Sam Kennedy rules out a Theo Epstein return to Red Sox

BOSTON -- With the Red Sox giving Chaim Bloom the boot on Thursday, the franchise is on the hunt for a new leader in the front office. While many fans would love to see Theo Epstein return to the organization, president and CEO Sam Kennedy ruled out such a reunion on Thursday.

With Bloom dismissed as Boston's chief baseball officer, and general manager Brian O'Halloran shifting to a "senior leadership" position, there are currently two open spots in the Red Sox front office. But Kennedy said that Epstein will not be filling either of those roles.

"I can rule out Theo Epstein as a candidate for one of these two positions," Kennedy told reporters on Thursday. "I know there's speculation, there's professional history, there's an even longer personal history, but I can rule Theo Epstein out as a candidate for one of these two positions."

A Brookline native, Epstein served as Boston's GM from 2002-11 and helped bring a pair of World Series titles to the club, including in 2004 when the franchise ended its 86-year World Series drought. After departing his hometown team in 2011 to take over the Cubs, he ended another World Series drought -- this time one that went on for 108 years -- in Chicago in 2016.

While Epstein certainly has what it takes to build title winners, he hasn't been in a front office since 2020 when he left the Cubs. He has since worked as a consultant for Major League Baseball since 2021, and was the driving force behind the new rule changes that have changed the game in 2023. At this point of his career, it feels like Theo is too experienced -- and good -- for a GM position.

Maybe Epstein will return to a front office some day, but according to Kennedy, it will not be Boston's in 2024.