ATLANTA -- With his Red Sox performing well below expectations, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow spoke for roughly 13 minutes about his 28-32 club prior to Saturday’s 5-0 loss to the Braves.
Here are the most notable parts of the conversation.
What is the state of the team more than a third of the way through the season?
“The simple answer is it's not good enough," Breslow said. "It's not the performance we expected in the offseason. I think we could point to a number of things we haven't really been able to sync up. Offense and defense. We've been sloppy in the field at times. We've run into mistakes on the bases, and we're going to have to play clean baseball. We're going to have to start getting big hits and making big pitches if we want to rattle off the wins that we need.”
How do you fix it?
“I think it's really important in times like this that we kind of lean into what's happening," Breslow said. "We question what we're doing, and we look for any chance to get better. And if we believe at the end of the day that we have the right processes in place, and our guys are doing the right work, then baseball’s kind of the type of sport where you have to let it play out. But it’s too late in the season, and I think the evidence is too strong to just say we're going to be OK tomorrow when we wake up.”
When is the right time to call up No. 1 prospect Roman Anthony?
“I don’t think there’s a perfect answer to that," Breslow said. "We’re trying to balance what's best for Roman and his development with where we are as a team and the way that we're prioritizing our 2025 season. And try to lean on the goals and process that you think about in the offseason, when the noise isn't quite so loud. I think you also have to be willing to react to the situation that you have right now, and it’s impossible to ignore the performance he’s had in Triple-A [Worcester] and how that is lining up with our struggles here at the big league level. We’re also trying to be mindful of the environment we put him in and what he still has to work on and what the pressures and demands would be and try to make the best decision we can for him.”
Have there been conversations with Ceddanne Rafaela about playing some infield to create room for Anthony?
“No, we saw last year that he's capable of providing a ton of flexibility, but also that the transition, it takes a little bit of a time," Breslow said. "I think we've also seen the defensive center fielder that we've all known him to be. And it's a little bit harder to appreciate the value that provides, because he's preventing runs from scoring, and you make a great catch and it's not as easy to think about how a run isn't crossing home plate, but there's no doubt that he's provided a ton of value to our team.”
Is the conversation closed about Rafael Devers playing first base this season?
“I don’t think it makes a ton of sense to speak in certainties," Breslow said. "The conversations are ongoing and productive, and like I've kind of answered every other question, the decision will be rooted in what we think is best for the team. Just about where he can have the greatest impact on our team. And I think a lot of that is nuanced, and probably best to stay between Raffy and [manager] Alex [Cora] and me, but the conversation is productive. I think that's the most important thing.”
What about a trade to shake up the roster?
“I try to be rooted in doing what's best for the team in every decision that I make -- whether that is a personnel decision, a transaction, a conversation -- and that‘s what will continue to guide us," Breslow said. "So if we get to a place where we feel like shaking something up is the right thing for the team, obviously I need to be prepared to do that. But also, I'm not one to kind of scapegoat any individual. We've got 26 guys. We've got a coaching staff that all care deeply about turning this around and making sure we’re winning games. And my job is to help support that and push that in any way that I can.”
Is it hard to make a trade two months before the July 31 Trade Deadline?
“We try to be as proactive and aggressive as we can in engaging, but it's true that teams are still trying to figure out who they are and what direction they want to take," Breslow said. " It's really difficult to line up. But that doesn't mean that we're not going to keep calling and keep having conversations, because we’re looking to improve our team in any way that we can. We had high expectations coming into this season, and thus far, we've fallen short. That is the stark reality of where we are right now.”