Craig Breslow: CBO of the Red Sox

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

9 hours ago, Duran Is The Man said:

why not? minor leagurer Johnny "Binky" Jones was traded for a 25lb turkey in 1930.

Hey, Turkey Stearnes had a higher lifetime batting average than Ted Williams! You can look it up...

[moonslav59]

Much has been made of the horrific Sale for Grissom trade, and looks nearly impossible for Grissom to be able to even come close to balancing the 2024 value Sale brought to the Braves, but Brez did make some other moves, too:

1 year of Dugo for Fitts, Weissert and Judice.

Robertson & Santos for our 2024 HR leader, Tyler O'Neill.

I Cambell for Urias (I still think this pitcher will shine for us, someday.)

Schreiber for Sandlin (a top 12 prospect)

His in season trades for Paxton, Garcia and Sims all back-fired, but the Yorke for Priester deal could pay off. (I'm not sure any of the prospects we gave up in those other trades would have made our 40 man roster or contributed to the Sox in any meaningful way, but we shall see how they do, in coming years.)

If you put all Brez's trades together, the overall balance may not look great, but I see 5 trades that look good and 4 that don't, and 3 of those 4 may end up as giving up nothing for nothing.

[Randy Red Sox]

21 hours ago, vjcsmoke said:

The latest rumor has us trading away Marcelo Mayer for a bag of peanuts or the equivalent. Why doesn't it surprise me anymore when the Red Sox talent dump they almost always get an awful deal in return.

https://www.si.com/mlb/red-sox/boston-red-sox-news/red-sox-could-trade-mlb-s-no-3-prospect-in-massive-gamble-per-insider-jackson3

Can someone please make the stupid stop? The Red Sox just keep making awful deals! Here's another one coming right up!

this article is nothing but noise

[moonslav59]

50 minutes ago, Randy Red Sox said:

this article is nothing but noise

Yup, but we could end up choosing Mayer as "the one" to bring back a pitcher. To me, he makes more sense than Anthony, Campbell or Teel.

[mvp 78]

[mvp 78]

Thanks, Bres, you f-ing stiff...

[mvp 78]

We weren't getting these kind of stories under Bloom.

[Duran Is The Man]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Thanks, Bres, you f-ing stiff...

good thing he hired Dillon Lawson. i'd hate to see where we'd be without him.

[drewski6]

19 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

We weren't getting these kind of stories under Bloom.

It wasnt a lack of honesty either (on Blooms part).

[Bellhorn04]

19 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

We weren't getting these kind of stories under Bloom.

And the slightly odd thing is, Breslow played the game.

[mvp 78]

5 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

And the slightly odd thing is, Breslow played the game.

I know the killer of the 2025 Red Sox! "Breslow in the CBO's Office with an Actuarial Table."

[TheSplinteredSplendor]

Revealing details of Rafael Devers trade indicate Red Sox were being snakes all along

[Bellhorn04]

7 minutes ago, TheSplinteredSplendor said:

Revealing details of Rafael Devers trade indicate Red Sox were being snakes all along

Lots of accusations there that may or may not be true.

[TheSplinteredSplendor]

1 minute ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Lots of accusations there that may or may not be true.

There's no denying that the whole situation was poorly handled by all parties the whole time.

[Bellhorn04]

4 minutes ago, TheSplinteredSplendor said:

There's no denying that the whole situation was poorly handled by all parties the whole time.

Yeah at the end of the day it's another debacle for a team that has been brutally mismanaged since 2019.

What I'm really noticing lately is a lot of hate toward Breslow.  He may not be long for this job.

[notin]

23 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Lots of accusations there that may or may not be true.

And certainly conflict with other stories.

 

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/these-three-teams-reportedly-tried-to-trade-for-rafael-devers-before-the-giants-landed-the-red-sox-slugger/

 

https://nypost.com/2025/06/20/sports/alex-cora-supported-decision-to-trade-rafael-devers-to-giants/

 

 

[Bellhorn04]

Trading Devers can't happen unless Henry signs off on it.  Henry is the constant in all the mess since 2019.  He fired DD, he ordered the trade of Betts, he hired Bloom and Breslow.  He keeps having ideas that turn out to be really bad ideas.

[notin]

15 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Yeah at the end of the day it's another debacle for a team that has been brutally mismanaged since 2019.

What I'm really noticing lately is a lot of hate toward Breslow.  He may not be long for this job.

That depends.

While he is unpopular, is he doing a bad job?

He acquired Crochet, stole Narvaez from NY, brought in Chapman and Wilson - outside of Narvaez, two of the biggest surprises in the AL…

But the ill-timed Devers trade and ensuing dearth of offense and losing streak.

(That link is at least 50% bunk and probably more.)

[notin]

Just now, Bellhorn04 said:

As far as trading Devers is concerned, it can't happen unless Henry signs off on it.  Henry is the constant in all the mess since 2019.  He fired DD, he ordered the trade of Betts, he hired Bloom and Breslow.  He keeps having ideas that turn out to be really bad ideas.

But are they his ideas or is he rubber stamping bad ideas from others?

[Bellhorn04]

13 minutes ago, notin said:

But are they his ideas or is he rubber stamping bad ideas from others?

I think Henry is a hands-on owner.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

9 minutes ago, notin said:

But are they his ideas or is he rubber stamping bad ideas from others?

Bad ideas are a Red Sox tradition this decade. The question is, does Henry just rubber stamp them from CBOs or listen more to incumbent incompetents hanging around the front office since they refused to pay Mookie what he was worth?

In the next month, I just hope Henry doesn't allow Breslow to trade any more prospects, as if adding a few big league bandaids and sandbags will make a difference this season.

The upcoming draft is more important to Brez. He shouldn't focus on organizational needs; he only needs to find guys who can hit, hit with power, choke up with two strikes to make contact, run the bases intelligently, catch the ball in the field, and make steady accurate throws...

... and avoid drafting anyone who, when asked what they want to be when they grow up, says, "I want to be a major league shortstop" -- or third baseman or DH or any specific position.

The simple answer should always be: "I want to be a major leaguer" or "big league ballplayer." 

[jad]

There is NO WAY JH hires two GMs and says 'Do what you think is best';  Bloom: "well sir, I'm going to trade your best player for peanuts". JH:  "Great. It's your call."   Breslow:  'Well, sir, given how great the Mookie trade worked, I'm going to trade your best player again for even less.'   JH:  "Wow, Never would have thought of that, but gee it's your call.'

[Bellhorn04]

Now that the dust has settled on the Devers trade a bit, the timing of it does indeed look like another Red Sox fiasco, because it looks like it did kill the season, and the only logical explanation for the timing is that the Sox didn't want to lose the chance to have another team take on the whole contract. 

 

[notin]

52 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

I think Henry is a hands-on owner.

 Based on what?

I think he used to be, but in truth, I’m basing that on how Arliss Howard portrayed him in “Moneyball”.

But you’re becoming a true diehard Sox fan if you embrace ownership conspiracy theories…

[notin]

20 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Now that the dust has settled on the Devers trade a bit, the timing of it does indeed look like another Red Sox fiasco, because it looks like it did kill the season, and the only logical explanation for the timing is that the Sox didn't want to lose the chance to have another team take on the whole contract. 

 

That was my biggest question - why then?

That nonsensical tweet about Breslow doing it out west to avoid the media was clearly written by someone who still thinks it’s 1978.

According to a few journalists, the Sox did have multiple offers.  
 

So either Devers forced their hand or there was a ticking clock on SF taking the whole contract.  Both do make sense. Of course that doesnt make either one right…

[notin]

48 minutes ago, jad said:

There is NO WAY JH hires two GMs and says 'Do what you think is best';  Bloom: "well sir, I'm going to trade your best player for peanuts". JH:  "Great. It's your call."   Breslow:  'Well, sir, given how great the Mookie trade worked, I'm going to trade your best player again for even less.'   JH:  "Wow, Never would have thought of that, but gee it's your call.'

