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Boston Globe
7 hours ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
The Red Sox spoke of ‘extreme urgency' to make the playoffs. Thursday's trade deadline is the time to prove it.
Even with the concession workers' strike, word salad is always on the menu at Fenway. The relevant rhetoric the Sox must back up with action came from team president and CEO Sam Kennedy. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Related : Advertisement You can't advertise to your faithful fans that you have extreme organizational urgency to win this season, have a team in possession of a playoff spot the week of the trade deadline, and then watch chief baseball officer Craig Breslow doodle around the margins of the roster instead of rewriting its composition. Advertisement Who knows if ace Garrett Crochet will be this dominant and this durable next season? Who knows if Alex Bregman and his playoff cachet will be back next season? Who knows if the Red Sox will wield a closer the caliber of vintage Aroldis Chapman in 2026? This is no time to favor Club Breslow sports some obvious needs — a starting pitcher, preferably of the top-three variety, and an impact righthanded bat who can play first base, DH, or even second base to boost the offensive output. Another reliable late-inning bullpen arm in case Justin Slaten doesn't make it back wouldn't hurt. Related : Admittedly, this trade market doesn't appear to align ideally with the Red Sox' needs. Top-of-the-rotation starters are sparse and expensive. Many of the available pitchers are rentals requiring projection of reclaimed performance in a new locale (Zac Gallen of the Diamondbacks and Dylan Cease of the Padres). The righty power bats presumed available, such as Eugenio Suarez and Marcell Ozuna, aren't seamless roster fits. Yet, the Sox can't afford to do nothing or next to nothing and be taken at their word, or taken seriously. Sorry. The Padres' Dylan Cease may be the best starting pitcher available, but he's struggled with run prevention this season. Gregory Bull/Associated Press While no one wants another Jeff Bagwell-for-Larry Andersen deal, more prospects flame out than pan out as All-Star or Hall of Fame talents. Even with the graduation of Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer ( Sometimes, a prospect's peak value and ability to help a team is when they're an inchoate vessel that can be filled with hopes, dreams, and expectations that they'll never fulfill as big leaguers. Related : Advertisement Another key element of the calculus for Breslow and the brightest minds in baseball operations must be the context of this deadline. Playoff conditions are ideal. Teams with preseason postseason aspirations have run aground on the rocks of misfortune. Yankees totem The Twins already sold off one starting pitcher, Chris Paddack. They could make the Christmas-in-July wishes of Sox fans come true by making ace Joe Ryan available. As Alex Cora Yup. Will the Red Sox hold onto outfielders Jarren Duran (left) and Wilyer Abreu? Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff The playoff pool is warm and inviting. Breslow needs to dive in headfirst, even if it means parting with one from his surfeit of outfielders — Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu or minor leaguers Jhostynxon Garcia and James Tibbs, When the Sox dismissed Devers in a shocking trade with the Giants, Breslow and Kennedy, besides talking about alignment more than a chiropractor, affirmed their commitment to this season. 'It's important to point out that this is in no way signifying a waving of the white flag on 2025,' said Breslow. 'We are as committed as we were six months ago to putting a winning team on the field … and making a deep postseason run.' Related : Advertisement However, there's always the caveat of the Sox looking longingly into the future with the team in its sustainability era. 'I want to win right now, too. But I also want to win in 2026, 2027, and 2028,' he said. 'It's fair to say that we have been future-focused for some time, and right now we are intentionally pulling some of those things forward [to] prioritize what happens in 2025.' That part about 2026, 2027, and 2028 looms over the team like the Green Monster. With a weak field, it might be tempting to just try to cruise to the third wild card. Roll the dice on the backs of Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro and save all your bullets for the offseason when supply will be more plentiful and prices more reasonable. But that's not 'extreme urgency.' That's not living up to your word(s). Show us you mean it when you say this season is different, Red Sox, or stop telling us until you really mean it. Christopher L. Gasper is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
With their recent play, Red Sox have proved they're worthy of acquiring reinforcements
