Red Sox's Latest Move Perfect Example Of What They Should Be Doing
The Boston Red Sox's offseason has been extremely frustrating due to ownership's unwillingness to invest in their flagship franchise after back-to-back last-place finishes in the American League East.
Principal owner John Henry and company have made Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow's job much harder than it should be. With that said, the first-time leader of baseball operations appears to be finding his groove.
Breslow absorbed a roster that lacked pitching depth from the top of the organization through the minor leagues. With a series of moves, Boston was able to improve the short and long-term outlook of the team.
The Red Sox traded right-hander John Schreiber to the Kansas City Royals for touted starting pitching prospect David Sandlin on Saturday -- a move that was praised by analysts but further infuriated a fanbase who is tired of watching the big-league roster underperform.
That move in itself would rob the current roster to improve the future, a trend fans are sick of hearing about. However, Breslow used that open roster spot to sign right-hander Liam Hendricks -- a two-time Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year to a two-year, $10 million deal with another $10 million in incentives and a mutual option for 2026.
The Red Sox swapped out Schreiber for Hendricks at the big-league level and acquired a young player who will immediately become one of the organization's top pitching prospects.
Hendricks will miss significant time due to Tommy John surgery but the deep bullpen can withstand that loss until he's back healthy -- he's aiming for a second-half return. There's a chance Hendricks falls in line as the team's closer in 2025. Once he's placed on the 60-day injured list, Boston will once again have a roster spot to play with.
Breslow is forced to work within the margins until he can prove that the team is worth investing in. No matter how screwed up that is, this is the exact type of move he should continue to target.
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