Craig Breslow talks on why he moved John Schreiber - opens for competition for newcomers in bullpen
The Red Sox made their first noteworthy trade of the spring, sending reliever John Schreiber to the Royals for minor league pitching prospect David Sandlin.
Boston entered camp with a surplus of right-handed pitching, particularly relievers, which has been one reason why Craig Breslow has entertained the idea of trading from the bullpen all winter.
During the offseason, the club had been discussing trading All-Star closer Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin and Schreiber. Of the trio, Schreiber made the least amount of sense due to not being eligible for free agency until after 2027. He was also due to make just $1.175 million for the 2024 season. Both of those factors made him more appealing to move and possibly land a better return than Jansen and Martin, who are both free agents at the end of the season.
The organization lacks starting pitching prospects, which is one area that Breslow has been hyper-focused on building a pipeline of talent. Adding Sandlin on Saturday is a step in the right direction, albeit costing the big roster to get worse in the process.
Breslow thought it was worth the gamble.
“We’ve talked for a while about our right-handed relief depth,” Breslow said. “It’s something we feel strongly about and confident in. And the need, when the opportunity exists, to create more starting pitching depth. I think this was one example of a chance to do this.”
With Schreiber out of the mix for a spot in the bullpen, the Red Sox have abundance of right-handed pitchers to compete for a spot on the 26-man roster.
Isaiah Campbell, Cooper Criswell, Zack Kelly and Greg Weissert all have minor league options remaining and offer big league experience. Rule 5 pick Justin Slaten has to remain with the club all season or he will be returned to the Rangers and Bryan Mata will compete for a spot in the bullpen. Mata is out-of-options, essentially he must make the Opening Day roster or they can trade him or expose him to waivers.
Chris Murphy, Joe Jacques, Brandon Walter, newly signed Lucas Luetge and Jorge Benitez, all lefties, but will also complete for a spot in the bullpen.
“I think there are a number of guys,” Breslow said. “We’ve made some acquisitions this offseason, whether that was Campbell or Weissert. Some guys who spent time in the ‘pen are getting built out as starters and we’ll have to see how that plays out. We feel really good about the back end. Depending on how the rotation competition plays out, plus the additions that we’ve made, it’s a spot we feel good about.
Campbell and Weissert have impressed in camp and Alex Cora talked about how he wants to see them develop over the next couple of weeks.
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“So far, I’ve been impressed with both of them (Weissert and Campbell),” Cora said. “Especially Campbell. One of the things that we know is that he can get lefties out. Last year, we didn’t do a great job with it. Our righties struggled throughout the season with that. We’ll see what happens in the upcoming weeks but I feel comfortable with the guys we have in camp. Somebody’s gonna take this spot, run away with it and help us win some ballgames.”
