Breslow a rising star as a Cubs executive
Armed with a Yale degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry along with a 12-year Major League Baseball career, Craig Breslow is a man with options.
When his playing career was ending two years ago, Breslow pondered his next chapter. Would the Trumbull native pursue his long-held interest in medicine and return to the classroom? If baseball was his career path, would Breslow remain in uniform as a coach or manager? Or would a front-office role be more suitable? Decisions, decisions.
As it turned out, it took merely a few months before Breslow joined the Chicago Cubs in January 2019 as director of strategic initiatives for baseball operations. After two seasons in various frontoffice roles, Breslow was recently promoted to assistant general manager following the departure of fellow Yale graduate Theo Epstein.
Breslow will report to Wesleyan graduate Jed Hoyer, who was promoted to team president when Epstein resigned. So now the guy known as the “smartest man in baseball” during his playing career will take an even bigger role in running a franchise.
“There was always a small part of me that maintained some interest in pursuing a future in medicine in some capacity, but realistically, given my family situation, my age and some other factors, I didn’t want to jump back into a classroom and spend additional time away,” Breslow said in an email. “I quickly pivoted to what I knew, was interested in, and where I felt like I could provide value … baseball.
“I was always intrigued about roster construction and player transactions, and had been an active participant in my own contract negotiations. I also, like most, spent a bunch of time thinking about how I would do things differently, if I ever were in a leadership position. I suppose this is that opportunity.”
Breslow, 40, lives in the Boston area with his wife and three children. He had taken the MCAT and was deferred from the NYU School of Medicine, but the demands of medical school didn’t necessarily mesh with his life as the father of three kids age 5 or younger.
Baseball, though, was a logical fit. And in an era when ex-players move into managerial jobs with limited or no experience, Breslow has become a name associated with a handful of open
ings.
Breslow said he was not initially intrigued by an on-field job, but he does have interest. For now, though, his focus is on a front-office role.
“Not that he couldn’t do it, but I didn’t see him going back on the field,” said Yale baseball coach John Stuper, a former major league pitcher. “There were some rumors that some people were even interested in him for a managing job. Nothing in the game today surprises me. The game has changed so much from when I played.
“But with his personality, his people skills, his intelligence — I mean, he could do just about anything in the game. I don’t think there’s any question that he’ll be a general manager. And it probably won’t be long.”
Breslow pitched for seven teams over 12 seasons. He was originally drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers and he ended his career in the Toronto Blue Jays organization, but he did not pitch for either team. He won a World Series with the Red Sox in 2013, yet also spent a summer in the independent Northeast League.
So there’s not much Breslow has not encountered in baseball.
“I don’t know if anybody had a stranger or more unique career track,” Stuper said.
That’s why Stuper believes Breslow can thrive in any role. All the peripheral aspects of the game — bouncing from the minors to the majors, finding housing, living out of a suitcase, dealing with rejection — are familiar to Breslow.
“He’s been through all of that,” Stuper said. “He knows what it means to struggle. He’s been to the top of the mountain, he’s been released, he played independent ball ... I think that’s one of the reasons he’s gotten to where he’s gotten, because of all those trials and tribulations. So if he ends up being a general manager and he has to release a player or decide not to sign a player to a long contract or whatever, he can bring them in and he has credibility because of his résumé. He’s been there.”
Said Breslow: “Our experiences shape who we are. My particular path was filled with discipline, failure, and ultimately some overachievement. I think the success that I had as an undersized and under-skilled major leaguer is telling of the value of aptitude, open mindedness, and commitment. I think the willingness I had to utilize any resource I could (technology, data, analytics) to stretch my career, empirically, speaks to the value of embracing growth and hopefully to the importance of creating this kind of culture and environment.”
Stuper, who calls himself an old-school baseball guy, likes to say Breslow can marry all aspects of the game. He has the intellect to embrace analytics and fit comfortably among the new breed of Ivy League-educated executives, yet he also has those 576 big league games on his résumé.
Epstein referred to him as a “rock star” when catching up with a friend at Yale. Epstein and Hoyer were with the Red Sox during Breslow’s first stint in Boston (2006), so they knew him well. After spending the 2018 season in the Toronto minor league system, Breslow began considering post-playing jobs.
Joining Epstein and Hoyer was a draw.
“The track record of success is undeniable,” Breslow said. “I think we are all aware of the curse breaking that each contributed to (read was responsible for).
“However, what is probably not quite as public is the level of compassion, empathy, thoughtfulness, and collaboration that they are committed to. Theo and Jed value the opinions of the entire office. All are encouraged to take a seat at the table. It has been a very inclusive environment.”
And while Epstein is gone — he has said he is taking a year off before deciding what’s next — his presence remains strong at Wrigley Field, and he left his mark with Breslow.
“I had the chance to work for the most successful sports executive in history, and have learned a ton,” said Breslow, who oversees pitching in the Cubs organization. “Through some of my earlier roles, which gave me broad exposure, I’ve also been able to work closely with players and coaches, and to keep fresh the playing perspective. I think the biggest surprise I’ve realized thus far is just how much thought, planning and collaboration goes into each decision. I had foolishly assumed that I knew a lot about baseball operations after spending a decade on the field. My eyes were opened to just how much more I had to learn.”
Breslow said he expects to travel a lot and will work remotely from his Massachusetts home. Stuper is convinced Breslow will soon be running his own team, or perhaps running the game. “He could be the next commissioner,” Stuper said. “That wouldn’t surprise me at all. Just his background … he looks awesome on paper and he’s even better in person.”
Another of Stuper’s former players, Mike Elias, is now the GM of the Baltimore Orioles. Other former players from recent teams are scattered throughout baseball in front-office and scouting jobs.
Stuper said that’s a sign of how the game is changing. The Houston Astros came to the Yale campus to recruit for front-office roles a few years ago. A baseball player from Yale is a distinguished candidate for today’s baseball organization.
Breslow? He’s as good as it gets.
“If you were building a candidate for a job like that, I’m not sure you could build a better one,” Stuper said. “I always say, the résumé gets you in the door, the interview gets you the job. Bres is just a great person. He’s so impressive. … Honestly, nothing that Bres accomplishes is going to surprise me.”