Red Sox Leader Sends Clear Message To Craig Breslow With Deadline Looming

As the Boston Red Sox leave Minnesota, the burden shifts from the players to the front office.

The Red Sox took two of three from the Minnesota Twins this week, putting them at 59-51, firmly in playoff position, as the trade deadline approaches. The next time they take the field, they'll do so with what they hope is their best possible roster for the rest of the season.

Boston just went 16-6 in its last 22 games before the deadline. They're playing like a team that's worthy of a lift from chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and the front office, preferably in the form of a starting pitcher, a reliever, and a slugging first baseman.

Though they might not get all of those things, shortstop Trevor Story clearly believes his team deserves reinforcements. He said it plainly after the final out of Boston's 13-1 victory over the Twins on Wednesday afternoon.

“I think (we made a statement),” said Story, per Sean McAdam of MassLive. “It was a tough stretch of games to play and all of it happened right around the deadline. I think we kind of announced the type of team we can be. There’s a lot of season left; we know that. But we feel like we’re in a good position to kind of go forward.”

Story was fantastic in the Twins series, shaking off a rough 15-game stretch with two homers and two doubles in the last 24 hours. And he's not the only one who's been going off - outfielders Roman Anthony and Jarren Duran have been unconscious since manager Alex Cora moved them to the leadoff and third spots in the order, respectively.

Breslow made one polarizing trade back in June, sending superstar Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants. But Story, one of the undisputed leaders of the clubhouse, insists that the team's faith hasn't wavered in Breslow and the front office.

“We trust them and we trust that it’s the same messaging that it’s always been," said Story, per McAdam. "Even after the (Devers) trade, we didn’t know what was going. But their message to us was, ‘We believe in you and we continue on.’

“We feel like we’ve played well and we’re in a good spot to add and kind of bolster our team even more.”

The ball is in your court, Mr. Breslow. Boston can do serious damage in the weak American League playoff picture with the right roster tweaks in the next 24 hours.