The Boston Red Sox hired Frank Wren as senior vice president of baseball operations, installing a 64-year-old executive who spent the last eight seasons running scouting for the St. Louis Cardinals. The move, announced Tuesday, is the third senior addition to Craig Breslow's front office in nine months.
Wren's résumé carries two distinct phases. He built the Atlanta Braves front office that won 94 games in 2013 before ownership fired him mid-rebuild in 2014. After three years away from the game, St. Louis hired him to overhaul amateur scouting. The Cardinals drafted Masyn Winn (2020, fifth round), Tink Hence (2020, second round), and Cooper Hjerpe (2022, first round) on his watch. Winn is already starting at shortstop. Hence threw 95 innings at Triple-A last season. Hjerpe posted a 2.60 ERA across two levels in his pro debut.
The Red Sox promoted Breslow from chief baseball officer to head of baseball operations last October, replacing Chaim Bloom after four seasons of roster churn that produced one playoff appearance. Breslow hired Eddie Romero as assistant general manager in January and Phil Weiss as senior advisor in March. Wren now sits above both, reporting directly to Breslow. The title structure matters because the Red Sox spent $53 million guaranteed last winter—sixth-lowest in the American League—while the Yankees added Juan Soto and the Orioles signed Tyler O'Neill and Gary Sánchez. Boston finished 81-81, fourth in the AL East, 19.5 games back.
Wren's hiring suggests the front office is preparing to act with more conviction. His Atlanta tenure featured big-dollar extensions: Freddie Freeman (eight years, $135 million in 2014), Jason Heyward (two years, $13.3 million in 2012 to buy out arbitration), and Craig Kimbrel (four years, $42 million in 2013). He also traded for Justin Upton and B.J. Upton in consecutive winters, committing $139 million combined. The Uptons underperformed, Freeman became the franchise, and Wren left before the prospects he stockpiled—Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuña Jr., Max Fried—reached the majors. St. Louis valued him anyway, and he rebuilt a scouting department that had missed on first-rounders for half a decade.
The Red Sox need his Atlanta instincts more than his Cardinals patience. Ownership has signaled willingness to spend again after $291 million in payroll in 2023 dropped to $231 million in 2024. Rafael Devers is signed through 2033 at $313.5 million. Triston Casas, Wilyer Abreu, and Ceddanne Rafaela are all pre-arbitration. The farm system ranks 11th per MLB Pipeline, led by shortstop Marcelo Mayer and outfielder Roman Anthony. Wren's job is to help Breslow decide whether to trade those prospects for pitching or sign pitching and develop the kids. The Cardinals chose development. The Braves chose both and won a ring after Wren left.
The timing also matters. The Red Sox fired pitching coach Dave Bush last week and have not named a replacement. The Yankees just lost Soto to the Mets for 15 years, $765 million. The Orioles have $78 million committed for 2025 and could hunt starting pitching. The Blue Jays are openly rebuilding. The Rays are the Rays. The division is open if Boston acts in the next 90 days.
Wren's first meetings will be the Winter Meetings in Dallas next week, where the Red Sox are expected to engage on Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, and Blake Snell. Fried pitched for Wren's Braves. Burnes is a Scott Boras client, and the Red Sox have not signed a Boras free agent to a deal above $75 million since David Price in 2015. Snell is 32 and requires a five-year commitment. The decision tree is Wren's specialty. The Cardinals trusted him to evaluate risk. The Red Sox are paying him to recommend it.
The takeaway
Wren's Atlanta track record—big extensions, aggressive trades—suggests Boston is preparing to spend after a quiet winter.
boston red soxfront officefrank wrenmlb offseasonal eastexecutive hires
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