Biggest Takeaways from Craig Breslow’s Post-Trade-Deadline Media Availability

The 2026 Major League Trade Deadline has come and gone, and the Boston Red Sox were among the most active teams in the league, making three deals, acquiring catcher Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles, outfielder Eli White from the Atlanta Braves, and reliever Erik Miller from the San Francisco Giants. 

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Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow met with the media via Zoom to discuss the moves he made. Here are the biggest takeaways from Breslow’s media availability: 

Breslow is learning from his past mistakes 

In his first two seasons at the helm of the Red Sox, Breslow did not handle the trade deadline well, adding six players who combined for a -0.5 bWAR during their time in Boston as the Red Sox limped to the finish line each year. 

There was no better example of Breslow’s deadline failures than the 2025 pursuit of Minnesota Twins ace Joe Ryan, which ultimately fell short. After failing to land Ryan, Breslow was forced to make a last-minute pivot, acquiring Dustin May from the Los Angeles Dodgers for a pair of prospects, outfielders James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard. 

Jul 29, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcherJoeRyan(41) delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals in the first inning at Target Field. Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

The 2026 deadline, specifically landing Rutschman with several hours to go before the deadline, represented a very different approach than in years past, as Breslow acted with an urgency we have not yet seen from him. 

“I do think our strategy this year was more about targeting players that met our needs… and going out and targeting them and trying to be aggressive in bringing them in, as opposed to sitting back and waiting for the market to come to us,” Breslow said. 

Breslow showed another major area of growth in his role when he met with the media after completing the Connelly Early for Curtis Mead trade on July 26. In prior seasons, it felt as though he was obsessed with “winning a trade” rather than making a move that made the team better. 

Sep 9, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman (35) makes his way to the bullpen before the start of the game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. David Butler II-Imagn Images

“Trying to find an opportunity to win a trade is not nearly as easy as maybe it would’ve been at another point, and instead, in this position, I’ve tried to shift to our goal not to win the trade; our goal is to make our major league team better,” he said. 

When the Red Sox first hired Breslow, he had not worked in a front office in person, as his role with the Chicago Cubs was completely remote. There were always expected to be growing pains in a market that doesn’t handle them well. However, for the first time in his three-year tenure, it feels as though he’s actually turned a corner and taken a major step forward in his role. 

Breslow believes this is a team capable of winning a World Series 

After a weekend sweep of the defending champion Dodgers, the Red Sox went into the deadline feeling like they could run with any team in baseball, and, with the right additions, compete for a World Series title. While there remain questions on the Red Sox roster, including Rutschman’s return from injury, which Breslow would not put a timeline on, who will man the shortstop position moving forward, and how the team will manage the increased workload on their young starters. However, one thing is abundantly clear based on Breslow’s aggressive deadline approach: this is a team that is more than capable of winning a World Series. 

"The way that these guys have played, the job they've done on the field, the coaching staff, the way the fans have supported this team and the turnaround... we wanted to do everything that we could to give us the best chance to go out and compete for a World Series," Breslow said. 

Brayan Bello is set for an increased roleJul 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Brayan Bello (66) pitches during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Speaking of how the team may handle the increased workload on its starting rotation, Breslow mentioned Brayan Bello by name when asked how they foresee the rotation playing out down the stretch.

“We were mindful of the workload that our starting pitchers are taking on, but also feel like we do have some depth,” he said. “You see the job that Bello’s done pitching out of the bullpen,” he continued. 

After struggling in the rotation, Bello has thrived in a new bullpen role, posting a 0.69 ERA in 39 innings of relief. However, the Red Sox have struggled to identify an opener for Bello, often finding themselves in the same hole they would have been in had the 27-year-old simply started the game.

Aug 1, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Payton Tolle(70) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning at Dodger Stadium. William Navarro-Imagn Images

As the Red Sox manage the workload of their rotation, specifically rookies Jake Bennett and Payton Tolle, could the answer simply be one of the two rookies serving as a de facto opener for Bello? 

Regardless of how interim manager Chad Tracy deploys him, Bello is sure to see an increased role down the stretch after failing to add to the rotation. 

Franklin Arias is an option at shortstop

The Red Sox were linked to nearly every big-name shortstop rumored to be available at the deadline, none of whom wound up being dealt. However, with Marcelo Mayer in San Francisco and Trevor Story’s injury status still up in the air, shortstop remains one of the biggest questions that remains for 2026 and beyond. 

Red Sox No. 1 prospect Franklin Arias walks into the WooSox dugout at Polar Park on July 24, 2026, after he was promoted to Triple-A Worcester from Double-A Portland. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Breslow was asked if he foresaw the team’s top prospect, 20-year-old shortstop Franklin Arias, who was recently promoted to Triple-A Worcester, could help the major league team down the stretch, and while he didn’t make any promises, it sure sounds like Arias will be an option for the team down the stretch. 

“I hate to put those types of expectations on a 20-year-old,” he said. “But what I am very excited to say is that every challenge he has faced he has met… We'll continue to take note of what he's doing... and if he is the person who can help us, we'll have that conversation when it comes time,” he continued. 

Surely Story will get the first crack at reclaiming the position when he returns from sports hernia surgery in the coming weeks; however, if his struggles from early in the season follow, Arias may get the chance to make his major league debut as the Sox make their playoff push. 

Up next for the Sox

After an off day on Monday, the Red Sox will look to push their four-game winning streak to five on Tuesday night as they welcome the Chicago White Sox to Fenway Park for a three-game set. Davis Martin (9-5, 3.62 ERA) will get the start for Chicago, while the Red Sox have not yet named a starter. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. ET. 

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