New Red Sox Boss Craig Breslow Was Nails For Boston In 2013

Craig Breslow is a name that Boston Red Sox fans will find familiar.

The organization announced on Wednesday that the 43-year-old will return to Boston as the team’s chief baseball officer.

Breslow has made a name for himself in a front office setting with the Chicago Cubs, serving as an assistant general manager while leading a pitching revolution to develop arms within the organization.

Before he found a new place in baseball, Breslow put together a 12-year career in Major League Baseball, including five seasons with the Red Sox.

In no season was the lefthander more valuable to the Red Sox than during the 2013 season. The Red Sox won 97 games and their third World Series championship since 2004 in a special season for the city.

Breslow served as a staple middle reliever in the Boston bullpen and found a groove, posting a career-best 1.81 ERA in 61 appearances. The southpaw was not overpowering with just 5.0 strikeouts per nine innings, although he remained efficient and kept runs off the board. Breslow also got hot when it mattered most, allowing just one earned run after Aug. 1 in 24 appearances.

In the postseason, Breslow rose to the occasion once again. In Game 4 of the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, Breslow got five outs for the Red Sox while striking out four batters and did not allow a run in a series-clinching 3-1 victory.

In the American League Championship Series against the Detroit Tigers, the lefty recorded three holds, stranding two runners in a 1-0 win in Game 3 while tossing a scoreless inning in the series-clinching 5-2 victory in Game 6.

Breslow knows what it takes to win in Boston. Now, he gets a chance to navigate the Red Sox back into contention at the top of the baseball operations.