The realities when it came to this Red Sox trade deadline

Craig Breslow took a deep breath as he walked into the room in the back of the Fenway Park press box, where the media awaited his explanations and analysis when it came to the just-completed trade deadline.

He then took his position against a white wall - (perhaps strategically decorated by a newspaper with the headline, "Tested and Triumphant") - answered 13 minutes of questions and slowly started his exit. There was no rush to leave. His exhaustion had overtaken any urge for a hasty escape.

"About two hours," was Breslow's response to how much sleep he got the night leading into Deadline Day.

With Netflix boom mics overhead, he went on to matter-of-factly explain how draining the entire experience was, noting the differences between being part of the decision-making equation with the Cubs to the buck-stops-here guy in Boston.

The Red Sox' chief baseball officer had started his meeting with the press by saying, "Yeah, first time in this seat, able to kind of follow the ups and downs, bit of a roller coaster. But I think that's pretty normal for this time of year. I think, most fortunately, we were able to accomplish what we set out to do."

Breslow ended it by walking out of the room looking like the guy who was clearly glad the ride was over.

Now comes the other roller coaster. The one that could lead into another nauseating September or the kind of genuine interest and excitement that had been missing for the last two seasons.

The easy-to-understand version of Breslow's trade deadline is this:

- The price for higher-profile, controllable players simply reached a level the Red Sox weren't willing to commit to. It's a reality that stretched throughout baseball, with plenty of potential targets - such as Garrett Crochet, Tarik Skubal, Brent Rooker and Luis Rengifo - staying put.

"Yeah, I wasn't alone in seeking controllable players," Breslow said. "It turns out I think, unsurprisingly a lot of what happens over the deadline is dictated by the opportunities in front of us. I think I was pretty clear that we didn't want to walk out of the deadline without addressing the bullpen, the rotation and getting a right-handed bat. Our preference would have been to bring in controllable pieces but in the event that those didn't exist, we needed to get rentals."

- Breslow wasn't averse to trading away some current players in their contract years, such as Kenley Jansen, Nick Pivetta and Tyler O'Neill. But he was going to make sure teams knew it was to necessitate an overpay in order for any conversation to gain traction.

"I meant what I said when I said that I think this team has positioned itself to be deserving of adding and improving. We were able to do that, but also I was gonna be anchored to doing what I thought was best for the Red Sox," he said. "And if that meant that there was an opportunity to add a massive amount of talent, potentially at the expense of one of those guys, that we had to listen and we set a very high bar that would have needed to have been met. And it wasn't. So I think we're certainly a better team because those guys are here and look forward to them taking the field and helping us win games down the stretch."

- Breslow legitimately felt like he came away from the deadline having accomplished his primary goals: 1. Getting a starting pitcher who can help get the Red Sox to the finish line (James Paxton); 2. Helping the back-end of the bullpen survive (Lucas Sims, Luis Garcia); 3. Adding an effective bat against left-handed pitching (Danny Jansen).

"I think anytime you can go to a deadline with a pretty clearly defined shopping list and walk out feeling like you accomplished it, I think you feel good about it," Breslow noted. "I think this team has shown that they are more than capable. We're winning. We have our sights set pretty squarely on the playoffs and deserve some reinforcements. So I think the combination of what we were able to bring in over the last couple of days and some guys getting healthy positions us really well."

Yes, the Red Sox are better than they were a week ago. But are they good enough? As Alex Cora previously noted, it's not as if the teams the Sox are jostling for postseason position with stood still. The Orioles. The Yankees. The Royals. The Mariners. The Astros. Their rosters all seemingly took significant steps forward. Arguably more aggressive steps than that of the Sox.

What does it all mean? Maybe nothing. Heck, the Rays - who sold off a good chunk of their top talent - are sitting just 1 1/2 games in back of the Red Sox.

But there are still legitimate concerns the deadline dealings didn't take away: 1. There is a very real uncertainty when it comes to which version of each member of the starting staff is going to show up for the final months, with the likes of Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford entering uncharted innings territory; 2. The infield defense is starting to take a turn for the worse (as was evident again in the Red Sox' 10-6 loss to the Mariners Tuesday). It's a potential issue that wasn't addressed in the roster additions; 3. This young group of position players are entering uncharted territory when it comes to workload and pressure; 4. We aren't sure exactly how the clubhouse is going to react to the front office's deadline approach, particularly with bigger names going to some of their chief competitors.

But, what's done is done. And, compared to recent deadlines, what was done should be more palatable for those caring about these Red Sox.

Breslow, for instance, took a page out of Dave Dombrowski's book by identifying the singular player(s) he wanted and didn't let the amount of minor-leaguers being sent back deter any deal. Whether it was because they were blocked positionally, or were facing Rule 5 eligibility, the number of players (10) sent out in Breslow's four trades was relatively steep. But the reality is that the number of those players to likely do significant damage as major leaguers will be anything but. Quality over quantity. It was a welcome blast from the past.

There is also a very real path that each of these acquisitions could fill holes just as effectively as more recognizable names. Danny Jansen serving as an answer to help against left-handed pitching - allowing Connor Wong to stay in the lineup potentially at second base on occasion - is intriguing. It wouldn't be, for instance, crazy to suggest Jansen's numbers for the next months vs. lefties match up with the likes of Justin Turner.

And when it comes to targeting Sims and Garcia, there should be some stock taken in the fact the two have pitched in a combined 33 save situations. It not only helps bide time until Chris Martin and Justin Slaten return, but pushes down the likes of Zack Kelly and Brennan Bernardino to spots that will help cover up for uncomfortably short outings by the starters.

In synopsis: There weren't - and aren't - any easy answers. That was the reality of the 2024 trade deadline, and that is the reality of these 2024 Red Sox.

"There were certainly moments over the last week or so we were saying, 'Man, this is going to be, not just expensive in terms of dollars, but expensive in terms of the impact it might have on our future.' It's a really tough decision to make," Breslow said. "I think what you look for in these instances is you have players that maybe don't have a clear path to realizing their value here but are really talented and the industry recognizes that. So we're able to move players who are talented but maybe don't have the clearest path for players that will have an impact on the major league team in the near term. Fortunately, we were able to do that. Now thinking about some of teams played coming out of the All-Star break I do think there was some urgency around addressing that and didn't feel like waiting for our guys to get healthy was the best path for us."