Who will be CBO?

[MongoLikeSox]

There is a blurb today on masslive that the Sox are getting big push back from CBO candidates, to be a part of the obstacles at Fenway Group.  Michael Hill?

What do you mean by this? Potential candidates saying thanks, but no thanks due to the FSG?

[Sea Dog 23]

The Sox have already started interviews for CBO.  Eddie Romero has been vetted.  Another name popped up, Josh Byrnes of the Dodgers (per Cotillo) (interview uncertain).

IMO Romero is the fail safe, if all else fails, he is a known quantity at Fenway.

[elktonnick]

I think Henty will not venture out of his comfort zone with a hire that challenges the status quo. 

[elktonnick]

CBS MLB blog amplified what was reported above.  It seems Henry has reaped what he has sown.  No one wants to interview because of the turnover of HOBOs and the number of holdovers in the FO as well as the commitment to Cora.

Lets face it managing the Red Sox front office in fighting is probably a bigger challenge than winning baseball games.

[longgame]

I've seen the same this morning.  They're having trouble getting interest due to the high turnover of the position and confusing organizational structure and responsibilities. Let's face it, it's clear that the CBO is reporting to Cora.  That's insane.  So you have a President who appears to know nothing about baseball working for an owner who knows less.  You have some other guys with big old titles that imply some more distributed responsibility, ostensibly a GM who reports to him and with management's announcement they are keeping Cora, it's clear that he's just going to be another guy to blame when they suck again for another 4 years.

[elktonnick]

I've seen the same this morning.  They're having trouble getting interest due to the high turnover of the position and confusing organizational structure and responsibilities. Let's face it, it's clear that the CBO is reporting to Cora.  That's insane.  So you have a President who appears to know nothing about baseball working for an owner who knows less.  You have some other guys with big old titles that imply some more distributed responsibility, ostensibly a GM who reports to him and with management's announcement they are keeping Cora, it's clear that he's just going to be another guy to blame when they suck again for another 4 years.

Yup I'd say you pretty much nailed it.

[Sea Dog 23]

In the MLB podcast, there was some convo that people with backgrounds of living in Mass. had turned down interviews.  People think they were referring to Fuld of Philly and Gomes of LA. 

I think there is another obstacle for filling the CBO/PBO job -- Cora was asked about his desires of moving to the front office.  He made this rambling comment that 'it is not my time'.  I believe candidates heard that, and if they took the job, they would simply be asked to be a placeholder for Cora to take the job in two years.  It's been a strange time on the bench for Cora.  He is now going into working for third CBO, and he's actually been hired twice by Boston after being suspended once (2017?).

[SeaBeachFred]

There is a very corrosive atmosphere around Fenway Park and I can smell it out  here 3,000 miles away.  It's like the gang that couldn't shoot straight.  What's more, it looks like Prune Face Henry has just gone of the deep end not knowing which way he should turn with all the leftovers and hangers on still polluting the front office.  Even worse, he has decided to keep the filthy rotten cheater in control giving the organization another black mark as a hangout for both incompetents and crooks.  We all know what is needed.....a solid COBO who has a solid reputation for evaluating talent for promotions and knowing how to utilize that also for possible trades to get quality talent back in exchange should the time call for it.  Right now we have nothing of the sort, and if the Prune thinks the fans will be mollified just with the change of Bloom being cashiered he better think again.  There is rot here digging deeper into the whole assemblage and a Dombrowski type is needed now more than ever.  In fact, it would be the best scene to finally hired someone who is in charge and in control of this mess, especially now that we have a good half dozen top prospects who will be ready in a year or two at the most. Instead we see Henry still marooned on his yacht serving his flunkies wine and cheese and thinking the fans will keep standing for his ineptitude and shitty team finishes.

[Sea Dog 23]

Supposedly the Sox have asked CBO candidates to agree to a pledge not to disclose who they are in the process.  So any news we get is from leakers, whatever side they're on, or writers who are offering nothing more than rumor or click bait.  One of those is Bob Nightengale, who has posted this weekend that Michael Hill has pulled his name out of the ring - he's staying with MLB.  Nightengale then says on Twitter that Sam Fuld is now the top choice for Boston.  So does Fuld still have a fleeting interest through all of this?

For some fun leverage, Brock Holt has actually admitted an interest in a Sox front office job, because he loves baseball and thinks he could offer a hands-on experience to FSG in some role.  Whatever all this is, it has the appearance of a small-market team trying to figure out baseball, not how a big-market WS contender would approach things.  Like most of you have said, this is now the Henry/Kennedy baseball group that is really twisting in the wind.

[longgame]

LOL Vote for Brock!

A lot of these guys like Henry or like PAnthers owner David Tepper, are numbers guys, not managers.  They relate to other numbers guys and they don’t know how to build and run effective organizations.  Baseball isn’t a lot different because the money makes up a lot of the difference, but in baseball you also have to win on the field, not just make money.

When Henry started, he had baseball guys around him and a team that was handed to him.  He leveraged that for 4 years and broke it up.  I’d say they caught lightning in a bottle in both 13 and 18 and of course we know he dismantled the championship team of 18 as fast as possible.

[MongoLikeSox]

MLB just posted this 15 minutes ago. The Marlins have announced that Kim Ng has declined her end of a dual option for next season.

[Sea Dog 23]

MLB just posted this 15 minutes ago. The Marlins have announced that Kim Ng has declined her end of a dual option for next season.

If Kim Ng eventually gets the Ops job for Boston, what are her thoughts on working with Cora as the manager?  Cora did give his opinion of Ng when he played for the Dodgers 20 years ago and Ng was a front office official in LA at the time.  He said, "she has the experience which you have to respect."  I think I would put the pecking order as Fuld on top, with Ng the backup plan and Romero as plan C.  But at this point, I think only one of those have interviewed.

[elktonnick]

Boston sports media is generally taking the position that who ever gets the job is essentially a front.  Cora will be the one calling the shots.

[MongoLikeSox]

If she gets the job, she'll have over twice the payroll to spend as she did in Miami. Hopefully Ng learned enough from the LA and Marlins' systems to get a proper pitching element added to the 'Sox player development in the long term. She did make trades and those trades helped her team get into the dance a few weeks ago. I'm don't know if she over spent at all in getting them or not, but initial digging did not look like she gave the ranch away.

[longgame]

Heard a guy from Pittsburgh was in the mix.  He fits the bill for Henry - small market, low salary, perennial loser.