Red Sox's Breslow Says Team Can Make 'Deep Postseason Run' After Rafael Devers Trade

Boston Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow still believes his team can make a "deep postseason run" despite the franchise's trade of three-time All-Star Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants and a five-game losing streak that's led to a 40-42 record.

“There's obviously a lot of baseball between now and then, but we absolutely went into this season with the expectation that we were going to compete,” Breslow said on Thursday’s “Front Office Report” on WEEI's The Greg Hill Show.

“And looking to the trade deadline as an opportunity to bolster the team, that's still where our heads are. We want to add to this team. We want to improve our chances down the stretch, because we still think that this is a team that's capable of making a deep postseason run, and it's one that we believe in.”

One could argue that the Devers trade runs counter to Breslow's remarks. At the time of the deal (Sunday, June 15), the Red Sox had swept the New York Yankees to move to 37-36 and earn a five-game winning streak. They're now 3-6 without Devers.

The Devers return included four players. One is right-hander Jordan Hicks, who has a 6.47 ERA in 13 games (nine starts) this season. He is currently rehabbing after being placed on the IL with right toe inflammation.

The other three players are in the minors. Left-handed starter Kyle Harrison pitched in the bigs for three years (4.48 ERA over 39 games/35 starts), but he was sent down to Triple-A Worcester.

The other two prospects are outfielder James Tibbs III (No. 8 Boston prospect, per soxprospects.com) and right-hander Jose Bello (No. 45).

It's certainly possible all make positive impact for the Sox at some point down the road, but as for now, it's a move that certainly didn't make Boston better in the shot-term.

Breslow noted, though, that the dollars freed up in getting rid of Devers' contract (more than $250 million remaining through 2033) plus a deeper farm system can help the team be buyers by the July 31 trade deadline. And he said Thursday that Boston would look to improve the team if the deadline was closer.

“We would be looking to improve our team,” he said. “We'd be looking to improve our team for 2025, because despite the fact that we haven't been able to string together the consistent performance that we think we're capable of, we're still very much staring down wild card chances, and nobody has really run away with the AL East. And so, as we start to get healthy, and we start to look externally about ways that we can improve the team, we think we've got a good chance to make a deep, deep postseason run.”

Despite the team's slow start, Boston is only one game back in the win column of the 41-38 Seattle Mariners, who hold the final American League Wild Card spot at the moment. And as Breslow said, no one is running away with the AL East, especially after the division-leading Yankees recently lost nine of 12 games.

Still, Boston has to do some winning here itself to even get in the playoff discussion, let alone be in position to make a deep playoff run. A good home series against the Toronto Blue Jays, who are 3.5 games up on Boston in the AL East, would be a good start. That three-game matchup starts Friday in Fenway Park.