A little over a year ago Craig Breslow was hired as the Boston Red Sox’s new chief baseball officer, and immediately upon his arrival he began working to improve a club that was coming off back-to-back last-place finishes.
Though it’s far too early to judge his job performance as a whole — the fruits of his labor behind the scenes in areas like the farm system and the club’s new pitching program won’t become apparent for a while — we can assess how his moves have made a difference at the big league level. Here is every significant move Breslow made through his first season and how each of them have worked out so far.
Traded INF Luis Urias for RHP Isaiah Campbell
Breslow’s first move as Red Sox boss was trading utility infielder Luis Urias to the Mariners for Isaiah Campbell, a promising rookie who had posted a 2.83 ERA in 27 MLB games after debuting midseason in 2023. Campbell was expected to be a key bullpen piece but wound up battling injuries all year, ultimately allowing 12 earned runs in just 6.2 innings pitched. Urias batted .191 with a .696 OPS in 41 games.
Traded OF Alex Verdugo for RHPs Greg Weissert, Richard Fitts and Nicholas Judice
Widely viewed as a potential trade piece heading into the offseason, Alex Verdugo was ultimately moved in a rare deal with the New York Yankees. In exchange, the Red Sox received three pitchers, with Greg Weissert being the one with the best chance to immediately impact the big league team.
Weissert wound up leading the team in games pitched with 62, posting a 3.13 ERA over 63.1 innings. He did struggle at times and spent a month in Triple-A, but upon his return in late August he was dominant, posting 17 consecutive appearances without allowing an earned run to finish the season.
Richard Fitts, the top prospect acquired in the deal, also enjoyed a strong season at Triple-A and earned an extended big league audition in September, posting a 1.74 ERA over 20.2 innings in his first four MLB starts. Nicholas Judice appeared in eight games between rookie ball and Low-A in his first season as a professional.
Verdugo, meanwhile, had an underwhelming first season in the Bronx. He batted .233 with 13 home runs, 61 RBI and a .647 OPS and has recently begun ceding playing time to rookie Jasson Dominguez.
Acquired RHP Justin Slaten in exchange for minor league pitcher
The Red Sox had their eye on Justin Slaten from the beginning, and when the promising right-hander was selected by the New York Mets in the Rule 5 Draft, Breslow immediately swung a deal to get their guy. Slaten was acquired in exchange for minor league lefty Ryan Ammons and he quickly proved himself arguably the most impactful addition of the offseason. Slaten posted a 2.93 ERA over 55.1 innings as a rookie, and going forward he will be a candidate to potentially close.
Acquired OF Tyler O’Neill in exchange for RHPs Nick Robertson and Victor Santos
Needing a right-handed outfielder following the departures of Verdugo and Adam Duvall, Breslow brought in Tyler O’Neill from the St. Louis Cardinals. A two-time Gold Glove winner who had shown impressive flashes of power but also significant durability concerns, O’Neill wound up being a great addition to the club, hitting 31 home runs despite being limited to only 113 games. Neither Nick Robertson nor Victor Santos, the pitchers Boston gave up in the deal, made an impact for the Cardinals.
Signed RHP Cooper Criswell
A move that flew under the radar at the time, Cooper Criswell wound up being among the most important additions of this past offseason. Signed for just $1 million, Criswell emerged as a reliable No. 5 starter and occasional bulk man out of the bullpen. He finished the season with a 4.08 ERA over 99.1 innings and will remain under team control through the 2029 season.
Traded LHP Chris Sale for 2B Vaughn Grissom
This one is tough. After battling one injury after another for five years, the Red Sox finally pulled the plug on the Chris Sale era, trading the lefty to the Atlanta Braves with one year remaining on his contract in exchange for promising young infielder Vaughn Grissom. Sale immediately rediscovered his old dominance and is the favorite to win the National League Cy Young Award. Meanwhile, Grissom endured an injury-plagued season and now faces questions over whether he actually can be the club’s second baseman of the future.
Grissom could still develop into an impact player through the remainder of the decade, but as far as Year 1 is concerned, it’s hard to imagine this deal could have gone any worse.
Signed RHP Lucas Giolito
The same weekend he traded Sale to the Braves, Breslow went out and signed right-hander Lucas Giolito as his de facto replacement. One of the most durable pitchers in baseball over the prior five years, Giolito was meant to bring stability to a rotation that sorely needed it, but in a cruel twist he wound up going down with a season-ending elbow injury weeks into camp. Giolito will pick up his $19 million player option in 2025 and is expected to be fully healthy by the start of spring training.
Claimed INF Romy Gonzalez off waivers
Picked up off the scrap heap in the dead of winter, Romy Gonzalez wound up becoming a solid bench piece for the Red Sox, batting .266 over 89 games while appearing at every defensive position besides pitcher and catcher.
Traded RHP John Schreiber for RHP David Sandlin
With numerous new arms like Weissert, Campbell and Slaten in the equation, Breslow decided to sell high on John Schreiber, who had been among the club’s top incumbent bullpen arms the prior two seasons. He dealt Schreiber to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for David Sandlin, a highly regarded pitching prospect who now ranks No. 11 in Boston’s system, according to Baseball America. Schreiber pitched well in his first season in Kansas City, posting a 3.66 ERA in 51.2 innings to earn a spot on the Royals’ playoff roster.
