- 2 days ago
USA Today and Audacy Baseball Insider Bob Nightengale shares his thoughts on whether Craig Breslow’s job is safe or not.
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00:00So, Bob, let me just start with a general question.
00:03When you hear news about the Boston Red Sox and their future,
00:07is there anything that's on your radar that you see them potentially doing here
00:12to try to improve this just really, really bad team that we have?
00:18Yeah, really, they're kind of stuck in no man's land.
00:21I mean, you start doing a fire sale, and there's really not that one player out there
00:27that say, okay, they'll go get him, they're going to turn their feet around.
00:31It's almost like you've got to wait until the offseason.
00:33I mean, if you're playing this poorly, it's kind of silly to trade away prospects
00:37and go get another hitter.
00:39You might as well wait until the offseason.
00:41Do you see any kind of movement with Craig Breslow?
00:43There's been an article that just came out in the Globe that was pretty damning.
00:46As a matter of fact, Bob, we were talking about it's usually the kind of article
00:50that comes out here in Boston when someone is gone, like when they've left.
00:53It's almost like a smear campaign type thing.
00:55But, you know, in season, it even had a quote from Theo Epstein from a podcast he was on
01:00where he was very critical of Craig Breslow's style here with the Red Sox.
01:06What do you see about his future?
01:08Do you think that he's someone that no matter what happens, he's safe for the rest of the season?
01:15I would think so, but you never know.
01:17I mean, never thought Dave Dabrowski would be fired, you know, less than a year after winning a World Series.
01:22So, I mean, the Theo part is interesting.
01:24If Theo was the one who strongly recommended him or would have gone to somebody else,
01:29I think that Levine was in line to get that job.
01:32So, I don't think he gets that job without the Theo Epstein's backing.
01:37So, you know, I think even GMs are in the hot seat.
01:40You might as well wait until the offseason.
01:42You might as well go past the deadline, the draft, and then see what happens.
01:48And I would think he'd be safe for the time being just because it's been such a short period.
01:54Bob, do you think Theo's doing anything hands-on with the Red Sox?
01:57Do you get any kind of vibe of what his role actually is?
02:00And I've heard some people say he might be like a commissioner candidate in the future.
02:05Well, he definitely won't be a commissioner.
02:07You know, he has said that both publicly and privately.
02:11You know, all of his close friends say, you know, there's no way in the world.
02:14So, no chance there.
02:17You know, I think he has his hand a little bit with that.
02:21I mean, I think he was, you know, all aboard on the Alex Coral firing, kind of backing up Breslow,
02:27saying if you don't want this guy, you know, go ahead and do it.
02:30I think if Theo had said, hey, it's a big mistake here, that Coral would still be there.
02:34So, I think he has his hand on stuff, but it might be more, you know, approving stuff or disproving
02:40stuff,
02:40rather than actually, you know, making decisions as far as, okay, let's go trade for this guy.
02:46Let's start dumping these guys.
02:47So, Bob, if things continue in this direction, obviously with the trade deadline coming up,
02:52you would have to assume that they would be trying to sell some pieces.
02:57Which pieces do you think would most likely be on the market for the Red Sox?
03:03I mean, Duran makes the most sense, you know, to trade him.
03:07You know, you're not going to trade the young guys.
03:11You know, could they trade Rangers Suarez?
03:14They could.
03:15They'd probably get some, you know, a decent, you know, back of that.
03:19And, you know, but does that make a mistake in the first place?
03:22But I think, you know, if someone wants to make a nice offer from Suarez, you know, why not?
03:28And, you know, do that.
03:29Certainly, you know, Sonny Gray would have some value.
03:32I think he's, I think Gray's got no trade clause, but he would certainly have some value for teams, too.
03:37There was a report that.
03:38And, of course, Chapman.
03:40And, of course, Chapman.
03:40Oh, yeah.
03:41Chapman, I think, might be the most prized guy out there.
