Red Sox's Craig Breslow Outlines Big Plans To Bolster Roster Ahead Of Trade Deadline

Boston could use some reinforcements

Scott Neville | Jul 26, 2024

Nov 7, 2023; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Boston Red Six chief baseball officer Craig Breslow speaks to the media during the MLB General Manager's Meetings at Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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Boston Red Sox

Will the Boston Red Sox make impactful moves in the coming days as the July 30 trade deadline quickly approaches?

Trade activity has started to heat up notably, allowing Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow to get into the mix with the acquisition of left-handed starter James Paxton from the Los Angeles Dodgers, completing a reunion that was not hard to predict.

While it's good to not only get on the board but do so by shoring up the final rotation spot, Breslow is far from done making moves.

"Breslow says Sox are still open to adding starters but didn’t want to have the deadline pass without adding one, and are glad to have an experienced veteran in Paxton," The Boston Globe's Alex Speier reported Friday. "Team still wants to add a right-handed hitter and reliever."

While none of those priorities are surprising, it's good for Breslow to publically address his game plan. The Red Sox have needed an impactful right-handed bat since spring training and will have a few more days to acquire one.

The bullpen was seen as a real strength for much of the season but elbow injuries to Chris Martin and Justin Slaten have severely limited manager Alex Cora in high-leverage situations -- which was prominent in the first two series of the unofficial second half.

It's unusual to see so much movement five days before the deadline so a significant move could be made anytime from now through Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET. While a premier starting pitcher acquisition is likely off the table, the addition of a right-handed slugger and high-leverage arm would put Boston in a much better position down the stretch as they compete for an American League Wild Card spot.

There have been few connections drawn to either description outside of Los Angeles Angels infielder Luis Rengifo -- who reportedly has been a Red Sox target with the deadline nearing. Over the next few days, the rumor mill will start to take off.

More MLB: Red Sox Urged To Make Surprise Splash For Slugger Despite Dire Need For Pitching Help

Published Jul 26, 2024

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu