Report: Red Sox have ‘ruled out’ Theo Epstein as a candidate to replace Chaim Bloom

Red Sox

Theo Epstein is not a candidate for the Red Sox’ top baseball executive position, according to reports.

Red Sox president Sam Kennedy said that Theo Epstein will not be a candidate to replace former Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe.

“Sam Kennedy ruled out Theo Epstein (which probably means Theo ruled out Theo),” Abraham wrote. “Have always thought Theo only returns to the Sox in an ownership capacity.”

Epstein, 49, built a pair of World Series champion teams with the Red Sox in 2004 and 2007. He later won a third World Series with the Chicago Cubs in 2016 before leaving his position in 2020.

A second stint with the Red Sox would be a homecoming for the Brookline native, but it’s been three years since he’s worked as a Major League Baseball executive.

Having already broken two of the biggest curses in the sport and captured three World Series rings, there’s little left for Epstein to prove at the executive level.

Meanwhile the Red Sox, who fired Chaim Bloom on Thursday, are in need of a top executive who can inject life into a franchise that has gone 267-262 under Bloom over the past four seasons.

“The results that we expect as an organization have not been there, and we felt it was time for new leadership to help chart a different path forward,” said Kennedy.

Abraham listed Baltimore’s James Click and Sig Medjal, Philadelphia’s Sam Fuld, Cleveland’s James Harris, and Atlanta’s Ben Sestanovich as potential candidates.

Red Sox owner John Henry, who also owns Boston.com, said in a statement that the search for Bloom’s replacement will begin “immediately.”

Brian O’Halloran has been offered a new leadership position in the baseball operations departments. O’Halloran, along with assistant GMs Eddie Romero, Raquel Ferreira, and Michael Groupman, will oversee day-to-day operations in the interim.