I could be wrong, but these three things seem to be the biggest criticisms of Breslow's choices made (not in any order)...
1. Deadline deals being underwhelming. (This year: Matz and May. Last year: Garcia, Sims, Jansen, Priester & Paxton)
2, The Sale + cash for Grissom trade.
3. The Buehler signing.
4. The Priester trade
(The Giolito signing was top 4, but there is not much criticism, recently on this one.)
On #1: I like the idea of saving major deals for the winter, when gross overpays are not usually needed.
On #2: It's been beaten to death, but I still maintain there was logic to unloading a player injured for 4+ years for a promising solution to our 5+ year 2B issue.)
On #3: While his cost was double that of Kluber's and Richards, he seemed like a better gamble, at the time.
On #4: the trade looks bad, now, but our end is TBD. Maybe Holobetz emerges as a good pitcher. Maybe YRod improves.
So, 4 bad in hindsight and the Gio signing kinda breaking even. I guess I could count the Hendriks deal as #5, since it was $10M, so okay five bad -in-hindsight deals. I'll put Sandoval in the TBD category.
Now, the good to great:
1. Crochet trade.
2. Crochet extension,
3. Chapman signing.
4. Chapman extension.
5. Bregman signing.
6. Narvaez trade.
7. Slaten trade (Rule 5.)
8. Romy off waivers
9. Lowe off waivers
10. Tolle drafted & Promoted quickly
11. Fitts & Weissert for Verdugo
12. Tyler O'Neill for Robertson & Santos
13, Criswell signing
Pretty good & TBD:
2024 & 2025 Drafts look very good on paper (see Tolle at #10.)
IFA signings are too early to grade.
Fajardo & Sandlin Trades
In short, the 26 man roster is light years better than 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024, and I'd argue better than 2021. The 40 man, including all those on the 60 Day IL is way better and deeper than any roster since 2018 or 2019. The farm, before the 7 promotions in 2025 was better than any farm in a long time, and arguably better than the one DD used to make so many great trades with.
One could argue we should be bowing to Breslow, not him taking a bow.