Kristian Campbell, their can't-miss rookie second baseman, was demoted to Triple A Worcester on June 18 after hitting .154 over a stretch of 39 games. Alex Cora was cobbling together lineups that looked better suited for the longest road trip of spring training. Advertisement But the Sox survived, Sunday's 4-3 victory against the Dodgers was the latest example of their resilience. Down 3-1, the Sox scored three runs in a span of two pitches in the fifth inning. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Roman Anthony lined a ball off the Wall and hustled to third with an RBI triple. Alex Bregman hit the next pitch from Dustin May 400 feet into the Monster Seats. Four relievers combined to get the final 12 outs. Wonder if all those Red Sox season-ticket holders who sold their ducats to road-tripping Dodgers fans were regretting not being there to see it? 'We're playing really good baseball the last month and a half,' said Ceddanne Rafaela, whose unassisted double play bailed Jordan Hicks out of a jam in the eighth inning. Advertisement 'We're a good team. All the players, we believe that.' With 55 games remaining in the season, the 57-50 Sox hold the second wild card in the American League by a half-game over Seattle. They have won 14 of 19 since July 4. The Sox also have reclaimed home-field advantage at Fenway Park. They are 34-21 at home with victories in 11 of the last 13 games. On June 16, a day after the Devers trade, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow flew to Seattle and told the players he had not run up a white flag. The message was he still believed in this team. Now it's time to back up those words with actions. At the very least, the Sox require a reliable starting pitcher and a reliever Cora can trust in a tight game. If Marcelo Mayer's wrist injury is serious, then another infielder is needed as well. It feels too greedy to also expect a first baseman. The point is there are several avenues Breslow can take to improve the team. As Thursday's trade deadline approaches, Cora straddles the line between being close with his players yet part of management. 'It's hard, but you know how it works. Over the years I've learned to stay in the moment and keep going,' he said. 'Our job is to win games. 'Putting pressure on the front office and putting pressure on [ownership], it doesn't work that way. Either we're going to go one way or we go the other.' Cora was then quick to point out that he sees the Sox as being a playoff team. Within a clubhouse, players believe a team should be rewarded with reinforcements at the deadline if they are contending for the postseason. Advertisement Breslow understands that ethos. He was a member of the 2013 Red Sox, who sent Jose Iglesias to Detroit as part of a three-team trade that sent Jake Peavy to Boston. Iglesias was a promising 23-year-old shortstop but the Sox were deep at that position. Peavy started 10 games that season, then three more in the postseason. Peavy allowed one run over 5⅔ innings in Game 4 of the Division Series against Tampa Bay. The Sox went on to a 3-1 series-clinching victory with — wait for it — Breslow getting the victory. Now it's Breslow's job to find the 2025 version of Peavy. Or maybe it's the 2025 version of Steve Pearce. 'It'll be interesting to see what happens the next few days,' Garrett Crochet said. 'Have we earned the right to get better? I think so. We've been fighting through it.' The Sox are off on Thursday. 'Kind of weird,' outfielder Rob Refsnyder said. 'We'll be watching like everybody else.' Peter Abraham can be reached at
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Some Things I Think I Think: Upcoming trade deadline has Craig Breslow on hot seat
*Craig Breslow, it can now be said with some certainty, had himself a terrific offseason. The Red Sox' chief baseball officer hit on Garrett Crochet, Alex Bregman, Aroldis Chapman, Carlos Narvaez and Justin Wilson. Only Walker Buehler sits in the demerit column. Now, it's up to Breslow to replicate his success at the July 31 trade deadline. A year ago, Breslow took a more cautious approach and it backfired. James Paxton looked to be a good acquisition at the time, but then hurt his knee in his third start and was lost for the season. The rest of his deadline pickups – relievers Lucas Sims and Luis Garcia and catcher Danny Jansen — were all non-factors and the team faded badly in August. That's what happens when the competition gets better and you don't. Maybe the 2024 Red Sox were beyond repair — a mediocre team that no amount of deadline magic could transform into a playoff contender. But that's not the case this year. The foundation is stronger. The young talent continues to blossom. The rotation is deeper. This should be a team that plays into October. There are challenges that come with upgrades at the deadline, when the entire industry conducts its annual frenetic game of musical chairs. The competition is more intense and the urgency is greater, compared to the relatively languid pace of the winter. For the next dozen days, Breslow will