Why Boston’s quiet offseason says more about Fenway Sports Group than the Red Sox’s chief baseball officer.
Every Christmas brings one question:
Who's getting coal and who's getting the good stuff?
This year, Red Sox fans are questioning whether chief baseball officer Craig Breslow deserves a spot on the nice or naughty list based on his offseason performance, given the team's limited moves and the big expectations coming after last season's progress.
At first glance, Breslow’s on the naughty list.
The Red Sox have hovered around big offseason moves but haven’t closed deals. The true key bat and true top starter are still missing. Fans wanted action to match recent momentum.
However, once you zoom out - and more importantly, once you consider who’s actually holding the purse strings - Breslow probably deserves a spot on the nice list, even if it’s near the bottom.
From everything Breslow has said publicly, his vision has been clear.
He’s acknowledged the need for more offense. He’s talked openly about supplementing the rotation. He’s even admitted that internal improvements alone won’t be enough if the Red Sox want to take the next step. That kind of honesty hasn’t always been a given around here, and it matters.
The problem, as it’s been for years now, isn’t ambition.
Instead, it’s execution - and execution that’s limited by ownership.
Breslow hasn’t been idle. Boston has shown interest in big names, but that only goes so far given ownership's self-imposed cautious spending. If the Red Sox want to talk like contenders, they’ll need to spend as well.
This disconnect isn’t new.
Breslow inherited a job judged by past payroll cuts and missed opportunities. Still, faulting him for the lack of big spending ignores ownership’s reluctance to go beyond their comfort zone.
Breslow has protected the foundation. The young core remains, financial flexibility is intact, and the Red Sox aren’t locked into bad deals. That’s not flashy, but it’s not nothing.
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So where does that leave him?
Ultimately, Craig Breslow isn’t Santa’s MVP this offseason. But he’s also not the Grinch.
He’s operating within the same constraints that have defined this era of Red Sox baseball, trying to push forward without full backing to go all-in.
For now, he lands slightly on the nice list - not because everything’s gone right, but because the bigger issues are above his pay grade. If ownership ever aligns his vision with real spending, we’ll get a much clearer picture of what Breslow can actually do.
So, for now, Breslow gets a cautious thumbs-up - and a warning: patience in Boston only stretches so far.
If a true turnaround is coming, ownership and Breslow together will have to deliver more than words.
Next year’s spot on the nice list will have to be earned.
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.
Category: General Sports