03:43Everybody needs back in relief help.
03:45I think they'll make it, I think they'll get a nice package for Chapman.
03:49There was a report, Bob, that the, I guess what the Red Sox think of Jaron Duran's value differs from
03:57what the rest of the league does.
03:59Do you see there being a big difference and maybe an inflated type of value in the Red Sox eyes
04:05of Jaron Duran?
04:07There certainly was during the winter.
04:09I don't think they can close.
04:10And I think teams say, wait a minute, you're asking for this?
04:13They just didn't see it.
04:15And now I think maybe the Red Sox are saying, you know what, maybe we should have moved him and
04:20got a better package.
04:22You know, now it's like they need a nice hot streak for him before the trade deadline if they want
04:27to.
04:27But, yeah, I think there was a big disparity in opinions between what other teams say he's worth and what
04:34the Red Sox did.
04:35By the way, what do you think he's worth?
04:39I don't sure I would give up that much for him.
04:42I mean, maybe a team's top 15 prospect, you know, maybe two of their top 30.
04:48But, yeah, just hasn't proven to be that guy.
04:51And I just don't think he has the value that the Red Sox thought that they were going to get
04:56some kind of someone's top five price prospect or something like that.
05:00There's a lot to prove.
05:01What do you make, Bob, of their offseason approach the last couple years?
05:04I mean, it seemed like they were sort of in on Soto a couple years ago.
05:07But then this offseason, they were nowhere close on Pete Alonzo.
05:10Bregman gets out on reportedly they didn't want to give him a no trade clause.
05:14What is their plan that you see?
05:18Yeah, with Bregman, I mean, you know, they were talking to him during the spring training.
05:22It was almost like, you know, he called her bluff.
05:26I think he wanted to come back, and they used to believe he had that kind of offer, you know,
05:31which the Cubs gave him.
05:33So I think they've got to go get a big right hand hitter.
05:35And the guy they missed out on, of course, is Merrick Conley.
05:38You know, he was a practical freebie, two years at $34 million.
05:42And they had scoured him.
05:44You know, I think he would have made a lot more sense than Alonzo.
05:47Bob, what do you know about Jason Veritek and his relationship with the Red Sox right now?
05:52It is one thing that has not been clarified.
05:57It's almost like if it wasn't for Jason Veritek, he would have just said, hey, you're fired.
06:02Now it's almost like, well, you're demoted, but if you want to leave, it's on you.
06:06I think it's more of a PR thing.
06:08I think he is pretty much fired unless he wants to take a menial job, which he doesn't.
06:13So I would think he'd bounce back with another team next year.
06:17And, you know, I think he still enjoys the game and wants to be on there.
06:21But I think just because his name's Veritek, they didn't want to throw his name in with the other, you
06:26know, six guys that got fired.
06:27Well, his wife sure likes dancing on the grave of the Red Sox via social media.
06:31I don't know if you've seen any of that.
06:34Yeah, I know.
06:35I think that'll go on.
06:36I mean, when we saw Veritek in that picture, too, with the thumbs down, it wasn't flipping a bird, but
06:43it was a thumbs down.
06:44Right, right.
06:45I think we know where he stands.
06:47I don't think the message is too hazy where the Veritek family stands.
06:51I want to ask you real quick, because we're very confused, as I'm sure you are, and most people who
06:57are watching the Brian Baio story.
06:58I've never seen anything like this before, where you've got a player who just can't start the game.
07:06He's being played like a starter.
07:07And then you saw the other night when they finally tried to put him in, and he just got shelled.
07:13Like, what do you think?
07:15First of all, have you ever seen anything like this?
07:17And what do you believe the plans are going to be for Brian Baio?
07:22Yeah, it's fascinating what's happening with him.
07:25I mean, teams have done that, and I know the Rockies are doing that with the young guy, Dallner, and
07:30just having a guy for one inning, too.
07:32You know, it doesn't make any sense, because usually people hate that.
