Here’s what Craig Breslow had to say about the Red Sox’s offseason plan

More pitchers will likely be added, the designated hitter position could be different, and a former Red Sox pitcher could return to Boston as a pitching coach.
The Craig Breslow era of Red Sox baseball has only just begun, but the new baseball manager already has ideas for improving the roster.
Breslow spoke to Boston reporters on Tuesday during the GM meetings in Arizona and told them some of his offseason plans and certain areas of focus that he would like to update and add to. Chief among those areas is the starting rotation, a group Breslow said he wants to improve by exploring a number of options.
“I think we have to be open,” Breslow said, per The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey . “Like I said last week, starting the game is definitely a priority for us, but we’re trying to predict the right [pitch] count or something.”

The rotation may have been the Red Sox’s biggest weakness last season. They finished 22nd in Major League Baseball in starts (4.68) and 27th in innings pitched (774.1). They’re looking to strengthen their rotation by steadily adding quality performers they didn’t have last season, and they’d like to add durable pitchers to make sure their rotation, not the disabled list, dominates this time around.
“It sounds simple, but we strive to maintain that standard of quality and consistency,” Breslow said, according to MassLive’s Christopher Smith. “So sustainability is part of it. But we don’t want resistance to it. We really want a very high performance consistency that is also durable and can deliver mass. As we all know, 29 other teams could be looking for it.

The Red Sox have a number of free-agent pitchers to choose from that suit Breslow’s preferences and have already begun their due diligence, reportedly speaking with left-hander Jordan Montgomery’s agent. It seems inevitable that the Red Sox rotation will look different on Opening Day than it does now.
Another change the Red Sox are making to their pitching department is the pitching coach. The Red Sox fired Dave Bush in October, and at least one name appears to be in the works to replace him.
“I’ve been told that Andrew Bailey is a strong candidate for the pitching coach position,” MassLive’s Chris Cotillo posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “It just makes too much sense on too many levels.”

Many Red Sox insiders consider Bailey the front-runner for the position. He currently serves as the pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants, who recently fired manager Gabe Kapler and whose contract with Bailey is said to be expiring. Bailey was on the Red Sox team with Breslow during the 2013 World Series, and together they run the Strike 3 Foundation, a charity that raises money and awareness for pediatric cancer research. An industry source told MassLive’s Sean McAdam that there was a “good chance” Bailey was hired, but Breslow said he was considering casting a “broad net” of candidates. Regardless, Breslow believes there is urgency to make this hire, as delaying a decision too long will only delay the improvements pitchers will make in the offseason.
“The offseason days are valuable,” Breslow said. “I think given how productive they can be in the development of our players. So every day we don’t have a coach on the field, I think it’s a bit of a missed opportunity. So I think filling these vacancies is a priority.
The Red Sox will also add to their hitting core. Breslow said he wants to add a right-handed hitter to the lineup, another glaring hole now that both designated hitter Justin Turner and outfielder Adam Duvall are set to hit free agency.
“Since we’re pretty left-handed,” Breslow said, “it makes sense to look at somebody who can hit right.”

The Red Sox could look into adding a right-handed hitter in the event that Turner signs elsewhere. But Breslow can’t envision a roster with a designated hitter who can only play that position.
“I think the versatility of the location helps,” Breslow said. “I don’t think it makes a lot of sense to write that for a right-handed hitter who can only DH. But I think we have to be open to ways to improve the team.

Breslow wants the designated hit point to be somewhat open for multiple players to fill. He said he wants to give manager Alex Cora the opportunity to change the position and give it to some players he wants to keep in the lineup who need time off the field, and he wants to explore a lot of different options at the position.

“At a high level, we’d probably like to give Alex [Cora] as much flexibility as possible,” Breslow said. – Understands that the season is long and there will be times when he wants to make friends