How Craig Breslow Plans On Balancing Red Sox’s Timeline

The Red Sox improved this season after finishing last in the American League East in back-to-back campaigns, but they still have a ways to go before reaching their ultimate goal.

Boston finished third in the AL East, but it also finished with a .500 record and missed the postseason for a third season in a row. While there’s excitement over the “Big Four” prospects, team leadership also understands results need to be seen at the major league level, too.

“I think the reason you build a strong foundation is so that you can bring the focus close so you aren’t talking about farm systems and top prospects,” chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said on NESN’s “310 To Left” podcast. “You’re talking about wins on the field. That’s what our fans deserve. That’s why we do this.”

Breslow confirmed to NESN’s Tom Caron and The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier that the club “shifted the dial” in terms of balancing short-term and long-term success.

That was seen before the MLB trade deadline when the Red Sox made rental trades to try to add depth while the team chased a wild-card spot. Boston also swapped prospects with the Pittsburgh Pirates when it acquired Quinn Priester for Nick Yorke. That kind of deal could be a way for the Red Sox to achieve their goals for next season.

“I think we have to at least be open to it,” Breslow said. “I don’t think we’re going to find ourselves in a position where we have to make a trade for the sake of making a trade. We would make a trade to address a deficiency, or a void or an opportunity to improve somewhere else, but there are certain positional constraints and realities. Namely that only eight positon players can be out there at a time. There are going to be a lot of really good major league players who aren’t going to realize their value in Red Sox uniforms because only one guy can do that at second base, or shortstop or center field.”

You can hear more of Caron and Speier’s conversation with Breslow on the “310 To Left” podcast on YouTube or Spotify.