kapler. The results are in and a monkey throwing darts does the sams
FWIW, Kapler has a much, much better record for SF than Bochy did, and a slightly better record than Baker did.
I think the Red Sox are getting the reputation as dysfunctional owners. Canning people after winning the World Series is ludicrous and it speaks to the complete lack of commitment and loyalty.
Ng’s just recently experienced that. It makes sense she’d hold out for a more stable opportunity.
I think the Red Sox already have their GM but are interviewing for show… Everyone knows this so why bother interviewing?
Ug. I would have a hard time routing for this team if kapler is running the show.
Nope
Can the contracts of POBOs and GMs be traded or sold?
Interviewing Kapler is a courtesy not a serious interview. Enough said!!
Kapler is no more qualified than Bloom. The scary part is the same fools hired Bloom..
The search must go on.
Kapler had nothing to do with that 107-win season. It was Buster Poseys last season, combined with a bunch of veteran guys in contract years who performed well. That manager of the year award is a joke. I didn’t like Kapler as the giants manager, but the problem in SF is Farhan, so can’t really judge Kapler fairly. GMs have all kinds of different backgrounds, hard to disqualify Kapler objectively. Player agents are parasites and they seem to make decent sports GMs…
Nah, Ng wants to be GM, ops presidents, president of baseball operation, reporting to no one in particular.
Don’t want Kapler and his Virtue Signaling.