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Craig Breslow Details 'Tough' Process Behind Unique Offseason Trade originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox's offseason was packed with moves, including smaller ones that were overshadowed by a few major headlines.
The Red Sox were actively bolstering their roster this past offseason, making big trades for players like Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray and Caleb Durbin. Boston also made a splash signing after losing Alex Bregman, electing to improve the starting rotation by adding Ranger Suárez.
While these few moves defined the Red Sox's offseason, the team also made a variety of smaller moves, like trading with the Washington Nationals to acquire left-handed rookie pitcher Jake Bennett.
The Red Sox traded Luis Perales to the Nationals in a one-for-one deal of pitching prospects to acquire Bennett, who would later make his debut with the team this season. Though the trade seems simple enough on the surface, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow detailed that the unique deal was "tough."
“I think it’s tough, just largely because you’re usually either looking for roster fits: a pitcher for a position player or a position player for a pitcher or timelines that don’t match up,” Breslow said on Wednesday, per MassLive's Chris Cotillo. “It’s just hard to line up because you’re thinking about how you have to value the players fairly similarly or similarly enough so that you’re willing to make the trade and then have both sides willing to do it.
“We had talked about it for a while, actually. Felt like at times, we were close. At times, these things break down. There were maybe three or four instances where we felt we were at the one-yard line and didn’t get it across. The offers were out there for a bit and both teams were thinking through it. Paul (Toboni) and I just talked one day and said, ‘Let’s do this.’ We were both either comfortably uncomfortable or uncomfortably comfortable with doing.”
Bennett impressed in his big league debut for the Red Sox, allowing just one run across in five innings pitched, but has struggled in his three outings since. The 25-year-old hurler still has plenty of potential and could be a great addition for the Red Sox.
The rare prospect-for-prospect swap wasn't the biggest deal Breslow pulled off this past offseason, but it was still an impactful one.
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