be on the clock. It's hyperbolic to suggest that his job security depends on what he's able to accomplish; he clearly has the organization — both the parent club and the minor league system — heading in the right direction. But there are obvious needs — at first base, in the rotation, and in the bullpen — for these Red Sox to qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2021. If Breslow makes the right moves to get them there, those actions, in concert with the moves he made last offseason — will serve as further confirmation that the organization made the right move when it entrusted him with the job some 20 months ago. *Kudos to MLB for a well-run All-Star Game. The Hank Aaron tribute, in particular, was nicely executed and the return of individual team uniforms was most welcome. And though there was some handwringing over the 'Swing-Off'' to decide the game in extra innings, that was fine, too. It's an exhibition game. But let's make sure that MLB doesn't get any ideas about using such a gimmicky idea to determine actual games of consequence. *The pettiness displayed by Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick apparently knows no ends. Don't these two realize that each time they take their passive aggressive shots at one another, they damage their own legacies and reputations? *Those early extension contracts given out to Brayan Bello and Ceddanne Rafaela look better by the day. *This past week proved, once again, that the Philly Phanatic has no peer when it comes to team mascots. *Conditioning (and depth) will play bigger roles than ever next season in the NHL. Thanks to a three-week break to allow the league to take part in the Olympics, the schedule is highly condensed in other months and full of the dreaded back-to-backs. The Bruins will have 13 of them — starting with the first two games of the season. *Take some time to re-watch Jaws before Labor Day weekend It remains the quintessential summer blockbuster and this year is its 50th anniversary. *Baseball is desperately trying to make its annual amateur draft an Event, and I'm not sure it will ever succeed. Despite the notion that moving the draft to the site of the All-Star Game would result in better exposure, it seems to have had the opposite effect, becoming lost among all the other hoopla. Meanwhile, unlike in other sports, players aren't on hand for the event, in part because they don't want to give away negotiating leverage. In baseball, high school players have the option of attending college and college players do, on rare occasions, opt to eturn for their senior year. *It's said that the triple is the most exciting play in baseball. But a throw from the deepest part of the ballpark to nail a baserunner, like the one uncorked by Ronald Acuna Jr. Friday night, comes pretty darn close. *Just a hunch, but I think last week's All-Star Game may have been the last one we'll see for a while without Roman Anthony's participation. *There remains no more inept organization in all of sports than the NFL Players Association. The strip club visits were relatively benign; helping the league conceal that it was found guilty of collusion when it came to player salaries is inexcusable. *Don't forget to fill out your Tommy Pham bracket at work. Pham has been traded at the deadline in each of the last three seasons — and four of the past seven — and is sure to be on the move again before the month is complete. *It's hilarious to watch Power 5 schools scramble to limit NIL payments. Because as we all know, the only people who should be enriched by successful programs are university presidents and their highly-paid coaches. *Credit Red Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey for his work in helping relievers improve their strike-throwing. Aroldis Chapman is the most obvious example of this, but Bailey has also overseen a big turnaround with Jorge Alcala, who has cut his walk rate from 13.2 percent with the Twins to 8.2 percent since joining the Red Sox. *Is it absolutely necessary for LeBron James to be involved in some sort of will-he-won't-he drama seemingly every blasted time his contract is up? More Red Sox coverage Giants exec preaches patience amid Rafael Devers slump Red Sox at 53-47 for 3rd straight year reminds Alex Cora of ex-A's slugger Red Sox make lineup change, give Masataka Yoshida first start in OF since 2023 Red Sox lineup: Ceddanne Rafaela at 2B, in new spot in order for first time in career Bryce Harper gave Red Sox star rookie Roman Anthony an 'Oh, wow!' moment Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Sox CBO pulls back curtain on trade deadline plans
