FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The sun was shining brightly on the eve of the first official workout of Spring Training at JetBlue Park, and the fields were already full of players and top prospects getting their reps in.
All that was missing on Tuesday? The right-handed bat that chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been coveting for weeks but has not been able to acquire up to this point. Breslow isn’t in the business of naming names, but free agent Alex Bregman and trade candidate Nolan Arenado are two who could fill the team’s most significant remaining need.
The quest is continuing in earnest, said Breslow.
“Right now, we're still pursuing a right-handed bat, and we’re hopeful that we'll be able to accomplish that,” said Breslow.
Unlike a year ago and most of the four-year Chaim Bloom era, Breslow emphasized that the Red Sox are no longer doing the delicate balancing act of present and future, in which the club had tilted more toward the latter.
While the continued growth of young players and the potential arrival of Kristian Campbell (MLB’s No. 7 prospect) by Opening Day are on the table, the clear goal is on ending a three-year postseason drought.
“[Given] the importance that we've placed on winning in 2025, we're going to make moves in line with that,” Breslow said. “I think there is a time where the needle is pointed more towards building for the future and often my role is to balance both of those things. But there's no question that we're more calibrated toward winning in 2025.”
With a lineup that includes Jarren Duran, Rafael Devers, Triston Casas, Wilyer Abreu and Masataka Yoshida as left-handed-hitting threats, the Red Sox need to balance things out with some right-handed power to go with Trevor Story.
Given that filling that need was a stated priority of the club’s even before Tyler O’Neill (31 homers last year) departed for the Orioles, is Breslow surprised he hasn’t been able to match up with anyone yet?
“There's always some level of surprise, I guess,” said Breslow. “Unfortunately, we don't control the timeline exclusively and obviously we haven't lined up on anything yet, but we'll continue to be as aggressive as we can.”
Here were some other items of interest from Tuesday’s availabilities with Breslow and manager Alex Cora.
All eyes on the kids
With Campbell, Roman Anthony (MLB’s No. 2 prospect) and Marcelo Mayer (MLB No. 12) all in big league camp for the first time, Cora arrived early to spend a few days trailing them around before things get busy.
“It's something that I wanted to do. It feels like you come here earlier and earlier, compared to in the past,” Cora said. “But just to be able to connect with players and then see them in this environment without the cameras and all that, it was gratifying.”
Second base the position to watch
Second base -- a position that has been in continual flux since the departure of Dustin Pedroia -- will be a focal point of camp. Campbell, Vaughn Grissom and speedy David Hamilton will all have a chance to win the job. Hamilton would also profile well as a versatile defender off the bench. Grissom has perhaps the most to prove of any player in camp after a tough ’24, when he was oft-injured and largely ineffective when he did play, save for a promising glimpse late in the season.
“We saw at times Hammy was able to be this really dynamic player on both sides of the ball and added an element of speed and athleticism that was a real weapon,” Breslow said. “Vaughn will be the first one to sit up here and say that last year was a struggle and a lost season in a lot of ways for him, but we're really optimistic about his ability to bounce back. He’s worked so hard this offseason. He looks great. He's added about 20 pounds, and we believe that he's going to impact the ball even more.”
Six-man rotation in play
As it currently stands, the Red Sox, who have added Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler and a healthy Lucas Giolito to their existing core, have more starting pitchers on the depth chart than spots available. A six-man rotation could alleviate the logjam.
“We’re definitely considering it,” said Breslow. “I think there are a few factors that will help determine the viability. Obviously, health is one. Performance is another. We'll take a look at the schedule early in the season and try to optimize matchups and recovery, but it's definitely in consideration, I think, largely because we have a number of starting pitchers who are Major League caliber, who are capable of helping us win games.”