You might be able to cross one familiar name off the list of potential candidates to replace Dave Dombrowski. Then again ...
Arizona Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall threw cold water on the idea of former Red Sox assistant GM Mike Hazen returning to Boston, telling the Arizona Republic via text, "I have no reason to think they are going to ask. He is under contract."
Hazen is the third year of a five-year deal as the general manager of the Diamondbacks, who have the right to deny the Red Sox permission to talk to the Massachusetts native if Boston requests an interview. Arizona denied San Francisco's overtures toward Hazen last offseason during the Giants' GM search. But this isn't San Francisco. This is Hazen's hometown.
There might still be a chance Hazen enters the fray regarding the Red Sox' search if he expresses a strong desire to return to the organization he spent 11 years with prior to his move to Arizona.
There are other potential candidates besides Hazen working with the Diamondbacks, with former Red Sox front office employees Amiel Sawdaye and Jared Porter both occupying assistant general manager positions with Arizona.
Another interesting name that has (and should) be surfaced is former Red Sox infielder Tim Naehring, who has served as Yankees' GM Brian Cashman's right-hand man for years.
Naehring has repeatedly turned down requests to be interviewed for general manager positions, declining the Mets' overtures last offseason. But when talking to NJ.com about the Red Sox' potential interest his reaction suggested a different approach.
"You’d think about it,” Naehring told NJ.com. "Obviously, there are premier organizations out there and that’s one of them."
Part of the previous hesitation from the 52-year-old Naehring -- who said he hasn't heard of any formal overtures from the Red Sox as of yet -- when it has come to moving on from the Yankees is altering his current arrangement which allows him to keep his family in the Cincinnati area.
"I still have kids at home," he said. "My daughter just turned 15 on Tuesday and my son is going to turn 12. Over the years there have been other organizations that have called to see if I wanted to interview for that top seat, and I have not pursued that not because of the personal commitment but because it would be a huge family commitment."
As for what the title of the Red Sox' position might be, a team source told WEEI.com there has been no definitive decision by the organization regarding whether or not it will keep Dombrowski's President of Baseball Operations role.