Theo Epstein disappointed by Sox’ front office approach

as Red Sox They sit in fifth place with losses in six of their last nine games, and questions remain about the direction of the franchise.

The Red Sox’ use of analytics is among the topics. according to Boston Globe Tim Healy, The former Red Sox GM turned consultant has concerns about the team’s approach.

“Theo Epstein was disappointed by the intense analytical guidance provided by Sox [Craig]“Breslow,” Healy wrote, multiple league sources said. “A minority owner and consultant who led the franchise to two World Series titles as GM, Epstein has long been a mentor to Breslow, recruiting him into the Cubs’ front office and helping him land the Sox job.”

Beslow said in the article that Epstein “remains a sounding board and a valuable resource.” Epstein returned to the Red Sox last year after spending eight years as the Cubs’ president of baseball operations and several years as a consultant.

Epstein has three championships as an executive — two with the Red Sox and one with the Cubs. One unnamed resident who worked with the Red Sox while Epstein was general manager said Epstein brought a balanced approach to the job.

“Theo was a guy who provided all forms of information,” the resident said. “He didn’t just live in Carmine [their internal database at the time]. He listened to people.”

Breslow was asked about his reliance on analytics in the article. He said he was seeking information from multiple sources.

“I – we – are trying to use information to make decisions, trying to make consistent decisions, disciplined decisions,” Breslow said. “If you blindly follow a model and know the model is imperfect, you will make mistakes.

“My job is to bring together all the sources of information we have. We want to continually improve all of that information, including our set of models.”

Last year’s Wild Card loss to the Yankees was the Red Sox’s first playoff appearance since Breslow was hired in 2023. With the Red Sox at the bottom of the AL East standings at the beginning of June, Breslow said he’s not thinking about the fate of his career situation.

“When you talk about analytics, I can be very hands-on,” Breslow said. “So that means, well, is thinking about job security going to make me better at my job or make me worse at my job?” Breslow said. “I don’t know how it’s going to make me better. So I’m focusing on all the things that are part of this job that will ultimately get us where we want to go.”

Khari A. Thompson

Sports reporter

Khary Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khary covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.