Breslow morphs from analysis paralysis to action hero!
Breslow pulls off a quality deadline deal... Imagine that!
A year ago Craig Breslow was stuck twirling his fidget spinner rather than pulling off a last minute deadline deal for Joe Ryan. He decided to keep his stockpile of prospects rather than turn them into chips to obtain a valuable asset. He angered fans over his over analytical style.
Fast forward to this year. He has a team which has caught fire and has taken down some of the best teams in baseball over the last 5-6 weeks. They own the AL #2 wild card spot and are nipping at the heels of the Yankees who own spot #1. They also have the desire to win the division and are looking like they could have a real opportunity to do so. A repeat performance of last year’s trade deadline was not going to sit well either with the fans or his superiors in team management.
All signs were pointing to a need to accept winning now as the goal and jettisoning his usual analysis paralysis stance for being decisive and bold. It was time to stop stockpiling prospects and start spending them on impact players to help this team win now.
First move was to trade young lefty starter Connelly Early to Washington for Curtis Mead who was having a breakout offensive season. The Sox needed a right handed bat and the Nats needed starting pitching. The Sox dealt from a position of strength and felt comfortable dealing the popular Early. The grade on this deal is TBD as Early is on the IL and Mead broke his wrist after getting hit there in a game against the Athletics. Mead may be back by mid to late September. The move drew criticism among Sox fans, especially after the HBP on Mead, but it was a sign of things to come.
Monday, he once again left his comfort zone and he pulled off a significant trade that landed the Red Sox one of the better catchers in the game in Adley Rutschman. He spent a large part of prospect capital to do so. While Rutschman is on the IL with wrist tenderness, it does not appear to be serious and he could be back in 1-2 weeks. This is not the first time in recent memory the Sox traded for a player that was on the IL. In 2021, Kyle Schwarber came to Boston while healing from a hamstring issue.
If the medicals are right and the wrist issue is minor, then the Sox get a power bat and switch hitting catcher who is also one of the top defenders in the game. He can not only help the lineup, but he should be able to help an already good pitching staff.
Let’s look at the trade in terms of players. To get Rutschman and backup catcher Jake Rogers (ex of Detroit), the Sox sent their Number two prospect, right handed pitcher Anthony Eyanson, Number four prospect right handed pitcher Kyson Witherspoon, Number five prospect outfielder Enddy Azocar, as well as catcher Carlos Narvaez and a player to be named later to the Orioles. Like the Early-Mead trade, the Sox needed better catching and a power bat and the O’s needed pitching because they hadn’t developed any. The true evaluation of this trade will depend on the prospects sent and whether Rutschman thrives in Boston enough to get a contract extension.
The number one complaint with the Rutschman trade is the prospect given up to acquire him. Here are my thoughts on that. One, the Red Sox under Breslow have shown an incredible ability to take the pitchers they have drafted or traded for and turn them in to MLB arms. Early, Tolle and Bennett (acquired this offseason) are perfect examples of the pitching factory in the Red Sox system. Two, Eyanson was in AA Portland, Witherspoon and Azocar were in High A Greenville and Narvaez was splitting the starting catching duties on the Red Sox major league roster.
While Eyanson surpassed Witherspoon in the system and has had a breakout year, he is expected not make it to the majors until late 2027. Witherspoon and Azocar could be projected for very late 2027 but more likely 2028. The key words here are expected and projected. Nothing is guaranteed with prospects. Regression, injury and other factors can come into play. As Red Sox fans we have to look no further than Campbell, Casas, Anthony and Mayer (I’ll get to him in a bit) for examples of things that can interrupt even the most talented of players. There are no guarantees! If I am chasing a chance to make the World Series, I am going after Adley Rutschman! I’ll take my chances on the prospects I traded away.
Breslow was not done. He traded AAA pitcher Tyler Uberstine to Atlanta for outfielder and right handed hitter Eli White. Uberstine was minor league pitching depth and appeared once for the Red Sox in April. White originally drafted by the A’s has played for the Rangers (2020-2022) and most recently Atlanta (2023-2026). White will be another right handed bat and is a better defender than the recently acquired Jahmai Jones.
The more telling move of the day was when Breslow sent Marcelo Mayer, a former number one draft pick of the Sox in 2021 to the Giants for high-leverage left handed reliever Erik Miller and outfield prospect Carlos Gutierrez. Mayer is an example of a prospect that never lived up to his billing. While he was brilliant at times defensively, he struggled at the plate and additionally with injuries throughout his minor and major league career and was on the IL at the time of the trade. The move cemented the idea that current number one prospect Franklin Arias is the shortstop of the future for the Red Sox.
Miller will strengthen an already strong bullpen. The 6-5, 269 pound lefty has a 96-97 MPH sinker and a decent slider, to go along with a four seam fastball and a lightly used changeup. I like this addition to the bullpen.
Did the Sox get everything they wanted? No. They could have used another veteran starter to carry the load as insurance for Tolle, Bennett and Sandoval. I have to believe that they think Tanner Houck and/or Kutter Crawford could be ready by September to help with that need. It also cements Brayan Bello as the dedicated long man after the opener (Erik Miller has experience in that role). They were also said to have been in the market for a shortstop but they held onto Arias and look to perhaps having IKF or even Story back at some point to lessen the use of the revolving door at that position.
This deadline Craig Breslow became an action hero! He jumped in and did what some thought impossible. He has learned his lesson and learned it well. The Red Sox are a better team today than they were yesterday morning. That is saying something!
I wish all of the players sent out of the Sox organization well. I hope you have good careers and succeed. That said, I’m excited and pleased with what Breslow has done. There a 51 games to go and the finishing pieces to this team are now in place. Let’s see how this all works out!
First pitch 7:10 Tonight!