CLEVELAND — For nearly a quarter century, Chris Antonetti has been a member of the Cleveland Guardians organization, including the last eight years as the club's president of baseball operations.
But as the winds of potential change blow through the Guardians, Antonetti reportedly is being considered as a candidate to join the Boston Red Sox.
On Thursday, MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported on X (formerly Twitter) that Antonetti is one of two names "being mentioned in the industry today as potential candidates to become the next Red Sox president of baseball operations." The other name Morosi mentioned was Oakland Athletics General Manager David Forst.
The report by Morosi comes as the Guardians are in the midst of a disappointing season. Picked by many to repeat as champions of American League Central Division, Cleveland stands at 69-78 as of Sept. 14. Manager Terry Francona has hinted that this will be his final season with the club after a successful 11-year tenure.
Antonetti joined the Cleveland Indians organization in 1999 and was named as assistant general manager three years later. He ascended to the general manager role after the 2010 season, when then-GM Mark Shapiro was promoted to president. Upon Shapiro's departure to the Blue Jays in 2015, Antonetti became the Indians' president of baseball operations.
In 2022, Antonetti was named MLB Executive of the Year after the Guardians won 92 games, despite having the youngest roster in baseball. He was also honored as the 2022 Executive of the Year by Sporting News.
The Guardians front office has come under scrutiny this season after free agent signings Josh Bell and Mike Zunino proved to be major disappointments. The team was also criticized for a series of trades before the deadline involving Bell, pitcher Aaron Civale, and infielder Amed Rosario.