The MLB trade deadline is fast approaching and the Red Sox have a chance to be buyers, improve their team and make a postseason run. Boston could use pitching help — both in the starting rotation and the bullpen — and could benefit from a first baseman. Prior to Sunday's 6-1 win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow opened up about the July 31 deadline during an appearance on SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio. 'We went into this season taking a very aggressive posture,' he said. 'The moves that we made this winter were those that I think signaled that it's time to compete and that the product we had been putting on the field — the team that we'd been running out there at Fenway — just wasn't good enough for our fans. 'And so, we're approaching the deadline looking for ways to bolster the team given the play over the last month-and-a-half or so,' Breslow continued. Prior to the All-Star break, the Red Sox found themselves on a 10-game losing streak. They lost their first two games out of the break before avoiding the sweep on Sunday. Breslow noted that the Red Sox' needs are 'a little bit fluid,' but wants to make the right moves for the team as they try to get back into the postseason for the first time since 2021. And even though Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro have filled in fine in the absence of Triston Casas, Breslow isn't ruling out bringing in someone else to play the position. 'We'll be open-minded about the opportunities to bring in a bat that can play first base,' Breslow said. Earlier this month, Breslow told MassLive's Chris Cotillo Boston's play before the All-Star break gave the team reason to believe it can continue in the second half. 'We want to improve the team. We want to find ways to bolster the group,' Breslow said. 'The play on the field exemplifies that. We've obviously put ourselves in a pretty good spot here with the way that we've been playing over the last few weeks and have reason to believe that we can continue that.' After Sunday's win, the Red Sox are two games behind the second-place New York Yankees in the American League East, and five games behind the Toronto Blue Jays. More Red Sox coverage How Red Sox star Alex Bregman's 'training day' ended in big pinch-hit homer Red Sox lose out on veteran free agent reliever Craig Breslow scouted over weekend (report) Failed bunt led to Boston Red Sox' first lead after 24 innings; 'Big moment' Red Sox pitcher 'with nearly unhittable fastball' cracks MLB's Top 100 prospects MLB insider identifies Red Sox biggest needs ahead of trade deadline Read the original article on MassLive.
Newsweek
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Craig Breslow Addresses Red Sox's Trade Deadline Plans As Rumors Swirl
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Boston Red Sox are going to be one of the more intriguing teams ahead of the trade deadline. While the rumors have swirled around the team for months now, Boston's chief baseball officer Craig Breslow recently spoke on their trade deadline plans. "We're approaching the deadline, looking at ways to bolster the team given the play over the last month and a half or so," Breslow recently said on MLB Network Radio. "And you know, I think that I've been saying that the needs seem to be a bit fluid because if we talked two and a half months ago, we would've said we just lost our first baseman for the season, and we've got to figure that out. But we've gotten really strong play out of Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro. But we'll be open-minded about the opportunities to bring in a bat that can play first base. BOSTON, MA - MAY 19: Craig Breslow chief baseball officer of the Boston Red Sox before the game against the New York Mets at Fenway Park on May 19, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. BOSTON, MA - MAY 19: Craig Breslow chief baseball officer of the Boston Red Sox before the game against the New York Mets at Fenway Park on May 19, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts."A month and a half ago, we would've said we need somebody who can pitch toward the front of our rotation. Then you look at what Lucas (Giolito) and Brayan (Bello) have done; they're pitching every bit the part of a guy who can pitch at the front of our rotation, but I don't think you'll find anybody who comes on here and says they have enough starting pitching, so that's going to be an area of focus for us as well." Breslow addressed the Red Sox's two biggest needs: first base and starting pitching. Adding at these two positions will be huge for Boston's postseason and World Series chances this year. While Toro and Gonzalez have been solid at first base for Boston, the Red Sox need a thumper who can make a huge impact for the offense. The trade deadline will likely see guys like Josh Naylor and Ryan O'Hearn moved, with the Red Sox looking like a fit for either guy. The Red Sox's rotation could still use depth, too, even with the emergence of Giolito and Bello over the last few weeks. The Red Sox need to add at least one more reliable pitcher. Breslow didn't hold back, though. He seemed to make it clear that Boston has a few holes to fill and that he plans to be proactive, not reactive, in the coming weeks. More MLB: Yankees Blockbuster? $66 Million Trade Rumors Reach New Peak
