Latest news with #Breslow
Yahoo
4 days ago
- 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
4 days ago
- 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
5 days ago
- 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
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Craig Breslow reveals Red Sox' trade deadline strategy — and identifies their needs
BOSTON — As he approached his first trade deadline as chief baseball officer of the Red Sox a year ago, Craig Breslow preached the importance of 'picking a lane' and not straddling the fence between buying and selling. What about this year, with a club that has soared to a 50-45 record thanks to a seven-game winning streak? "I think that's still the clearest way to approach a deadline," Breslow said. 'I've obviously learned a lot over the last year. We'll continue to learn. But we came into this season and we're approaching this deadline as looking for opportunities to improve the club. 'We still have to understand what happens over the next three weeks, but that is how we're approaching this deadline. We want to improve the team. We want to find ways to bolster the group. 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." Barring an unexpected collapse over the next few weeks, the Red Sox intend on being buyers ahead of the July 31 deadline. The blockbuster Rafael Devers trade, while weakening the current roster, was much more about improving the team's culture than signaling a direction from the front office. Now, the focus is on adding to a club that is in sole possession of a wild card spot and five games back in the division with three games to go before the All-Star break. Breslow will consider additions to the front end of his rotation, the bullpen and potentially, first base, he said. 'Some of that (your needs) often depends on what moment in time you ask the question,' he said. 'I think if we're going to boost the rotation, trying to find impact starting pitching, not just, starting pitching that can take a spot in the rotation. We do feel really good about the depth that we have. At one point, we would have said, 'Our first baseman is out for the year.' But then you look at what (Abraham) Toro and Romy (Gonzalez) have been able to do platooning over there and that's the equivalent of a really good first baseman. We'll be open-minded but based on the performance we're getting right now, I don't think it's a massive, glaring hole." The Red Sox could use a high-leverage arm or two to set up closer Aroldis Chapman but Breslow hinted that some relief help could come from within as the Red Sox consider shifting starters to a bullpen role. Doing that with Tanner Houck, who is nearing the end of his minor league rehab assignment, remains possible. 'You can never have too much pitching,' Breslow said. 'Some of this is, as guys get healthy, talking about Tanner and (Hunter) Dobbins and (Richard) Fitts and (Kyle) Harrison, and how do we figure out who we want to keep built out as starting pitching depth and who we think might be a weapon in a multi-inning role out of the 'pen." In 2024, after committing to buying, Breslow made four measured trades to add to his big league group by acquiring pitchers James Paxton, Lucas Sims and Luis García and catcher Danny Jansen in exchange for minor leaguers (while also making an outlier, long-term move by flipping Nick Yorke for Quinn Priester). Breslow made a point of not moving anyone off his major league roster in an effort to improve. This time around, the roster — with too many outfielders for spots — suggests a deal in which Breslow moves a big league piece in order to improve another area of the roster is more likely than it was a year ago. But it's far from a fait accompli that a young outfielder like Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu is moved for pitching, especially with the Red Sox beginning to mix in Ceddanne Rafaela at second base in an effort to maximize their lineup. Breslow cautioned that 'baseball trades,' in which teams move big league pieces for big league pieces, are often the 'hardest to align on.' 'When you have four guys that are capable of playing every night in three outfield spots, it just means that you've got a weapon on your bench," Breslow said. 'It's an opportunity to keep guys fresh and shift and cycle through getting guys in and getting guys rest. Alex (Cora) manages games very aggressively and finds opportunities to pinch-hit and find great matchups. I've said this every time I've been asked: There's no such thing as having too many good players. That's not actually a problem." The recent seven-game run, which has moved Boston's chances of making the playoffs to 40.5%, according to FanGraphs, has only made Breslow more convicted in his want to add. 'I think you could see, at various moments, glimpses of what we're capable of doing, but we hadn't been able to put it together for a stretch,' he said. 