Craig Breslow's attempt to overhaul Red Sox bullpen was a trade deadline failure

The Great Pyramids were architectural and construction masterpieces that did not magically appear overnight. The Egyptian countryside is littered with failed attempts at the pyramid building.

Craig Breslow has encountered his own pyramids with his attempts to stabilize a deteriorating Boston Red Sox bullpen pitching staff. Breslow has failed.

The pitchers Boston brought in at the trade deadline have run up medical bills and stuffed the IL with new names. If this were blackjack, the house would have Breslow's salary, pension, and a kidney to pay the debt. Since July 1, the Red Sox bullpen has been last in the American League. Breslow's misfortune extended to returnee James Paxton, who promptly went down for the count.

Boston has lately displayed all the management patience of vintage George Steinbrenner, who could fire and rehire his GM and manager within the confines of a game. Dave Dombrowski was booted to the exit a year after winning it all. Chaim Bloom lasted long enough for his coffee to get cold, and now Breslow has to rest uneasily. So far, the bullpen strategy is pure whack-a-mole. Many have tried. Many have failed.

Craig Breslow's bullpen moves doomed the Wild Card chances

Forget about the position players. The Red Sox system churns those out like the IRS does threatening tax letters. They just have to figure out who can catch the damn ball and throw it without decking several fans — pitching is where Breslow will earn his keep or become a casualty.

Breslow hired Andrew Bailey, and the management boffins have emphasized pitching. The problem is Breslow's string of bad luck, or poor research, started with the signing of starter Lucas Giolito, who folded like a cheap beach chair. Next in the misery index was the untimely injury to Garrett Whitlock. The starters should set the table, and since July 1, they have been — to be polite — "inconsistent," but the 'pen has disappeared.

The Red Sox farm system has a smattering of pitching, but none of their prospects appear on the same trajectory as Brayan Bello — hopefully, that will change. The recent draft saw the team load up on the pitching side, and the apparent strategy was to throw it against the wall and see what sticks. Just who sticks could determine Breslow's future.

Breslow's tenure is less than one year, but the results have not been promising. Based on a voracious fan base and petulant, results-oriented senior management, Breslow needs a home run or at least a triple. Will he be given the keys to Daddy's car to implement high-profile trades and free-agent signings? Give him his shot!

In today's pitching world, the starter is limited, and then the bullpen takes over. This is not the baseball of the last century, and the latest endangered species is the complete game. Breslow, a former pitcher who made his living out of the 'pen, needs his game face to get this team in gear for 2025, and it starts with a shattered pen.

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