07:36I mean, when the Blue Jays move their pitcher to the Dodgers, it's almost like, get me out of here.
07:44I don't want to open her ahead of me.
07:45I hate coming in the third inning.
07:47So, you know, it's got to be more of a mental thing than anything else.
07:51And then, you know, maybe at some point, you know, if he doesn't think he can do it, maybe he
07:56does need to change his scenery.
07:57Who is the right-handed bat, Bob, that you think the Red Sox could acquire?
08:00Like, if they shock us all and they're still in the race in a month or two, is there anybody
08:05out there that might move?
08:08Go get – bring Devers back and do that.
08:11Go get a Willie Adama, stuff like that.
08:14There's not that one guy – there's not that one guy out there that just, you know, jumps out at
08:19you.
08:20I think it's a weak market, and we'll see.
08:25But, yeah, there's not that one hitter out there.
08:27I mean, like I said, I mean, the Giants are going to, you know, dump guys, you know, as much
08:33as they can.
08:33But I can't think of a low-tier team that's definitely going to sell that says, okay, you know, you
08:40can have a right-handed bat.
08:42I think they're going to have to wait until the offseason.
08:44And, like, you know, at this juncture, you might as well.
08:47I know the American League is down, but realistically, you know, what's the chance of them getting back into it?
08:51Bob, it's interesting when you hear, like, people outside of the organization and what they think of the Red Sox.
08:58In that article that was about Craig Breslow, you know, they quoted a bunch of GMs and people from all
09:02around the league as to what they think is going on or what's going wrong.
09:05You know, when you talk to people, what is the outside impression of this team and why things have just
09:13turned so bad?
09:17Well, you know, other GMs that talk to them are just kind of shocked.
09:20It's, you know, for a guy who played Major League Baseball, they said he would never know he played baseball.
09:27You know, almost acts like, you know, he's embarrassed he played in the Major Leagues.
09:31But just all analytics.
09:33And, you know, I know there's kind of a joke, like, we need an interpreter because, you know, you keep
09:37saying stuff.
09:38It's like, you know, what are you saying?
09:40And so it's just weird.
09:41It's just that analytic heavy.
09:44Obviously, they broaden the driveline, people.
09:46You know, the Reds did that and fired them after, you know, one year sort of thing.
09:51So heavy analytics.
09:53I know they've, you know, dumped their scouts.
09:55You know, and people bring up, you know, I think that article brought up the Rays.
09:59Yeah, the Rays have analytics, but they also have as many pro scouts as any team in baseball, including the
10:04Dodgers and Yankees.
10:05So that's the perception is, like, you've got to wait from the human element here.
10:11You know, you've got scouts back.
10:14Start relying on that rather than just numbers.
10:16Well, Bob, thanks for coming on with us because it is, as I said, this has been a bad season,
10:22but it's been so unbelievably bad where there's just, like, a different thing every other day that makes you, like,
10:28it's either, you know, like, Schwarber coming into town and lighting him up.
10:32Or the stuff with Bale or, like, Catherine Veritek on Twitter.
10:36Like, it just, there's, the surprise kind of hits keep on coming with this team.
10:41So hopefully they'll be able to figure things out and right the ship soon, Bob.
10:45Because I, to be quite honest, I want to see some good baseball this summer.
10:49Yeah, especially the home record.
10:51What is it?
10:5110 and 20s.
10:52I mean, they're on pace to have their worst home record since 1932.
10:55I mean, that's unbelievable.
10:56I mean, she'd have a huge home-filled advantage with the, you know, unique aspects of the ballpark or dimensions,
11:02and she just got awful there.
11:04And they keep singing Sweet Caroline every game, even when they lose it.
11:08So, all right, Bob Nightingale, USA Today.
11:11Always great to have you on, man.
11:13We really appreciate it.
11:13We'll have you on again soon.
11:15All right.
11:16My pleasure.
11:16Thank you, guys.
11:17All right.
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