Blue Jays executive "in the mix" for Red Sox general manager position

The Boston Red Sox are set to have one of the busier offseasons in baseball, as there are not only a slew of players departing via free agency, but there are also multiple positions to be filled in both the coaching staff and front office.

Most notably, the Sox let Chaim Bloom, the club's chief baseball officer/general manager, go in September after he failed to bring a winning team to the table in four seasons. The only time he took the club to the postseason was in 2021 when Boston made it all the way to the American League Championship Series. Beyond that, Dave Bush (pitching coach) and Carlos Febles (third base coach) were fired as well.

So, while there are a ton of rumors set to begin swirling any day now surrounding the free agent market, there are already some names being linked to the open general manager position in Boston. As of right now, multiple high-ranking executives have declined an interview for the position; including Phillies GM Sam Fuld and Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes, both of which are highly respected former big leaguers. Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey and former Rangers president of baseball ops Jon Daniels are also said to have declined an interview.

According to Chad Jennings of The Athletic (subscription required), the Red Sox are having a hard time finding the perfect match in the early goings of their search. There are internal candidates, primarily current assistant general manager Eddie Romero, but there are also a few external ones still remaining on the organization's wish list.

This includes current Twins GM Thad Levine and even Blue Jays vice president of baseball strategy James Click, who only just wrapped up his first season with the Jays.

Click, 45, is a highly-respected figure in the baseball world who is best known as the Astros GM that won the 2022 World Series with the club. Notably, he was let go after that season because the organization was only willing to offer him a one-year contract right after he took them to the promised land. Prior to his days with the Astros, he spent nearly 15 years as a part of the Rays front office.

Working closely with Ross Atkins, Click has been a popular name amongst Blue Jays fans lately, as many were hoping he'd replace Atkins should the Jays look to move on from their current GM. Instead, Atkins is sticking around and Click may soon be on the move.

Someone with as smart of a baseball mind as Click is always going to be coveted by teams with front office openings, so the likelihood of him going one-and-done with the Jays feels extremely high. Earlier in the 2023 season, he was loosely tied to the White Sox's general manager vacancy as well. By now, everyone in the baseball world knows Click's name. While he remains in a non-GM position, he's going to immediately be tied to every open position, which speaks volumes about how his value is seen around the game.