Red Sox’s Craig Breslow Hints At Approach To Pitch For Free Agents

Recently-hired Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow understands the task at hand during his debut offseason in Boston’s front office: upgrade the roster for 2024.

There’s no question that three last-place finishes in the American League East in the past four seasons prompt a need for talent acquisition. Boston already has the financial resources to explore the market and get creative, however, free agents also have options. The Red Sox won’t be the only team getting active, leaving it up to Breslow to pitch Boston as a destination.

“We need to be honest,” Breslow told reporters during Tuesday’s GM meetings, according to Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe. “We need to be honest about what it’s like to play for the Boston Red Sox; what it’s like to win in front of some of the most passionate fans in the entire industry and also about where and the steps forward that we’re intending to make.”

Regardless of who Breslow has in mind, change needs to happen.

Boston hasn’t competed since its 2021 run to the AL Championship Series, falling two wins shy of the World Series. Last season, while maintaining a semi-competitive stretch following the 2023 Major League Baseball All-Star break, the consequences of pitching openers rather than traditional starters caught up to the Red Sox, triggering a collapse.

The Red Sox also only had one representative during the All-Star Game, closer Kenley Jansen.

Now, with a free agent class headlined by none other than two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani, followed by other valuable pieces that could bolster Boston’s roster, Breslow is at the front line. Avoiding a third consecutive last-place finish and playoff miss would be ideal, but not easy.

Fellow division foes made the AL East arguably the most competitive in MLB and posed several inevitable challenges for the Red Sox. With the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays falling short in October, the opportunity for them to capitalize on their respective windows is in place, making the offseason that much more critical on Boston’s end.