If we're being reasonable, it's fair to say that Craig Breslow's reputation is far from solidified as a lead executive. Breslow took the Chief Baseball Officer role with the Boston Red Sox, leaving the front office of the Chicago Cubs, after the 2023 season. In the new role, Breslow has not been trigger-happy, and it's hard to tell thus far if he's being simply gun-shy or more methodical.
Less patient fans have already decided they feel Breslow is too slow to make moves and setting the team up for a miserable next few years. To be sure, based on what we've seen so far, it is difficult to see them making a MLB postseason run in 2024.
The latest of Breslow's moves came on Saturday, when he traded John Schreiber for minor league right-hander David Sandlin according to multiple reporters, first of them ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Trade news: The Kansas City Royals are acquiring right-handed reliever John Schreiber from the Boston Red Sox for minor league right-hander David Sandlin, sources tell ESPN. Royals get an arm for a pen that needed it, Sox get a pitching prospect with strikeout stuff.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 17, 2024
Red Sox continue to look toward future rather than present with latest trade
Boston traded a solid relief arm in Schreiber for a pitcher who has yet to emerge as a definite league piece. Schreiber is coming up on his 30th birthday, but surely has gas left in the tank on his MLB career.
The terribly loud part of the trade is that the Red Sox continue to value pieces that may pay off for them in a few seasons.
It's unfair to say Breslow isn't doing his job, as he's clearly building out a vision that requires patience to be judged with accuracy. We can't look at his moves and judge them without a fair bit of retrospect applied.
He presumably has faith from ownership over his patient, slow-and-steady approach, but the fanbase is just never going to be quite so quick to buy into a path that, honestly, probably means more losses than wins in the immediate future.
If the Sox can start winning at a high level within five years, everyone will forget they ever had an issue with Breslow's plan.