As the CBO of the Boston Red Sox, there was always going to be pressure on Craig Breslow. Now, he’s taking fire from all angles.
Shortly following an extensive piece in The Boston Globe that was critical of Breslow, in particular for relying too much on analytics and being a poor communicator, the father of former Red Sox pitcher Hunter Dobbins took to social media to add his own criticisms of Breslow. This was in a response to someone asking if there was a change in philosophical approach from the previous CBO Chaim Bloom to Breslow.
“Yes! In Bailey’s defense he wanted the addition, but people behind computers make those decisions.” Lance Dobbins wrote. “The coaching staff is literally working with one hand tied behind their backs. Driveline is the answer to everything, but winning games! Ask yourself, why are so many of our guys always injured(pitchers and position players), it’s not by pure bad luck. Pitchers are having constant issues and hitters are always hurting hands and wrist. It’s not a league wide problem. It has to be fixed or we’ll never win because half of our starters will always be on the IL.”
None of this is an uncommon criticism of Breslow at this point. In particular, the concerns about injuries being very real for the Red Sox, with stars like Roman Anthony and Garrett Crochet dealing with nagging injuries this season.
Hunter Dobbins was drafted by the Red Sox back in 2021, under Chaim Bloom. In 2025, under Craig Breslow, he made his MLB debut. Eventually, injuries to the pitching staff forced him to take on a larger role before a torn ACL ended his season early. He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, where Bloom is running things now, along with other prospects for Willson Contreras in the offseason.
Craig Breslow is Reportedly Facing Major Pressure Inside the Boston Red Sox Organization
GettyRed Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow.
It would be unfair to say Craig Breslow has done nothing right during his Red Sox tenure. The starting rotation, for instance, has developed into one of baseball’s best, and the team defense is better than what it was. Still, with struggles to develop young talent, tension over moves like trading Rafael Devers or firing Alex Cora, the constant lack of communication, and his general reliance on analytics, pressure is building internally on Breslow.
In Tim Healey’s Boston Globe article, he noted that multiple officials said that Breslow needs a translator of sorts. That would help him communicate his message to someone with a more traditional baseball “fabric.” That’s despite Breslow himself being a 12-year MLB veteran who should know what it’s like to be a player.
That same report also indicated that Theo Epstein is disappointed in Breslow’s overall approach as CBO. It’s another major blow after Epstein helped bring Breslow into the fold with the Red Sox.
“It bothers me incredibly strongly. It keeps me up at night. It consumes my thinking. If it didn’t, then I shouldn’t be doing this job,” Breslow was quoted as saying.
Red Sox Legend David Ortiz Recently Made Eyebrow Raising Comments
GettyBoston Red Sox legend David Ortiz
There is no larger-than-life legend for the Boston Red Sox this century than David Ortiz. After winning the World Series three times while playing for John Henry and Fenway Sports Group, Ortiz feels he has some level of pulse on the organization. Now, he says Henry wants to return to how things were.
“He’s worried. We had a conversation. I can see. I’ve known John a long time, him and the whole team — him and (chairman) Tom Werner, the whole group, they’re working on figuring things out to get this ride better,” Ortiz told the AP.
Henry has been pretty heavily criticized in recent years for what seems to be an unwillingness to spend on the level he used to. Others are concerned that Henry simply doesn’t care about the Red Sox like he used to. However, if Ortiz is right, that may not be the case right now.
“The thing is, you see John, and John is someone that he manages his emotions really well. He’s very professional at everything he does. Sometimes, for people, it’s hard for them to understand that part of (him), but he’s worried,” Ortiz said.
“He knows the direction of this team and he’s worried about the team’s situation more than what people think he is.”
The Boston Red Sox are 25-33. That’s good for fifth place in the AL East, 11.5 games behind the first place Tampa Bay Rays. It comes a year removed from just their second playoff appearance in the last seven seasons.
Red Sox CBO Craig Breslow Ripped by Father of Former Player