The Red Sox made one of their clearest organizational statements of the offseason in Las Vegas, and it came before any major transaction even hit the wire. Craig Breslow has been promoted and will now carry the title of President of Baseball Operations as he heads into his fourth season running the club. The role was last held by Dave Dombrowski, while Breslow’s previous title was Chief Baseball Officer.
The move is another sign the Red Sox are sticking with the path they’ve chosen. Breslow’s first three years have come with real highs, including ending a three-year playoff drought and then reaching the postseason in back-to-back seasons.
The front office has also made notable acquisitions and seen internal prospects develop. But the rough patches have been just as visible, from the Rafael Devers situation that ended with him being traded just one and a half seasons into a 10-year contract, to firing Alex Cora, to not re-signing Alex Bregman, to getting handled by the Yankees in the playoffs in consecutive years.
Even with all that turbulence, Boston has kept Breslow in place, and the club had already shown confidence in him by picking up his contract options midseason. Breslow said the new title won’t change his approach. "From a responsibility standpoint, I’m still going to do everything I can to build the best team and best organization possible.”
Another familiar name around the Red Sox also surfaced in a very different way. Former Boston reliever Chris Martin has retired after an 11-year MLB career and two additional seasons in Japan.
The 40-year-old right-hander spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons with the Red Sox, and his first year in Boston was especially strong. Working as the setup man, he made 55 appearances and posted a 1.05 ERA, good enough to earn a fifth-place Cy Young Award vote.
Martin’s path through the game was a long one. He debuted in the majors at 28 with the Rockies in 2014, spent 2015 with the Yankees, then went to NPB.
He returned to MLB with the Rangers in 2018, was traded to the Braves during the 2019 season, and stayed there for the next two years. In 2022, he signed with the Cubs before being traded to the Dodgers.
He then joined the Red Sox the following offseason and finished his career back home in Texas with the Rangers.
All told, Martin appeared in 434 MLB games for seven teams. He closes the book on his career with a 3.53 ERA and 409 strikeouts in 403 innings.
There was also a bit of encouragement for Red Sox fans from Scott Boras, whose annual GM Meetings press conference included comments that pointed toward an active winter in Boston. Asked about the club, Boras didn’t sound like someone expecting the Red Sox to stand still.
"I think that’s very clear that they want to make their team better and add to it," Boras said. He added, "All I know is the communication has been heavy, and there is a real understanding from the ownership on down that they want to advance [past the Wild Card round]”.
Boras represents plenty of the biggest names in the free-agent market, including Tarik Skubal, Randy Arozarena, and Ryan Jeffers. Who Boston will actually pursue is still unknown, but the messaging coming out of Las Vegas at least suggests the Red Sox are in the middle of the action as the industry waits for a wave of moves before Dec. 1.
In Other News...
Red Sox Just Made A Risky Bet On Their Lineup Future
The Red Sox have taken a notable swing at the middle of their lineup, agreeing to a four-year, $58 million contract with Rowdy Tellez after his career-best 2026 season with the Brewers. Tellez arrives with real momentum, coming off a postseason run that ended with NLCS MVP honors, and Boston is clearly betting that his left-handed power can translate into a more permanent role in the heart of the order.
For now, the plan appears to slot Tellez mostly at designated hitter alongside Willson Contreras at first base, a setup that gives the club another proven bat but also deepens an already crowded mix of outfield hitters. The deal also nudges the first-base market upward and fits a broader pattern around the league, with players looking for longer-term security as MLB financial uncertainty lingers. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Fans Have Heard This Triston Casas Hope Before
Triston Casas has become one of the Red Soxs most frustrating what-ifs, a young first baseman whose talent has been interrupted again and again by injuries over the past three seasons. He has appeared in only 92 major league games in that span, and his latest setback has kept him out since he ruptured his left patellar tendon in May 2025 before later undergoing wrist surgery.
Now the organization is reportedly exploring a winter-ball route to help with his recovery and keep his return on track, which at least suggests there is still a plan in place for his future. For Boston, though, it is hard not to hear the optimism with a little caution, because this is not the first time Casas has been viewed as a player on the cusp of getting back on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Make A Surprising Jake Bauers Bet With Bigger Questions Ahead
The Red Sox are making a notable swing on Jake Bauers, reportedly agreeing to a four-year, $58 million deal after he turned down Milwaukees qualifying offer. It is the kind of move that says Boston is buying into the bat first, especially after Bauers breakout beginning in September 2025 pushed him into the conversation as one of the most dangerous hitters in the game and helped carry him to 2026 NLCS MVP honors.
For Boston, the appeal is obvious enough: offense that can change a lineups shape is hard to ignore, even when the roster fit is not perfectly clean. The bigger question now is how the Red Sox plan to sort out the positional puzzle around him, because this is the sort of investment that usually comes with a clear path to playing time. [Read more 🡒]