{"id":276055,"date":"2025-11-11T09:37:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T09:37:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/276055\/"},"modified":"2025-11-11T09:37:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T09:37:10","slug":"what-will-red-sox-target-in-offseason-breslow-maps-out-priorities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/276055\/","title":{"rendered":"What will Red Sox target in offseason? Breslow maps out priorities"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBoston Red Sox\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t“Someone that we feel like can pitch alongside or slot in behind Garrett and start a playoff game for us.”<\/p>\n

\"Craig
\n\tCraig Breslow has plenty of work to do this offseason. Danielle Parhizkaran\/The Boston Globe\t<\/p>\n

The Red Sox punched their ticket to the postseason for the first time since 2021 this fall.<\/p>\n

But, even with the Red Sox boosted by an influx of young talent this past summer, Boston still has a lot of work to do this offseason <\/a>if a skilled \u2014 albeit flawed \u2014 roster plans on building off the momentum generated by a brief playoff run in October.<\/p>\n

Speaking at the GM Meetings in Las Vegas on Monday night, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow didn\u2019t mince words when asked about Boston\u2019s priorities this offseason.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even with the emergence of Garrett Crochet as Boston\u2019s ace in 2025, Breslow believes that Boston is still in the market for another top arm to pair with Crochet atop the Red Sox\u2019 rotation.<\/p>\n

\u201cParticularly someone that we feel like can pitch alongside or slot in behind Garrett and start a playoff game for us,\u201d Breslow said, per MassLive\u2019s Chris Smith<\/a>. \u201cLast season, [Brayan] Bello played that role for a majority of the season. Lucas [Giolito] played that role for a majority of the season. <\/p>\n

\u201cBecause of the depth that we\u2019ve built up over the last couple of years, we feel pretty good about just overall starting pitching. Kind of maybe Nos. 3ish through 10ish.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even though Bello took another step forward this past season, the righty slowed down over the final month of the regular season \u2014 sporting a 5.40 ERA in five September starts while logging just 2.1 innings of work in his lone playoff start against the Yankees. <\/p>\n

Bello has the means to be a very effective No. 3 starter, but his lack of potent swing-and-miss stuff on the mound might make him a bit of a reach as a No. 2 option behind Crochet.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Boston was also bolstered by a strong season from Giolito (10-4, 3.41 ERA), but the veteran declined his mutual option and will be a free agent this winter.<\/p>\n

If the Red Sox are on the prowl for a legitimate No. 2 option on the mound, they could acquire an elite talent like Minnesota\u2019s Joe Ryan, Milwaukee\u2019s Freddy Peralta, or Washington\u2019s MacKenzie Gore via trade, especially if Boston is willing to part with both MLB talent like Jarren Duran and\/or young arms like Payton Tolle or Connolley Early.<\/p>\n

Boston could also target a free-agent arm like Dylan Cease and Ranger Suarez.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll see what the trade and free agent markets dictate,\u201d Breslow told Smith. \u201cThere are compelling opportunities in both we think. We also are mindful of while believe we\u2019re in a window to contend and to compete for the postseason, World Series championships, we\u2019re also mindful of keeping one eye on the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond Boston\u2019s efforts to resign Alex Bregman,<\/a> the Red Sox will need to add more pop to their lineup this offseason.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If the Red Sox are looking to add power via free agency, a slugger like Kyle Schwarber (56 home runs) or Pete Alonso (38 home runs) would solve plenty of issues for Boston.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to get so anchored to this idea that the only way to score runs is home runs,\u201d Breslow said of Boston\u2019s power shortage this past summer<\/a>, per Smith. \u201cWe showed that that isn\u2019t the case. That said, a disproportionate number of runs are scored in the postseason via the home run. And that\u2019s not something that we can ignore.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd there is just something about a bat in the middle of the lineup that forces another team to game plan against it that I think has a compounding effect on the rest of the roster.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Red Sox have a promising core already in place with players like Crochet, Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Carlos Narvaez under contract for the next few years.<\/p>\n

But, Breslow was candid about the need for the Red Sox to remain aggressive this winter in order to further prop open this new contention window.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile we believe we\u2019re in a window to contend and to compete for the postseason, World Series championships, we\u2019re also mindful of keeping one eye on the future,\u201d Breslow said, per The Boston Globe\u2019s Tim Healey<\/a>. \u201cAnd trading away for really good young players for a starting pitcher is one way of pulling those wins forward. And there are times we showed \u2014 last year being one of them \u2014 that you have to do that. But we also don\u2019t want to be in a position where we\u2019re having to do that year over year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re in a position where we need to improve our 2026 roster. And that means that there are certain trade offs that we have to accept.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\"Profile\t<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.<\/p>\n

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