Former Major League Baseball general manager Dan O’Dowd took aim at the Boston Red Sox’s Craig Breslow for the Rafael Devers trade.
O’Dowd was the GM of the Colorado Rockies from 1999 until 2014 and also had 15 years working with Baltimore and Cleveland in their front office. Given he has nearly two decades as an MLB GM, O’Dowd appeared on Foul Territory and blasted Breslow for the Devers trade and how he treats players.
“He does not act like (a former player) to me A.J (Pierzynski),” O’Dowd said. “It’s perplexing to me. (Breslow) acts like a lot of current General Managers, which its players are part of a portfolio that they buy and sell.”
O’Dowd believes Breslow and the Red Sox front office didn’t handle the Devers situation properly. Instead, the former GM believes if Boston had been open to Devers, or just make him a first baseman, a trade wouldn't have happened.
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“I think they should have immediately put a first base glove on him, and I think Raffy should have recognized that his long-term value in the game or even getting into the Hall of Fame someday, it creates way more value if he’s playing a position [rather] than DH’ing,” O’Dowd added.
Not only does O’Dowd think Breslow and the Red Sox messed up the Devers situation from the beginning, but what they have said after is an issue.
Breslow has said Boston won’t be taking a step-back, which O’Dowd says was a bad message, as he doesn’t think the Red Sox are a good team.
“They screwed themselves with their comments after the Raffy Devers deal,” O’Dowd added. “I don’t think they’re a good team. I think the sum of their parts does not equal the bigger part. I think they should be sellers at the deadline. When you come out publicly and say, ‘Hey listen, we’re not taking a step back after the Devers deal.’ Your credibility with your fanbase begins to erode to the point that it may not be salvageable if you keep going back on the things that you promise.”
Breslow was hired as Boston’s Chief Baseball Officer in October 2023.
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