Red Sox Legend Reveals That Boston Will Take Less Analytical Approach In 2023

Boston could benefit from a more aggressive approach

When the Boston Red Sox let go of former chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, it was pretty clear that a philosophical change was on the horizon. 

We saw the gunslinging approach of Dave Dombrowski and the timid ways of Bloom, the next man up had to be a mix of the two.

A former player with a Yale degree and front-office experience appears to be the answer. David Ortiz revealed that new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow will not be as computer-driven as his predecessor. 

"I found out yesterday that (Breslow) plans to stay away from as much analytics as we used to have," Ortiz said. "He understands the game, he played the game. There's a lot of people running this game nowadays that never played the game. So, they only know so much."

Fans will be happy to hear the news, though many fans and media alike seem to connect analytics to being conservative and a lack of advanced information leading to aggressive signings. There is some correlation there but the goal would be to fall somewhere in between.

Ortiz also explained why he endorsed Breslow to the Red Sox ownership group during the interview process.

"Breslow is one of those guys who is smart and knows the analytics but also has experience (playing). He's got the whole package," Ortiz said.

The former Red Sox reliever in theory will be the perfect mix of Dombrowski and Bloom. He has the competitive drive and confidence to get deals done, even if a slight overpay is in order. 

He also values information and will use the experience of his former role with the Chicago Cubs -- which was to bridge the gap between the analytics department and the players -- to enhance the abilities of those in-house while making wise transactions based on the underlying metrics.

Essentially, he has to be Bloom while identifying targets and Dombrowski when it's time to step into the negotiating room. 

We'll know a lot more about Breslow by the end of the week, as many players will sign deals across the league. His ability or inability to spend will be on display at the Winter Meetings. Either way, we'll have an idea of which former executive he most closely emulates. 

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Ortiz just wrapped up the 15th Annual David Ortiz “Weekend with Papi” Celebrity Golf Classic -- the biggest fundraising event of the year for the David Ortiz Children's Fund, which raises money to provide lifesaving heart surgeries and care to children.

The star-studded event included appearances by Johnny Damon, Clay Buchholz, Brock Holt, John Lackey, Barry Larkin, Jim Rice, Jose Bautista, Andruw Jones, Félix “King Félix” Hernández, Tuukka Rask, Shawn Thornton and Marshall Faulk among others.

To date, the money raised by the organization has saved the lives of 1,434 children and aided an additional 15,863 kids. If you want to donate to the David Ortiz Children's Fund, check out their website here.

Every $5,000 can provide a life-saving surgery but any amount helps.

More MLB: Red Sox's David Ortiz Endorses Reunion With Slugger To Fill DH Role Next Season