Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Craig Breslow's decisions have left the Red Sox irrelevant in the AL East this season.
- One key misstep involves a struggling pitcher, Ryan Watson, who remains on the roster despite poor performance.
- The team's lack of a viable third baseman after Alex Bregman's departure highlights another area where urgent upgrades were needed.
The Boston Red Sox really “stepped in it” this year. They’re irrelevant in the AL East and things don’t look like they’ll turn around for the better. It seems every team up in the area is falling shorter and shorter than the last. The New England Patriots lost the Super Bowl. The Boston Celtics and Bruins were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. The Red Sox will be lucky if they’re playing meaningful baseball by July.
The blame? Look no further than Craig Breslow. The team has been to the playoffs once with him calling the shots and the result was getting taken out by the New York Yankees in the first round.
If you were born with five fingers on each hand, pick your favorite. One finger each can go squarely pointed at these five unforgivable mistakes by Breslow that have doomed the Red Sox in 2026.
Craig Breslow found a way to make the Rafael Devers trade a disaster
The San Francisco Giants took a chance on Rafael Devers and probably wish they hadn’t. That is quickly becoming one of the league’s worst contracts and one they’d like to get out from under, too. Somehow, Breslow found a way for the Red Sox to lose this trade, too.
Jordan Hicks was traded to the Chicago White Sox in February and is actually having a good year. James Tibbs was sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Dustin May who is no longer in Boston. Kyle Harrison was sent to the Milwaukee Brewers for several others with the most notable return being Caleb Durbin. Harrison and Durbin are having opposing seasons with Harrison evolving and Durbin looking like he needs a spot on the bench. Literally all Breslow has left directly from this trade is 20-year-old prospect Jose Bello. Which disastrous trade does he end up in?
Firing Alex Cora broke the Red Sox locker room
If you can’t blame yourself, find a scapegoat. The Red Sox chose to move on from Alex Cora and it immediately divided the locker room. Drastic changes like this are meant to galvanize the team. Breslow must’ve read the room incorrectly and he’s now dealing with multiple disgruntled players.
Breslow wasn’t going to fire himself or step away from his position. The managerial change was the easy card to pull and fans remain flabbergasted by the choice. It hasn’t changed a thing and only leaves more doubt.
The Red Sox should have taken the best Jarren Duran offer they got and ran
Jarren Duran was a hot offseason trade candidate. The Red Sox didn’t give in. Rather than build a more complete roster with an actual infield, they chose to go into the season with an overcrowded outfield. Roman Anthony’s injury has made it less of an issue. Still, the time to trade Duran might’ve passed.
Some off-the-field drama with Duran now deleting his social media adds to the distractions the Red Sox didn’t need. Playing poorly and potentially viewed as someone who’d bring bad mojo to any team he is dealt to, Breslow should’ve pushed harder to get a deal done while the market was steaming. At the very least, trade one of the other outfielders and get an even better haul.
Everyday Ryan Watson remains on the roster is a mistake
Ryan Watson is a Rule 5 Draft pick who ended up traded to the Red Sox by the Athletics. The same rules apply. He needs to stay on the roster or be offered back to his original team, the San Francisco Giants. Watson leads the team in relief innings and it’s not going well.
The 28-year-old has a 6.48 ERA and has been nothing more than an innings eater. Are the Red Sox simply looking to wait it out with him? Taking chances is understandable. After success with Justin Slaten who came there in the same manner and the season possibly lost, keeping Watson around for any amount of time suggests a lack of urgency. Watson is far down on the list of Red Sox problems. He's more symbolic.
Boston needed something better at third base even if the plan didn’t include Alex Bregman
Caleb Durbin might not be the “ex-Yankees prospect we can’t believe ended up in Boston” that fans were hoping he would be. He’s not hitting and their backup options at the position aren’t much better. Isiah Kiner-Falefa doesn’t move the needle. Even if their plan didn’t include signing Alex Bregman, the Red Sox had to do something better.
The idea of “it could be worse” with something like Bo Bichette doesn’t resolve anything. Breslow added a lot of quality players this offseason. The problem is they got a lot older with players like Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras. A lot of what they did were temporary solutions to problems they won’t have an answer for soon enough.
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