Boston Red Sox

Craig Breslow: Red Sox’ offseason hasn’t ‘come together in maybe a way that I had anticipated’

"We’re evaluating every one of those situations independently.”

Craig Breslow hasn't been able to significantly bolster Boston's rotation quite yet. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

By Conor Ryan

February 14, 2024

3 minutes to read

The Red Sox entered this offseason with one critical flaw.

The case could be made that Boston needed a bit more power in the heart of its lineup, sure.

But the obvious avenue the Red Sox needed to take following a third last-place finish in four years was a heavy investment in quality starting pitching.

And with Boston well below the first CBT threshold of $237 million this winter — and several appealing top-line starters on the open market like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Jordan Montgomery, and Blake Snell — Breslow had several options to turn to in search of reinforcements on the mound.

But after stressing in early November that Boston needed a “bonafide starter or two,” Breslow changed his tune on Tuesday afternoon down in Fort Myers.

“I think we can appreciate that things haven’t come together in maybe a way that I had anticipated,” Breslow told Sean McAdam of MassLive.com and other reporters in Florida. “But nonetheless it’s not going to stop up us from trying to pursue that vision of building the standard of quality and consistency that I’ve spoken about.

“It takes a lot for things to come together, and outside of a handful of situations, they haven’t. But it’s not because we haven’t recognized and tried to pursue every possible path.”

Even though Boston did add to its rotation with the signing of righty Lucas Giolito in late December, the team also dealt oft-injured southpaw Chris Sale to the Braves just a day later.

The first formal workouts for pitchers and catchers are expected to begin on Wednesday morning in Fort Myers, but Breslow and the Red Sox still have time to add to this roster before the start of regular-season play.

On Tuesday, Breslow was asked about whether or not the Red Sox would still consider adding to this current group.

“If the situation presents itself and there’s an opportunity to further that vision that I’ve been speaking about, then of course,” he responded. “I don’t think it would make sense to turn away from any opportunity to accomplish that. But it’s also really difficult to predict whether or not that would come together.”

As of Tuesday night, several key free agents remain unsigned across MLB — including top-line starters like Snell and Montgomery.

But Breslow did not offer much when asked about whether or not Boston might still be in play for either starter’s services.

“I think every situation is unique,” Breslow said. “We’ve been pretty transparent about what we’re trying to build and trying to figure out who fits into that and how they fit in is a task in and of itself.

“And then beyond that, for all these things to come together requires mutual interest. It’s really, really difficult to answer specifically, outside of saying we’re evaluating every one of those situations independently.”

Both Snell and Montgomery might remain on the market, but it seems unlikely that either starter will have to eventually settle for a short-term deal or a contract that falls below nine figures.

And given Boston’s hesitancy to flex its fiscal capabilities this offseason, the Red Sox might once again be on the outside looking as another team or two upgrades its rotation later this month.

Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reported Tuesday that the Red Sox have “kept tabs” on Montgomery. However, the chances of the lefty landing in Boston remain slim.

“If it does collapse in a way that makes him available on a shorter-term deal, there’s an industry belief that he’d be more likely to head to a team with a better chance to win in 2024 than the Red Sox,” Speier wrote of Montgomery’s market. “So, not impossible, but highly unlikely.”