Spring training has arrived, and the word that best describes the kind of offseason Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow and the Boston Red Sox had is dizzying. The offseason began with a desire to add more pop to the lineup, but after failing to land Pete Alonso and not making an offer to Kyle Schwarber, that became less likely.
Then the talk was about lengthening the lineup with players who would give good at-bats, such as Alex Bregman or Bo Bichette. Neither of those came to fruition, and frustration among the fanbase grew. The team was forced to pivot again, and this time it was time to lean into pitching and defense. Despite seemingly changing direction multiple times, the Red Sox had a very productive offseason, even if it is one neither the team nor the fans envisioned. Breslow and company leaned hard into the pitching and defense theme.
Breslow Made a Flurry of Moves over the Last Few Weeks
It began just before Thanksgiving when the team acquired Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals for pitchers Brandon Clarke and Richard Fitts. Before Christmas, Breslow would make three more trades, most notably acquiring first baseman Willson Contreras from the Cardinals.
The two other trades brought in starting pitching depth that could pay dividends immediately. Johan Oviedo comes from Pittsburgh after making nine starts last season, returning from Tommy John surgery. Luis Perales was traded to Washington for lefthander Jake Bennett, who posted a 2.56 era across nine starts in AA last season.
Leaning even more into pitching, Breslow then signed Ranger Suarez to a five-year, $130 million contract, giving the Red Sox one of the best 1-2-3 starting rotations in all of baseball with Garrett Crochet, Gray, and Suarez.
Despite all of these acquisitions, the Red Sox still seemed to be lacking offense. A few days before pitchers and catchers were to report to spring training, they signed infielder Brendan Rodgers to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training. Then they signed veteran utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa to a one-year deal.
Still looking for an infielder, Breslow traded pitchers Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan, along with infielder David Hamilton, to the Milwaukee Brewers for infielder Caleb Durbin, minor-league infielders Anthony Seigler and Andruw Monasterio. Durbin, who finished 3rd in the Rookie of the Year voting last season, figures to start at either second or third base with Marcelo Mayer taking the other spot.
You Want Real Depth? The Red Sox Have It All over the Diamond
Even though it may not have been plan A, B, or even C, the direction Breslow ended up taking to the offseason is one that could work out, with health being the ever-present caveat.
Not only has the team hung on to all four outfielders and top starting pitching prospects Payton Tolle and Connelly Early, but the additions they have made have also lengthened the roster, allowing them to have better options should injuries arise. Looking at the rotation, after dipping into that depth to acquire other pieces, landing Gray, Suarez, and Oviedo to go along with a returning Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval does a couple of things. It gives them a couple of bona fide major league starters in case of injuries. It also allows both Tolle and Early to fine-tune things in AAA until they are needed in Boston.
As for the offense, there are logjams or depth, if you prefer, everywhere, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. We’ve already talked about the four outfielders, Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony, Cedanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu (who manager Alex Cora says will play every day this season). The DH spot will likely be rotated between a mixture of outfielders, Masataka Yoshida, a returning Triston Casas, and Contreras. Lastly, adding the glut of infielders (Durbin, Kiner-Falefa, Rodgers, Monasterio, and Seigler) to Romy Gonzalez, Nick Sogard, and the four guys likely to man the starting positions leaves the team more flexible to handle injuries than last season.
As fans, we want the big names, especially if they make sense for the team’s needs, and you see your competitors making big splashes. But, we may not like to hear it, but there is more than one way to improve a team. When James Gladstone took over as GM of the Jacksonville Jaguars last season, he talked extensively about raising the floor. After missing out on those flashy names, it appears that is what Breslow has tried to do: not only improve the roster with Gray, Contreras, and Suarez, but also improve the bottom of the roster as well as some of the depth in AAA. The winter work is done, and the team will be on the diamond soon. It may have been a scenic route to an end, but we could very well see a better team than the 2024-25 version.