With free agency locked down until the end of the World Series, there’s just not a lot for Red Sox fans to do right now except watch other teams play baseball. But that’s not to say there isn’t some kind of Red Sox connection in today’s games. Quinn Priester, who was dealt away at the beginning of the season only to blossom into a mainstay of the Brewers rotation, will start Game 3 against the Cubs momentarily. It’s not his first time in Wrigley Field in the postseason, though. He was there during their magical 2016 run as a fan. (Steve Megargee, Boston Globe)
Priester was traded in part because the Red Sox thought they had enough starting pitching depth in the upper minors coming into 2025. Luis Perales wasn’t one of those depth arms at the time, because he was still recovering from Tommy John. But he’s back on the mound now — and he’s throwing 101 MPH. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
It’s safe to say that the Quinn Priester trade doesn’t look too hot right now. But that’s not the only misjudgment Craig Breslow made this year. It’s increasingly clear that his relative inaction at the trade deadline played a role in the Sox’ playoff ouster. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
Of course when viewing Breslow’s trade deadlines, it’s instructive to remember that he’s still new at this job, and has far less front office experience than most of his peers. And it now sounds like he’s planning on being aggressive this offseason, saying that “[there’s] no guarantee that we just pick up where we left off at the end of 2025. Just kind of expecting everyone to take a step forward, I think, could allow us to be complacent or to fall flat.” (Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)
So what will be the targets of his aggressiveness? How about power bats and front line starters. (Ian Browne, MLB.com)
But there’s no question that, given the question marks surrounding certain opt-outs and player health, this is going to be a complicated offseason. (Rob Bradford, WEEI)