Signed RHP Liam Hendriks
When the Red Sox signed Liam Hendriks to a two-year, $10 million deal, they did so knowing he’d miss most, if not all, of his first season recovering from Tommy John surgery. A late-season setback wound up preventing him from pitching in the majors this year, but Hendriks should be ready to step in as one of the club’s top high-leverage arms in 2025.
Signed RHP Chase Anderson
Signed just before Opening Day to shore up the back of Boston’s bullpen, Chase Anderson posted a 4.85 ERA in 52 innings as the Red Sox’s bulk man. He was designated for assignment on July 28 as part of a larger roster shakeup following the acquisitions of James Paxton and Danny Jansen.
Acquired 1B Garrett Cooper for cash
When Triston Casas went down with his rib injury, Breslow brought in Garrett Cooper from the Cubs to help man the fort in his absence. The former All-Star didn’t make an impact, batting .171 with a .455 OPS in 24 games. He was designated for assignment on June 11.
Acquired LHP Bailey Horn for cash
Looking for another left-handed bullpen option, Breslow acquired Bailey Horn from the Chicago White Sox, who had recently designated him for assignment, in late April. Horn was called up two months later on June 29 but did not enjoy success in the majors, posting a 6.50 ERA in 18 big league appearances.
Signed 1B Dominic Smith
Still needing a viable fill-in for Casas at first base, Breslow signed Dominic Smith after the veteran opted out of his prior deal with the Tampa Bay Rays on May 1. Smith provided adequate production, batting .237 with six home runs in 84 games while providing memorable moments when called upon as an emergency pitcher late in blowouts. Once Casas was ready to return, however, Smith became expendable. He was designated for assignment on Aug. 16.
Acquired LHP James Paxton for infield prospect
Going into the trade deadline the Red Sox needed another starting pitcher to help fortify their rotation. Breslow went out and got James Paxton, the former Red Sox lefty who’d signed with the Dodgers in free agency the prior winter, in exchange for 17-year-old infielder Moises Bolivar. Paxton wound up only making three starts for the Red Sox before suffering a season-ending calf injury. Shortly afterward he announced his intention to retire at the end of the season.
Acquired C Danny Jansen for three prospects
To help balance Boston’s lineup and provide another right-handed threat, Breslow acquired Danny Jansen from the Toronto Blue Jays to complement Connor Wong and replace the left-handed hitting Reese McGuire in the catching rotation. Jansen did not make much of an impact, batting .188 with three home runs and a .623 OPS in 30 games with the Red Sox.
To get Jansen, Boston gave up shortstop prospects Cutter Coffey and Eddinson Paulino along with right-hander Gilberto Batista. Paulino and Coffey rank No. 17 and 22 respectively on Toronto’s Top 30 prospects list, according to MLB Pipeline.
Acquired RHP Quinn Priester for 2B Nick Yorke
Recognizing that his path to the majors was likely blocked, Breslow traded former first-round pick Nick Yorke to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for 23-year-old right-hander Quinn Priester, himself a former first-round pick who immediately became one of Boston’s most promising young pitchers. Priester started Boston’s season finale and should compete for an Opening Day roster spot next spring, and Yorke was called up by the Pirates and batted .216 with a pair of home runs in his first 11 MLB games.
Acquired RHP Lucas Sims for pitching prospect
With the bullpen in free fall, Breslow executed a pair of trade deadline deals intended to shore up the late innings and keep the Red Sox in the playoff hunt. The first was for Cincinnati Reds right-hander Lucas Sims, who posted a 6.43 ERA over 14 appearances and spent several weeks on the injured list shortly after his arrival. The pitching prospect Boston gave up to get him, 19-year-old righty Ovis Portes, had been one of the club’s breakout performers in the Florida Complex League, though he is not ranked among Cincinnati’s Top 30 prospects.
Acquired RHP Luis Garcia for four prospects
Time will tell if the Red Sox regret giving up Portes for Sims, but the Luis Garcia trade already looks like a costly mistake. The 37-year-old fell far short of expectations following his arrival, posting an 8.22 ERA in 15.1 innings while also spending time on the injured list, and several of the prospects Breslow shipped to the Los Angeles Angels have already reached the majors.
The big loss was Ryan Zeferjahn, a hard-throwing right-hander who was one of Boston’s early-season minor league success stories. He posted a 2.12 ERA in 17 innings after being promoted by the Angels, and given the way things played out the Red Sox probably would have been better off just promoting him alongside former WooSox teammates Luis Guerrero, Richard Fitts and Zach Penrod.
First baseman Niko Kavadas endured a rockier big league introduction, batting .183 with four home runs in 30 games. Boston also gave up outfielder Matthew Lugo and right-hander Yeferson Vargas.
Signed LHP Rich Hill
Breslow’s last notable move was a cool story, but one that didn’t amount to much. After spending his summer coaching his son, the 44-year-old Rich Hill signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox on Aug. 17 and was added to the big league roster about a week later. He came out of the bullpen and threw 1.1 scoreless innings in his season debut on Aug. 29, making him one of a small handful of players to appear in 20 MLB seasons, but he ultimately only pitched in four games. He was designated for assignment on Sept. 6.
