Heading into the All-Star break, the Boston Red Sox are the most electric team in baseball.
Nine straight wins. Fourteen wins in their last 16 games. And somehow they're doing it with a cast of characters many Red Sox fans probably couldn't have identified in a lineup a month ago.
Bennett. Siegler. Monasterio. Eaton.
If you had those names helping lead a Red Sox playoff push on your preseason bingo card, congratulations. The rest of us were busy preparing to sell at the deadline.
Now Boston sits just half a game out of the third American League Wild Card spot, and Craig Breslow suddenly has a very difficult decision to make.
That's the trade deadline problem. Two weeks ago the Red Sox looked like obvious sellers. Now they've played themselves into a position where standing still may be the biggest mistake of all.
The trade deadline is still 21 days away. In baseball, that's an eternity. This team could continue winning, or the entire thing could fall apart before we finish convincing ourselves it's real.
But if the Red Sox remain within striking distance, Breslow can't hide behind patience anymore.
If he truly believes his job is on the line, then bunker down and make some moves. Start now. Get ahead of the competition instead of waiting for the market to come to you. Use the people around you and let them excel in the areas where they're strongest.
Delegation hasn't exactly appeared to be Breslow's greatest strength. But this isn't the time to prove he can do everything himself. The Red Sox have an entire baseball operations department for a reason. Use it.
Standing still isn't enough.
Young pitchers like Connelly Early, Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett haven't carried the workload of a full major league season. The Red Sox also desperately need veteran leadership to take some of the weight off Willson Contreras and a roster currently being asked to do more than anyone expected.
The best part of this winning streak has been watching Red Sox X slowly change.
The angry tweets haven't disappeared. Let's not get ridiculous.
But optimism is returning. Timelines are becoming more positive. Fans are checking the standings again. Some accounts are dangerously optimistic, while others remain firmly in denial.
Red Sox fans understand what we're watching. This run has been incredible, but the current roster isn't sustainable forever.
We spent most of the season waiting for the Red Sox to give us a reason to believe.
They finally did.
Now it's Craig Breslow's turn.