When the Boston Red Sox broke spring training in late March, they did so with five outfielders for three spots. That was less than ideal and put former manager Alex Cora in a tough spot. After he was fired in April, it became Chad Tracy’s problem.
After being buried in the basement of the American League East Division and wild-card standings, a 15-game winning streak in July changed everything. They are now in the second AL wild-card spot, two games behind the New York Yankees for home-field advantage in the postseason. They suddenly became buyers instead of sellers at the trade deadline.
Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow went all-in at the trade deadline on Monday. He acquired all-star catcher Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles. Breslow also landed another outfielder, Eli White, from the Atlanta Braves for pitcher Tyler Uberstine. When healthy, there is a huge logjam in the outfield, but Breslow believes it is something that they will be able to manage.
Craig Breslow Explains Addition of Outfielder Eli White for the Boston Red Sox
In July, Breslow acquired Jahmai Jones from the Detroit Tigers. Roman Anthony has been on the injured list since early May, while Masataka Yoshida has assumed the DH role. That leaves Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Ceddanne Rafaela as Tracy’s outfielders. Adding White gives Tracy more options to rest some outfielders, according to Breslow.
“Yeah, (interim manager Chad Tracy) and I have talked through that, and we feel like he gives us a right-handed option to get Ceddanne (Rafaela) a day if he needs it,” said Breslow, per Ian Browne of MLB.com. “He can really, really defend, and if we wanted to give Willy (Abreu) or Jarren (Duran) a day, we can throw him out there and feel like we’re not missing a beat defensively.”
Anthony is slowly making progress in a hopeful return, but more importantly, White, who is 32 years old, is depth and can be used in multiple ways. He is slashing .233/.285/.406 with five home runs and 17 runs driven in for the Braves this season. Any offense Boston can get from him will be welcomed. However, he can be used multiple ways for Tracy.
“He can change a game with his defense,” Breslow said per Browne. “He can change a game with his speed. We think that he’ll give a good at-bat as well. There are ways to make this work. We are going to do that and feel like he adds another level of athleticism to what I think has become the identity of this team.”
Boston Red Sox Load up for Potential Postseason Run
Breslow needed to add, and he did. He didn’t address the need for a shortstop, but Rutschman is a switch-hitter, and White adds speed to the outfield and off the bench. Boston also added left-handed reliever Erik Miller from the San Francisco Giants.
The Red Sox open a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night. They have been the hottest team in baseball, and Breslow made them better. Catching the banged-up Yankees is certainly well within reach. Chasing down the first-place Tampa Bay Rays is not out of the question either.
Red Sox Boss Craig Breslow Offers Blunt Explanation on Addition of Braves Outfielder