'Now, these wins are starting to compound... and we've actually put together a solid run. We're going to see coming out of the deadline how we stack up against the best teams in the NL. I think that'll be important for us to go out and prove to ourselves, 'Hey, we can compete with these guys.' After a busy — yet largely unsuccessful — first deadline at the helm, Breslow is excited to enter his second go-around with a more experienced perspective. 'What I learned is you spend a lot of time working on ideas and concepts that never actually get across the finish line,' he said. 'Approaching this deadline, we need to narrow the lens a little bit and focus on the things that make us better and have a realistic chance of getting done, not spend all of our time chasing these pie-in-the-sky type ideas." More Red Sox coverage Red Sox hero Ceddanne Rafaela gives biggest defender 'goosebumps' with walkoff HR Rolling Red Sox dreaming of October at 'uncomfortable' Fenway after Ceddanne Rafaela walk-off HR Alex Bregman returns to Red Sox with some ground rules: 'It might look bad, but we need him' Red Sox reactions: Red-hot Ceddanne Rafaela walks it off as win streak reaches 8 games Boston Red Sox starter leaves game with knee injury, undergoing MRI Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
With two weeks before trade deadline, here's what we're hearing on Red Sox
The All-Star break is almost over and the MLB trade deadline is just two weeks away (as of Thursday). Since the Rafael Devers blockbuster on June 15, the trade market has been slow with only a couple mid-level deals (Bryan Baker to Tampa Bay, Adam Frazier to Kansas City) going down. That, of course, will change in the coming weeks with front offices now able to focus their attention solely on deals (and not the now-completed MLB Draft). Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow should be busy in the next 14 days and after a 10-game winning streak vaulted Boston into contender status, it's seen as a lock that Breslow will buy. Here's what we're hearing — broken down into five ways Breslow might deal in the next two weeks — at this point: 1) Rotation need remains the biggest Breslow, similarly to how he approached the winter, has preached the importance of adding 'an impact starter' before July 31. Anyone who has an expectation that a No. 2 option is a guarantee should re-set their expectations, however. The Red Sox think the trio of Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito is playoff-caliber, especially after Bello and Giolito showed they can dominate for a prolonged stretch. Therefore, any type of rotation add is on the table, especially in the wake of Hunter Dobbins' season-ending ACL injury. A high-value running mate for Crochet like Minnesota's Joe Ryan looks great on paper but the asking price will be insane (much more than just Jarren Duran). The guess here is that the Red Sox, while willing to push for controllable options, instead find the market to be prohibitive and push for a high-floor rental. With Crochet, Bello, Giolito (most likely), Dobbins, Richard Fitts, Tanner Houck and Kyle Harrison all controlled past this year, the Red Sox don't have to rush into another long-term rotation add. Luckily for Breslow, there's talent to be found on the rental market. Arizona's Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, Kansas City's Seth Lugo, Baltimore's Charlie Morton and Pittsburgh's Andrew Heaney would all help the group while not breaking the bank. It's fun to speculate on controllable options like Ryan, Sandy Alcantara, Mitch Keller and Edward Cabrera but look no further than the Crochet situation to see how these things play out. Sellers are smart to keep those guys into the winter and then create a bidding war. 2) Don't count out a big bat The Red Sox' offense has been good for a prolonged stretch and is expected to be better with Alex Bregman and Masataka Yoshida both back in the mix. That doesn't mean the club is all set when it comes to lineup production. The current group, sans Devers, lacks a little bit of pop, so a reinforcement is still on the table. Breslow isn't going to add an outfielder. He's not touching third base, shortstop or second. So any acquisition better be able to play first base. Obvious options include Orioles All-Star Ryan O'Hearn (a rental), Washington's Nathaniel Lowe (controlled through 2026) and Arizona's Josh Naylor (another rental). But there's a chance Boston's recent surge could open up another big opportunity for them to add in an unforeseen way. The Red Sox hurt the Rays' playoff chances by sweeping them in a four-game set before the break and are now 2½ games above Tampa Bay, which seemed — entering the last week — like it would be a cautious buyer. But if the Rays do what they always do, and trade players getting close to free agency, someone like Yandy Díaz could be available. If he is, sources indicate, he'd be high on the wish list of some Red Sox decision-makers. Díaz has steady pop, as evidenced by his 14 pre-break homers, and could get a little rich for the Rays' blood as he's earning $10 million this year and $12 million in 2026 before a vesting option kicks in for 2027. The Rays are always willing to deal players as they get close to free agency and could do the same here. One potential factor working against that theory? Industry insiders who know the Rays well wonder if they'll try to contend one last time under the helm of owner Stu Sternberg before his $1.7 billion sale to Jacksonville developer Patrick Zalupski goes through this fall. The Red Sox know Triston Casas' return to being a lineup force isn't a sure thing considering the severity of his knee injury. They're not ruling out controllable adds at first base — or 100% committed to adding there considering how good the Abraham Toro/Romy Gonzalez platoon has been. Everything's on the table. 