MLB Notebook: Red Sox not waiving white flag, Venezuela relief efforts, a look around the league

Craig Breslow isn’t ready to wave the white flag on the Red Sox’ disappointing season just yet.

Despite Boston sitting in last place for much of the year, the club has a chance Sunday night to complete a shocking four-game sweep of the first-place Yankees at Fenway Park.

Whether that changes the front office’s thinking ahead of the trade deadline remains to be seen, but Breslow made it clear Friday morning that he still believes this team is capable of turning its season around.

Speaking on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show, Boston’s chief baseball officer said he isn’t giving up on the roster and remains confident the Red Sox can climb back into the postseason race if they continue playing better baseball.

“We have to win a lot of baseball games and we don’t have a ton of time to do it,” Breslow said of the 33-46 Red Sox, who are last place in the American League East and five games back of the A.L.’s third wild-card spot. “I believe that we’re capable of doing it. It’s going to require more consistent play on the field. But I see no reason that with the pitching that we have and the consistency of the starting pitching, with the strength of the backend of the bullpen, we can’t get ourselves in a position where we do win these games.”

Breslow did acknowledge, however, that the Red Sox’ approach could change if they fail to put together a sustained run over the next several weeks.

While he reiterated that the organization isn’t ready to concede the season, he admitted selling at the August trade deadline remains a possibility if Boston doesn’t win enough games to keep itself in the playoff race.

“We’re constantly assessing where we are in terms of what’s happening in Fenway Park and with our team on the field, and what’s happening around us. But we have to be realistic about where we are, and it’s true that we can believe in the roster that we have,” Breslow said. “We can believe in our players and know that we’re capable of playing better baseball, and also that we’re not where we expected to be. That’s incredibly frustrating and disappointing, and we’re going to have to be realistic about what is best for the organization.”

Just a few weeks ago, the Red Sox were reportedly scouring the trade market for a right-handed power bat. The club was even willing to absorb an undesirable contract if it meant adding the impact hitter needed to balance its power-thirsty lineup.

That search now appears to be over.

According to MassLive’s Sean McAdam, Boston has shifted its focus away from buying.

“I haven’t heard a word about them adding,” one major league executive told McAdam. “Just selling.”

The Red Sox remain without Roman Anthony and ace Garrett Crochet, both of whom are on the injured list. Crochet isn’t expected back until after the All-Star break and, realistically, his return could come closer to the start of August.

Crochet, however, sounded encouraged when he spoke with reporters Friday at his locker. The left-hander said he isn’t concerned about his shoulder and is continuing to follow the club’s rehabilitation plan with the goal of returning to the rotation as soon as possible.

The lefty has progressed to throwing plyometric (lighter-weight) balls but has yet to resume throwing a regulation baseball since his one-inning live batting practice session on May 26.

A few days after that outing, the Red Sox shut him down with lat tightness. While his throwing program is moving forward, he remains in the early stages of his recovery and has not yet advanced back to playing catch with a baseball.

“I hope to have a ball, a real baseball, in my hand here soon,“ Crochet said. ”The plyos that I’m doing, though, are not far off. I’m throwing seven ounces, so it’s not like I’m afraid to get close to baseball weight. It’s moreso just the protocol.

“Just still just throwing plyos, doing a lot of (isometric) work. When the team was on the road and I stayed back, I made some good headway. Been trending up for a while. I think that let setback is making us be extra cautious this time, naturally. Just in that situation where it’s like, wait until you feel great, then wait a couple more days.”

There still isn’t a firm timetable for Anthony’s return, as his recovery has progressed more slowly than both he and the Red Sox anticipated.

When Anthony suffered the injury after fouling a pitch off himself on a check swing against the Tigers, the expectation was that he’d miss only a little more than a week.

Instead, he’s now approaching the two-month mark on the injured list, leaving Boston without one of its most dynamic young hitters during a critical stretch of the season.

As the trade deadline draws closer, another name generating buzz is Jarren Duran.

The outfielder has endured a miserable season at the plate, and his frustrations have begun to spill over. After another interaction with a fan during Saturday’s game, Duran went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, ending his afternoon by grounding out to first base in the eighth inning.

With Anthony sidelined and Duran struggling, the Red Sox continue to search for answers in an offense that has lacked consistency for much of the season.

“Nothing happened,” Duran repeated multiple times when asked about the incident after Boston’s win on Saturday. 

“Just some people that were chirping, had been chirping for a few innings,” said Chad Tracy. “And started chirping toward Jarren again. We grabbed him and got him down (into the dugout) and told them (security), ‘Can you get them out?’ That was all.”

Tracy declined to reveal exactly what was said by the fans.

“Enough for us to say, ‘Can you please get them out?’” Tracy said.

When asked whether he was disappointed by Duran’s reaction, Tracy didn’t hesitate.

“No.”

Duran’s name has been at the center of trade speculation for months, but his value has taken a hit during a difficult 2026 campaign. His offensive struggles, coupled with emotional moments on and off the field, haven’t helped his market.

Just three weeks ago, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that Boston’s asking price for Duran remained steep. If the Red Sox ultimately decide to move him, it would also clear the outfield logjam and open the door for Anthony to become the club’s everyday left fielder once he’s healthy.

Whether Breslow still views Duran as a long-term piece or as his most valuable trade chip could be one of the biggest questions facing the organization ahead of the August trade deadline.

Sonny Gray remains an attractive trade option for the Red Sox, and there’s an indication the veteran would waive his no-trade clause to play for a contender. 

According to the Boston Globe, Gray is open to the conversation with the Red Sox on a potential trade. 

“If someone came to me from the Red Sox and made a decision that that’s the direction that this team was going to go, I would be open for a conversation,” Gray said. He declined to mention whether geography would play a role in his decision. The Braves have been on team loosely connected to the Red Sox’ Gray. 

Boston acquired Gray from the Cardinals this past offseason in exchange for Richard Fitts and pitching prospect Brandon Clarke. Both pitchers have since landed on the injured list and are out for the remainder of the season.

As part of the trade, Gray restructured his contract. He’ll earn $31 million this season, and his deal includes a $30 million mutual option for 2027 with a $10 million buyout. St. Louis also sent Boston $20 million in the deal, effectively covering roughly half of Gray’s 2026 salary.

If the Red Sox decide to move Gray before the August trade deadline, the acquiring club would