Red Sox’s Craig Breslow Earns Praise From MLB Insider originally appeared on NESN.
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Not much has gone right so far this season for the Boston Red Sox. In particular, the club’s offense has been, well, anemic. Many people point to the loss of third baseman Alex Bregman and the decision not to sign a replacement for him as a big part of the problem.
As a result, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been hearing it from Red Sox Nation.
But wait, folks. There are several silver linings to this slow start, according to WEEI’s Rob Bradford. In particular, Bradford singles out the additions of right-hander Sonny Gray and first baseman Willson Contreras.
“The trades for Gray and Contreras have undoubtedly been steals,” Bradford writes. “Brandon Clarke and Richard Fitts, the headliners of the package sent to Chaim Bloom and Co. for Gray, are both out for the year with injuries. While Hunter Dobbins, who was the chief piece of the Contreras deal for St. Louis, only pitched once in the majors this season before being sent back to Triple-A.
“In other words, the players the Red Sox have gotten from St. Louis are undeniably much more important to the team’s survival in 2026 than what the Red Sox possessed before the trades,” Bradford concludes.
The Red Sox insider makes a good point. Where would the Red Sox be without Gray and Contreras? Let’s start with the veteran right-hander.
Despite missing time with a bum hamstring, the 36-year-old Gray leads the Red Sox with five wins. He hasn’t given up more than one run in his last three starts and sports an impressive 2.93 ERA this season.
And then there’s Contreras, who has been one of the few bright spots on offense. The 34-year-old first baseman leads the Red Sox in home runs (10), RBIs (30) and OPS (.839).
“The Red Sox are 7-3 when Contreras homers, and 6-1 when he drives in two or more runs. All not a coincidence,” Bradford reported Tuesday before Boston beat the Kansas City Royals, 7-1. And to the insider’s point, Contreras picked up three RBIs in the Red Sox’s win.
While it’s way too early to make predictions, it’s safe to say that at this point, Contreras and Gray will earn All-Star consideration. Gray, a three-time All-Star, last played in the Midsummer Classic in 2023. Contreras, also a three-time All-Star, last played in the game in 2022.