If the Boston Red Sox have learned anything through the first quarter of the season, it's that their current offensive pace is unsustainable for a playoff team — or even a fourth-place team in the American League East.
Alex Cora's firing and Chad Tracy's promotion has shown that Boston's management wasn't the problem, but that the "run prevention" strategy doesn't work if the offense can't generate more than two runs of support for its pitchers on any given night. The Sox's bats rank close to the bottom of the league in almost every category, and players they were supposed to be able to lean on for frequent offense and power aren't performing, including Trevor Story, Jarren Duran and Roman Anthony.
According to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe, the Red Sox are already discussing trades internally to address their spring troubles (subscription required). Other struggling teams are reportedly doing the same, but Speier notes that it's quite early for so many teams to be exploring trade options and that it could be difficult to entice anyone into a deal at this point.
Since the AL has been so underwhelming all-around, teams will likely seek astronomical returns for their available players. That raises questions about how comfortable the Red Sox should be with Craig Breslow making any more trades.
Red Sox debating trades to save offense but Craig Breslow's freedom should be limited
Breslow is scrambling to save his job in Boston's front office. Neither of his predecessors, Chaim Bloom and Dave Dombrowski, lasted more than four years in the chief baseball officer spot. Breslow is in the middle of his third season. He fired Cora in an act of desperation after the first season of his three-year contract extension. Any trade Breslow makes could be equally desperate.
The Red Sox should limit Breslow's freedom on the trade market after his many poor swaps in the last few years. Breslow has butchered two trade deadlines, soured the organization's relationship with Rafael Devers, dished James Tibbs III and Kyle Harrison, who are balling out for their current teams, traded Chris Sale away before his Cy Young-winning season for a dud of a return and didn't trade an outfielder when he should've. Willson Contreras has undeniably been an excellent addition to the team, but Johan Oviedo has been on the injured list since his first appearance and is otherwise a complete wild card, while Caleb Durbin has failed to deliver offensively.
If Breslow is destined to be dismissed at the end of the year (which is safe to assume if the Red Sox can't turn it around offensively) he shouldn't be allowed to act too impulsively. If Breslow isn't going to be in Boston for the future, he shouldn't influence it any further. He's made some objectively great trades since he came to the Red Sox and he could have a great idea to save the season, but his movements should be limited unless he can find a perfect deal.
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