Craig Breslow Says Two Prospects 'In The Mix' To Start For Red Sox Down Stretch

These trade acquisitions could be thrust into the spotlight sooner than expected...

Nov 7, 2023; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Boston Red Sox 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

The Boston Red Sox are desperate for pitching depth. It's the biggest concern surrounding the team as they try to make a second-half playoff push.

In particular, the fifth slot in the rotation has become a pain point for the Red Sox, especially since the All-Star break. Boston hoped to solve that problem by acquiring James Paxton from the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline, but Paxton suffered an untimely calf injury on August 12 against the Houston Astros.

With Paxton on the shelf for the foreseeable future, the Red Sox have turned to righty Cooper Criswell for the time being. Criswell has been the fill-in option for Boston all season, and has produced mixed results.

But after Criswell allowed six runs in his most recent outing against the Baltimore Orioles, it appears the Red Sox are at least keeping their options open. That means they could look to promote one of their prospects to fill a starting role sooner than previously anticipated.

As reported by Chris Cotillo of MassLive, Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow believes that current Triple-A starting pitchers Quinn Priester and Richard Fitts are options to start games for the Red Sox down the stretch.

"We’ll continue to have those conversations and continue to work through it. At this point, nothing’s off the table," Breslow said. "We understand where we are and we have to be aggressive in pursuing wins.”

Priester, who was acquired at the trade deadline from the Pittsburgh Pirates, threw five shutout innings in his most recent start in Triple-A. Meanwhile, Fitts, who came to Boston in the Alex Verdugo trade with the New York Yankees, drew high praise from Breslow for his recent improvement.

“Fitts has had a really good month of August so far,” Breslow said. “We’re certainly mindful of that and keeping an eye on him.”

Overall, Fitts has a 4.42 ERA in 21 games this season, all with Worcester. Priester has totaled a 4.60 ERA across 10 minor-league games with Boston and Pittsburgh, and also had a 5.04 ERA in 10 big-league games with the Pirates.

Ultimately, both Fitts and Priester are expected to be impact pitchers for the Red Sox in 2025 and beyond. But if either could help get valuable outs in Boston down the stretch, that could go a long way toward aiding the Red Sox's playoff chances.

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