Sending Out An SOS to Craig Breslow to Fulfill Red Sox's Newest Trade Deadline Need

When The Police said they were “sending out an SOS to the world” their hope was that someone would get their message in a bottle. The message I’m sending out to Craig Breslow on behalf of all Boston Red Sox fans in the form of an SOS is a simple one: "Secure One Starter."

After witnessing the Red Sox end up with Dustin May in the dying seconds of the MLB trade deadline last year, it was refreshing to see Craig Breslow take a more proactive approach in addressing one of the club’s biggest needs this season, acquiring right-handed power bat Curtis Mead from the Nationals in exchange for left-handed starter Connelly Early. While a risky one given that this is Mead’s first true breakout season and Early had quickly developed into a fan-favorite pitcher, the move showed Breslow was willing to be more on the attack rather than waiting around for the perfect deal to develop only to end up with scraps when it’s all said and done. [Though, of course, injury news regarding both players has sent that deal into baseball purgatory.]

As fans and reporters now speculate what could be coming next for the Sox, both Jeff Passan and Alex Speier have given some insights into their next target, with Passan taking to X to answer a fan trade question with a somewhat vague “there will be more”, and Speier joining the NESN booth during Monday night’s game versus the Athletics to inform viewers that the team is interested in pitching, specifically rotation depth, which they were already looking into before trading Early. 

The idea of adding to the bullpen for some needed depth was also brought up in the discussion between Speier and NESN’s Mike Monaco and Lou Merloni, prompting Merloni to agree and remind viewers that you can never have too many bullpen arms. And while that statement does ring true and is a definite area the Sox should look to add to, their next pivotal addition should come via adding another arm to the starting rotation. 

While some fans may think that a group that has featured arguably the best five-man attack in baseball in Sonny Gray, Ranger Suarez, Payton Tolle, Jake Bennett, and Patrick Sandoval doesn’t need to be the primary focus over adding another bat— specifically at the shortstop or catcher positions—or taking some stress off the likes of Aroldis Chapman and Garrett Whitlock with an acquisition for the back-end of the bullpen, it never hurts to have more pitching. There are plenty of examples to point to as to why Breslow’s next move should come via adding another arm, preferably of the solidified veteran variety, to said rotation.  

For starters (no pun intended), it would be in the club’s best interest to avoid another situation like 2025, where the Red Sox were in need of rotation depth and Breslow, after balking at adding Joe Ryan or Merrill Kelly, had to settle for the disaster that was Dustin May. Sure it gave the Sox depth, but once he was injured, joining the likes of Richard Fitts, Hunter Dobbins, Tanner Houck, and eventually Lucas Giolito, it left Boston heading into their playoff series against the Yankees with Garrett Crochet and a prayer.

This time around, the options are definitely better equipped in terms of experience, with Ranger Suarez (42.2 postseason innings) and Sonny Gray (30.1 innings) better suited to ease in postseason newcomers Tolle, Sandoval, and Bennett, who have one-third of an inning pitched in the playoffs between the three. With age comes experience, and an additional rotation arm can ease the workload of Gray, something that Chad Tracy and Andrew Bailey will surely like to do for the 36-year old who has been a workhorse thus far, tallying 106.2 innings over 19 starts. 

When it comes to Suarez, his concerns lie in the health department, an area where the Red Sox have already felt the impact with uncertain futures for Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Johan Oviedo, and most importantly Crochet, who Speier says could come back and pitch out of the bullpen toward the end of the season, if he comes back at all. Suarez has already been on two IL trips thanks to hamstring and groin injuries, so much like Gray, he could benefit from a smaller workload to stay fresh for the postseason push. 

There's also the impending threat of an innings limit for most of the young contingent in the rotation, all of whom have already surpassed or are close to resetting their career high in terms of workload. When it comes to evaluating and ultimately choosing the arm he best thinks suits Boston’s rotation, Breslow necessarily doesn’t need to hit a massive home run and mortgage the future for a ‘1C’ type to replace Crochet and supplement Gray and Suarez. However, he also can’t once again panic or settle for a May type that ends up not helping the club in any capacity either. How adequately the front office performs that balancing act could determine the fate of the 2026 season.

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