3 Red Sox on Thin Ice After Theo Epstein Buy-In

The Fenway Sports Group is an ownership group that owns and operates sports teams and franchises across the globe. They include the English Premier League's Liverpool, NASCAR's RFK Racing, the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins, and, of course, your Boston Red Sox.

Former Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein has bought into the group, making him a part owner of the franchise. Per Brendan Coffey of Sportico, He will serve as a part-time special advisor and a sounding board/executive "coach" for any area that needs him across the group.

This comes at a time when the Red Sox could use all guidance they can find. They have finished in last of the AL East division 2 seasons straight, and the competition is only getting harder. They needed to have a big offseason to keep up with the moves their foes continue to make, but have, for the most part, stood pat. This has most fans ready for panic.

Now that Epstein is in the house, maybe things can be different. He helped the Red Sox win their first World Series in 86 years back in 2004. He constructed a Chicago Cubs team that ended their storied 108-year curse in 2016. He has a resume unlike any other executive in sports. If you were the betting type, betting on him would be a smart (responsible) gamble.

This franchise needs a big shake up. And while his focus will not only be on the Red Sox in his next chapter, he is also someone the entire baseball community would go to for guidance and advice. With that, there are some people who should really be looking over their shoulder in Boston.

1. General Manager Brian O'Halloran

After beginning his career with the San Diego Padres, Brian O'Halloran came to Boston in 2002 and has been with the Red Sox for over 20 years. He has held several different positions in the front office during that time and worked directly with and under Epstein in Epstein's first tenure in Boston. O'Halloran has been a part of all 4 of Boston's World Series championships this century.

O'Halloran became the general manager of the Boston Red Sox after the 2019 season. In his 4 seasons as GM, the Red Sox have finished dead last in the AL East 3 times. The outlier was in 2022 when the Sox made a magical run to the championship series.

From what we've seen of Epstein, he does not stand for consistent losing. Everywhere he goes, he wins. Given that O'Halloran is an Epstein disciple, his employment is probably not in jeopardy. That being said, he could still be moved out of the way and put in a different role so Epstein can bring in someone he sees as a better fit for the job.

One more bad season may lead to a position change for O'Halloran. Given the current state of the roster, FSG may already be looking at their options.