Why Craig Breslow Felt Red Sox ‘Deserved Reinforcements’

BOSTON — Craig Breslow had decisions to make in his first trade deadline directing the Red Sox.

The first-year chief baseball officer saw his team one game out of a playoff spot and seven games over .500 to start the day. Boston clearly showed promise and progress throughout the season. Their style of play has the Red Sox right in the thick of the postseason hunt.

In a change of pace from similar spots the last two seasons, Breslow and company brought in six total players to boost Boston down the stretch. For weeks, Breslow voiced his desire to pick a lane for the franchise’s actions at the deadline.

While none of the moves should be defined as a splash, the Red Sox got better on Tuesday.

“Any time you can go into a deadline with a clearly-defined shopping list and walk out feeling like you accomplished it, I think you feel good about it,” Breslow told reporters at Fenway Park. “This team has shown that they are more than capable. We’re winning. We have our sights set squarely on the playoffs and deserved some reinforcements. I think the combination of the last couple of days and some guys getting healthy positioned us really well.”

Boston parted with a number of prospects from a talented farm system, though none of them were ranked among the top handful of the organization. Still, it’s a change in direction from previous deadlines that hurt the Red Sox in recent seasons.

“My guess is we traded a lot of major-league talent today,” Breslow added. “This is where we are. I think the team has shown they deserve to be reinforced.”

The Red Sox have a boost and look for momentum into August to reset momentum in the height of the playoff hunt.