RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesIt would be much easier to feel bad for the unbelievably bad luck the Red Sox experienced with Curtis Mead’s injury if they hadn’t bungled the public diagnosis.
Again.
These are the same Red Sox who botched their report about Roman Anthony’s injured finger in a way that made it look like their young star lacked toughness and then couldn’t get their stories straight on the severity of Garrett Crochet’s lat strain.
On Monday, they put their foot in their mouth for a third time.
After Mead was hit in the wrist by a pitch in his second at-bat since being acquired for Connelly Early, the Red Sox downplayed the severity of the injury late Monday night, saying the X-rays were negative and they had “dodged a bullet.”
Of course by Tuesday afternoon Mead was diagnosed with a broken wrist. He headed back to Boston and the injured list with his season in doubt.
It’s OK to say they don’t know yet when they don’t know yet.
Announcement follies aside, it’s an incredibly unfortunate end to what’s been a very good July for the Red Sox.
Mead’s injury leaves the Red Sox still lacking a right-handed power bat and another infielder who can hit. And now they have one less trade chip available to replace Mead as well as fill other needs.
But in the bigger picture , if this trade deadline was a referendum on whether Craig Breslow can lead the Red Sox to a playoff berth and a playoff run, Mead’s unfortunate injury makes it impossible to judge the Chief Baseball Officer on the deal’s immediate results.
At the macro level, Breslow deserves some credit for making a deal designed to make the Red Sox better in the present. Last year, he took a well-deserved public relations beating for trading Rafael Devers to get out from under the third baseman’s contract and then failed to replace even a fraction of Devers’ production at the trade deadline.
This deal was at least an attempt to win right now. Breslow, aware of the criticism he faced even said that he wasn’t worried about trying to win the trade, he was simply trying to make the 2026 Red Sox better.
“I think the players deserve it,” Breslow said. “I think the fans deserve it. It has been a turbulent path to get here, but as we sit here today, a week out from the deadline, the resiliency and toughness of this team has become very apparent. The opportunity to upgrade was something we were looking for.”
Everything he said is true and he deserves credit for taking that approach. But even giving him that, there are questions worth asking.
Did Breslow pull the trigger too quickly?
Connelly Early was among the best, if not the best chips that Boston was likely to move. He’s a good, young starting pitcher under team control. Unlike most of the prospects, who annually get moved at the deadline, Early has proved he can pitch at the major league level. He’s handled the intense spotlight of Boston and showed poise in a playoff start.
There could have been value to waiting to see what might be available before giving away someone with as high a floor as Early has.
Even before his broken wrist, Mead was a risk. He had five career home runs before this season and was designated for assignment by the White Sox in March. He made some adjustments and has been terrific this year. Maybe he figured it out and the Red Sox are picking him up on the way up. Still, Early was a lot to give up for a guy that might turn out to be the next Chris Shelton.
Was Breslow limited by a budget? It is worth noting that in their attempt to get better, the Red Sox acquired somebody making less than a million dollars. For a team that failed to spend on offense in the offseason, they went to the bargain bin again.
If Mead turns out to be great, getting him inexpensively is a great thing and a feather in Breslow’s cap. But for now, Mead’s value to Boston might not be determined until next year — or later depending on the labor situation.
If they passed on/declined to pursue a more proven hitter because he cost more, that’s more of the same problem that’s caused trust in the team’s leadership to crater. That’s more on John Henry than Breslow, but the effect on the field is the same no matter who is to blame.
The Red Sox can still repair some of that perception in the next week. The deadline this year isn’t until Aug. 3, so Breslow has time. Maybe, there’s another move on the way. There are plenty of whispers that the Red Sox are still attempting to add, but they’re coming from the same rumor mills that had Boston closing in on Joe Ryan last year.
Breslow got hit with bad luck at a bad time. That’s part of the gig. How he handles it should help determine if he’s capable of doing this job long term.
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