MLB’s annual GM meetings kicked off on Monday in Las Vegas, where Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow told a small group of reporters about the team’s offseason plans and priorities during a 30-minute media session at the Cosmopolitan hotel.
While Breslow has already been fairly open about the Red Sox’s needs during recent appearances, he emphasized several of their goals for the coming winter, including adding an elite starting pitcher and a middle-of-the-order bat.
On the pitching side, Boston feels comfortable with its overall depth but is looking for a No. 2 starter to slot behind Garrett Crochet in the rotation. Breslow said he’s open to acquiring one via trade (like Crochet) or free agency.
“Because of the depth that we’ve built up over the last couple of years, we feel pretty good about just overall starting pitching and numbers 3-ish through 10-ish (on the depth chart),” Breslow said via Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. “If we’re going to make a starting pitching addition, I think it should be somebody who can pitch at the front of a rotation and start a playoff game for us.”
The Red Sox likely want to avoid the situation they found themselves in during October, when they were forced to start rookie Connelly Early in a playoff elimination game at Yankee Stadium. It also explains why they declined to give Lucas Giolito a $22.05 million qualifying offer last week, as he’s more of a mid-rotation arm who doesn’t really fit what they’re looking for.
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Boston is also seeking an impact slugger who can add some pop to its lineup, which lost its top power hitter after trading Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in June. Nobody on the roster hit more than 25 home runs last season, and the Red Sox finished 15th in homers.
“I think someone who is a threat who can hit in the middle of the order, can lengthen our lineup, is going to be something we’re going to pursue,” Breslow said. “That is absolutely a path to improving our team.”
Re-signing All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman is also a priority, although Breslow didn’t have much to say on that front.
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“I’m going to stop short of talking about individual pursuits,” Breslow said. “We recognize what he has done for us. We also recognize what he could potentially do for us.”
Breslow has a lot on his plate this offseason, but it sounds like he has a clear plan and vision for navigating the next few months.
