Theo Epstein headed back to Red Sox in stunner: Voice will ‘carry enormous weight’

Theo Epstein is headed back to Boston.

The former Red Sox general manager is joining Fenway Sports Group as a partial owner and senior adviser, the conglomerate announced Friday morning.

He will take on an advisory role over the entirety of the ownership group’s holdings, which includes Liverpool FC, the Pittsburgh Penguins, RFK Racing, TGL’s Boston Common Golf and a recently acquired stake in the PGA Tour.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan noted that while Epstein won’t be in charge of Red Sox’s personnel decisions his voice “should carry enormous weight” in the organization.

Epstein, who won two World Series titles as chief executive of the Red Sox, had been working as a special consultant to commissioner Rob Manfred at MLB, where he helped implement the league’s pitch clock and other rule changes.

“It’s a great honor, something I’m really excited about,” Epstein said, according to Sportico. “It’s just exciting to be joining such a dynamic, groundbreaking company across multiple sports, doing so many innovative things at the cutting edge of everything going on in sports these days. For me, it’s perfect, I was looking for a pathway into ownership.”

Fenway Sports Group’s press release said Epstein would be advising the group’s owners, including John Henry, on “sporting operations across the portfolio” and “strategic growth and investment initiatives.”

Epstein, who will forever be etched in Boston sports lore for helping to build the 2004 Red Sox team that broke the 86-year Curse of the Bambino, also won a title with the Red Sox in 2007.

The executive was hired by the Cubs as president of baseball operations in 2011, where he helped break another long-standing curse with Chicago’s 2016 World Series victory that snapped a 108-year drought.

He brings a familiarity with the Red Sox’s new leadership, having hired newly minted Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow as the Cubs’ director of strategic initiatives when he was in Chicago.

The Red Sox could use Epstein’s help to get back to winning ways.

Boston is coming off consecutive 78-84 seasons and hasn’t made the playoffs since a surprising run to the 2021 ALCS.