3) Is the outfield problem really a problem? It's easy for armchair GMs (and yes, those of us who cover the team) to look at the crowded outfield mix and assume a trade is a fait accompli. Long-term, it surely is. But for a team that wants to make a playoff push, is the club better or worse without Duran or Wilyer Abreu on the club? Worse, for sure, assuming that a magical deal for a big league starter doesn't come together before the 31st. There's a very slim chance someone in the Duran-Abreu-Ceddanne Rafaela-Roman Anthony group doesn't get hurt by the end of the season and therefore the Red Sox can enjoy the luxury of the depth they've amassed for a two-month stretch. And while they're playing on an every-game-matters basis, having a proven big-leaguer as a pinch-hitting option is something any manager would sign off on. The Red Sox wanted to move on from Devers and were going to take the best offer if it made sense for them. The situation with the outfielders is different. There's a real case to be made that waiting until the offseason, when all 30 teams are theoretical contenders and willing to get creative, makes the most sense. There won't be a deal for the sake of making a deal here. 4) Dobbins' injury increases the need for a bullpen add On Friday, sitting in the home dugout at Fenway Park, Breslow raved about the amount of pitching depth his club has, saying this: "You can never have too much pitching. Some of this is, as guys get healthy, talking about Tanner and (Hunter) Dobbins and (Richard) Fitts and (Kyle) Harrison, and how do we figure out who we want to keep built out as starting pitching depth and who we think might be a weapon in a multi-inning role out of the 'pen.' Hours later, Dobbins tore his ACL, depleting that pool of depth and, in turn, narrowing the group of pitchers Breslow can pull from as he looks to add bullpen depth down the stretch. It would have been conceivable, with Dobbins healthy behind Crochet, Giolito, Bello and Buehler (for now), that the Red Sox would have been willing to try out someone like Fitts, Houck or Harrison in that multi-inning relief role. Now? Fitts is in the rotation and the Sox probably need to keep the others stretched out. The trickle-down effect is real. Boston still needs to figure out how to bridge the gap from its rotation to Aroldis Chapman in high-leverage spots. Justin Slaten's strange, slow recovery from shoulder inflammation — he's back to not throwing — means he can't be counted on for August and September. Ditto Liam Hendriks, who has experience even if he struggled while healthy. Garrett Whitlock, Greg Weissert and Justin Wilson have been good and the team thinks Jordan Hicks can get some leverage innings as well. But Breslow would be wise to add a veteran arm or two, and the expectation is that he will (like all contenders do). Maybe not an elite option but a level higher than the Lucas Sims/Luis García 'warm body' tier from 2024. It's always an expensive market. 5) Another year, another catching move? Breakout star Carlos Narváez has already started 67 games this year. That's a lot for a catcher who has never experienced such a heavy workload. There are small signs that wear and tear has taken a toll, like Cora's desire to work Connor Wong in more and the fact Narváez has only hit .235 with a .657 OPS in an 18-game stretch dating back to June 16. On paper, Wong should be the type of backup any team wants: someone who used to start, is still young, has improved defensively and can provide some pop when he does play. But in a much-different role (27 starts), Wong has hit .149 with a single RBI and zero extra-base hits. He has a .384 OPS in 98 plate appearances and is 5-for-36 since June 1. Wong would likely be hitting better if he was an everyday player in a routine and he might break out again if he gets traded and gets that opportunity. For now, though, he represents an offensive black hole when he plays and a contending team may want to upgrade. One name to watch? Old friend Christian Vázquez, who is also not hitting (.170 average, .492 OPS) but has some intangibles the Red Sox like. The Twins would probably trade him in a salary dump. More Red Sox coverage Red Sox righty (who reached 102 mph at 20) regained 'confidence' after trade MLB commissioner lays out Boston's chances of hosting another All-Star game (report) Players had 'no clue' about crazy All-Star Game tiebreaker, then ex-Red Sox slugger won it Ex-Red Sox players: Traded starter has 3.55 ERA, Rafael Devers batting .202 Red Sox rival agrees to sell team after pressure from MLB commissioner (report) Read the original article on MassLive.
