This story originally appeared in the Globe’s Sunday Baseball Notes. Read the rest here.
The big news that came out of Craig Breslow’s interview with the Globe this past week was his statement that building a playoff contender was going to be a more deliberate process than the Red Sox led fans to believe in October.
As Chaim Bloom nods his head knowingly, don’t blame Breslow. He was given a budget to work with that apparently doesn’t include top-line free agents.
If you’re hoping the Sox will suddenly change course and sign somebody like Jordan Montgomery, good luck. Agents say the Sox do little more than check in on such players.
What turned into a 30-minute conversation with Breslow did reveal a few positive developments.
He feels good about the pitching infrastructure that is being built. New pitching coach Andrew Bailey had several options before choosing the Red Sox. Director of pitching Justin Willard, who was hired in November, did good work with the Twins.
Dan DeLucia, formerly the minor league rehab pitching coach, has been promoted to Triple A pitching coach. He joined the Red Sox in 2022 after spending nine seasons on the Ohio State staff.
The Sox also hired Kyle Boddy as an adviser. He worked for the Reds in player development during the 2020-21 seasons. Boddy founded Driveline Baseball, the cutting-edge baseball lab in Kent, Wash. Driveline will remain his focus, but Boddy will be available to consult with the Sox.
Brayan Bello has a chance, but the Sox have not developed a starter of note in 15 years or so. Breslow believes that will change soon, citing what he sees as a projectable group of pitchers at Double A who will benefit from the new development group.
Now three months into the job, Breslow acknowledges it has been a challenge running a department with several hundred people while working to build a competitive roster.
“It can feel like you’re not focused enough on one thing because of the cost of something else. This job’s a little bit of Whac-A-Mole,” he said.
Breslow has been leaning on the experience of people who have been with the organization.
“Constantly trying to empower those around me that I’ve identified as deserving of some autonomy,” he said. “Giving them the reins a bit. Every day is an opportunity to share my vision of the organization.”
Breslow elevated Paul Toboni from a scouting role to assistant general manager and indicated other promotions are in the pipeline.
“It’s really important that I balance those people with a wealth of experience and institutional knowledge and the contributions they can make with getting fresh perspectives and new ideas,” he said.
Could there be departures from the staff?
“I want to be very deliberate with how I approach that,” Breslow said. “And balance that out with ensuring that everyone here is in a position to contribute as much as they can.”
Breslow is looking forward to spring training and having the group together in the same place.
A few other observations on the Red Sox:
▪ Fans and media make a lot out of leadership. A player shows emotion or says the right things after a loss and that’s seen as leadership. But leadership is mostly where your feet are.
Triston Casas is a good example. He went to Texas this month to take part in Trevor Story’s minicamp for middle infielders. He then came to Boston to spend time with the players in the rookie development program this past week. Earlier in the offseason, Casas went to the Dominican Republic to spend time with players there.
Casas shows up early for games, stays late, and is always in the batting cage or weight room. He shows up.
The first baseman turned 24 this past week. But he’s what amounts to a veteran presence on the ever-changing Red Sox roster.
▪ Start the countdown on Alex Cora? As the once championship-driven Sox settle into life as a second-tier team, Cora isn’t likely to sit around waiting for the window to open. He’s signed for one more season and would not lack for opportunities as a free agent.
▪ Breslow reiterated his preference for not having a regular designated hitter, saying his plan remains to rotate at-bats through a number of players. He voiced confidence in the idea that left fielder Masataka Yoshida will improve defensively, but ultimately Yoshida may fit best as the DH.
▪ The Sox signed 45 international amateur players this past week. They spent $1 million of their $5.92 million bonus pool on outfielder Vladimir Asencio of the Dominican Republic. The rest was spread around with the idea that the Sox have the means to develop raw talent.
The group included three prospects from the Bahamas. The Sox have signed four Bahamians over the last year.
“That market is teeming with athletes who are just learning to play baseball,” assistant GM Eddie Romero said.
▪ Righthander Isaiah Campbell, who was acquired from Seattle in November, is only the second player from Portugal to make the majors. The first was Frank Thompson, who played 12 games in 1875.
But before the good people of New Bedford invite him to the Portuguese Feast for a linguica sandwich and a malassada, Campbell is an Air Force brat whose father was stationed at Lajes Field on the island of Terceira at the time.
“I’m not Portuguese. But I am from there,” he said. “It’s a fun thing that I’m only the second player born there.”
Campbell grew up in Olathe, Kan., and played at Arkansas. He was a second-round pick in 2019 who made his debut last season. Campbell averaged 95 miles per hour with his fastball last season with Seattle over 39 innings.
“I didn’t expect a trade, but this is a good situation for me,” Campbell said. “Whatever role it is, hopefully I get an opportunity.”
▪ Righthander Anderson Espinoza, once a highly regarded Red Sox prospect, signed to play in Japan for the Orix Buffaloes, Yoshida’s former team.
Espinoza, who turns 26 in March, was traded for Drew Pomeranz in 2016 amid much wailing from the prospect cognoscenti. A series of injuries followed and Espinoza has appeared in only seven major league games.
▪ Jim Rice will be in Cooperstown for the Hall of Fame’s East-West Classic on May 25. He will be one of the coaches in a game that will pay tribute to the Negro League All-Star games of the past.
Former Red Sox David Price and Chris Young will be among the participants.
Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at peteabeglobe.bsky.social.