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Red Sox’s Craig Breslow Talks Culture Shift Following Rafael Devers Trade

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sam Bernardi | Last updated Jun 17, 2025 3:55 PM ET

Boston Red Sox fans can not help but feel déjà vu.

In December 2023, Boston shipped its star pitcher, Chris Sale, to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Vaughn Grissom. In February of 2020, the Red Sox traded their franchise superstar, Mookie Betts, to the Los Angeles Dodgers, along with David Price, for Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs, and Connor Wong.

Now, it’s Rafael Devers’ turn. The trade with the San Francisco Giants has sent shockwaves throughout the baseball community and leaves Boston in an all-too-familiar situation.

However, neither Sale nor Betts was traded for the same reasons as Devers. Sale had dealt with injuries and was entering a contract year. Betts was also in the final year of his deal, and the Red Sox could not afford to let him walk for nothing.

Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow has outspokenly defended the Devers trade, and this one goes far beyond the on-field production and numbers.

Here is what Breslow had to say, via Ian Browne of MLB.com:

"We have a number of young players who are in the big leagues, and we're really excited about them, and we're very, very deliberate and intentional about the environment that we want to create," Breslow said. "And ultimately, we believe that we're positioning the organization to win a bunch of games, both in 2025 and beyond."

This quote from Craig Breslow tells you a lot. I think we can all read between the lines on this.
"We have a number of young players who are in the big leagues, and we're really excited about them, and we're very, very deliberate and intentional about the environment that we want…
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) June 17, 2025

Breslow needed more from his highest-paid player. Devers had signed a 10-year, $313.5 million contract, and his reluctance to move from third base, plus his unwillingness to learn first base, did not send the right messages to this young core.

There is still plenty of time for the Red Sox to make some noise this season. They sit at 38-36 and, while in fourth place in the American League East, are just 5.5 games back of the New York Yankees.

It is now up to the rookies, Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell, to make Breslow’s gamble worth it.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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