Well, Zack Scott spilled the beans on the Mookie deal, which started well before Bloom was on board.  But he didn’t name any names, just that the Sox had a self-imposed limit and had never done a deferred deal.

We  do know Henry had to go to KC for the Devers fiasco, but we don’t know the results of that specific meeting.  Did he tell Breslow to just unload him? Did he yell at Cora to handle this kind of thing himself? Henry gets pretty cranky when you interrupt his Scrooge McDuck money baths…

[Bellhorn04]

36 minutes ago, notin said:

 Based on what?

I think he used to be, but in truth, I’m basing that on how Arliss Howard portrayed him in “Moneyball”.

But you’re becoming a true diehard Sox fan if you embrace ownership conspiracy theories…

Based on his admittedly rare public statements and other evidence, including the recent meeting with Devers.  When they traded Betts it was Henry who wrote a big explanatory note to the fans about it.

All the information seems to point to him being deeply involved in all the big decisions.  And why wouldn't he be?  He's the biggest stakeholder.  And he probably is more of a 'baseball man' than most baseball owners. 

Why does any of this smack of conspiracy theory thinking? 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

19 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Based on his admittedly rare public statements and other evidence, including the recent meeting with Devers.  When they traded Betts it was Henry who wrote a big explanatory note to the fans about it.

All the information seems to point to him being deeply involved in all the big decisions.  And why wouldn't he be?  He's the biggest stakeholder.  And he probably is more of a 'baseball man' than most baseball owners. 

Why does any of this smack of conspiracy theory thinking? 

But how can anyone -- inquiring fans, media, the industry -- overlook a front office that self-congratulates itself with so much braintrust it has gray matter leaking out of its windows?

No one -- not one guy with advanced analytic degrees -- saw the plan to sign Bregman as something that would probably alienate a sensitive manchild like Raffy?

It's hard to believe Boston's front office doesn't consider all possible outcomes before pulling the trigger on certain franchise-altering deals. 

Or maybe they did... and maybe the entire Bregman signing was geared to both shore up the D and ultimately replace their biggest albatross contract as a result.

[Bellhorn04]

2 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

But how can anyone -- inquiring fans, media, the industry -- overlook a front office that self-congratulates itself with so much braintrust it has gray matter leaking out of its windows?

No one -- not one guy with advanced analytic degrees -- saw the plan to sign Bregman as something that would probably alienate a sensitive manchild like Raffy?

It's hard to believe Boston's front office doesn't consider all possible outcomes before pulling the trigger on certain franchise-altering deals. 

Or maybe they did... and maybe the entire Bregman signing was geared to both shore up the D and ultimately replace their biggest albatross contract as a result.

Really hard to know exactly what they were thinking.  You also have the fact that the offer to Bregman was well below the offer he got from Detroit, so they had good reason not to be certain they would land him.

As usual with the Sox dramas there are plenty of questions that will probably never be answered.

 

[Maxbialystock]

1 hour ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Now that the dust has settled on the Devers trade a bit, the timing of it does indeed look like another Red Sox fiasco, because it looks like it did kill the season, and the only logical explanation for the timing is that the Sox didn't want to lose the chance to have another team take on the whole contract. 

 

The Sox without Devers hurts, I agree, but that's primarily because Bregman went on the IL 24 May and won't return until after the ASG. Casas is also on the IL and Duran is struggling.  Oh, and the Sox have started four rookies this season.  Narvaez has  been terrific, but Campbell is back in Worcester and Mayer and Anthony are still adjusting to MLB.  

All that said, the bigger problem is pitching--and that's irrefutable.  Devers doesn't pitch.  

Devers was on his way out the day Bregman was announced as the Sox third baseman.  Credit Cora for getting Raffy to embrace DH, which worked great.  But if you're Breslow you can't afford to pay Raffy $30M and Yoshida another $18.6M when all he can do is DH.