Red Sox's motivational Chad Tracy trick before Yankees series has a Craig Breslow wrinkle that could backfire

There's plenty of drama already unfolding in the 2026 Yankees-Red Sox American League Wild Card Series ... and the series hasn't even started yet. In fact, the matchup hasn't been officially set in stone, either, with a few more permutations still left on the table before finalization.

With that said, the overwhelming likelihood is that New York and Boston will once again meet each other in the ALWC at Yankee Stadium, and Tuesday introduced plenty of fresh storylines into the fold. Aaron Judge won't play in the series due to his calf strain. And on the Red Sox side of things, the franchise just decided to remove Chad Tracy's interim tag while simultaneously granting extensions to Tracy and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. Interesting timing, isn't it?

The Red Sox just extended Chad Tracy and exercised Craig Breslow's future options ahead of ALWC vs. Yankees

Tracy, now officially the 49th manager in Red Sox history, has been extended through 2029 with a club option for 2030. Also, Breslow's 2029 and 2030 club options were exercised. All in the same press release.

The timing is everything here. The Red Sox clinched a playoff berth two days ago and are preparing for a pressurized wild-card rematch against their most bitter rival in the Bronx.

Was this a ploy by the Red Sox's upper management to take some pressure off of Tracy's shoulders as he steps into the postseason spotlight? Or perhaps to inject him with some added motivation? It's tough to argue either stance thoroughly, seeing as this move was surely pre-planned by Boston weeks ago as ownership witnessed Tracy lead the Red Sox to the most historic turnaround in club history.

Let's also acknowledge that Tracy fully deserves to have his tag removed, and it could've even happened sooner. He inherited a toxic situation and has gone 74-55 this season entering Tuesday, shattering through the ceiling of expectations.

The Breslow side of this news is a different can of worms entirely. Remember -- it was Breslow who pushed for Alex Cora's firing in April. And while that decision has panned out (and made Breslow look smart in the process), Breslow's performance as CBO has been a mixed bag over the past nearly four-year stretch.

Red Sox may have just made a mistake by committing long-term to Craig Breslow

The past six months have ended up sparkling for Breslow. But over the past few years in totality, there are plenty of good and bad Breslow moves you can point to if you're looking to either champion or criticize him. Some of the ugly ones still sting: The Chris Sale trade, the Rafael Devers debacle, and Alex Bregman's botched free agency are three major whiffs that come to mind.

It doesn't take an amazing memory to recall how Breslow was viewed as a sitting duck up until Boston went on their miraculous run this season. His job and reputation were effectively saved by an improbable winning streak. Before that, his Red Sox résumé looked like three-plus years of mediocre front-office work at best, defined by his rumored inability to relate to and/or communicate with other human beings.

Now, due to one winning streak of epic proportions, Breslow's sins of the past have apparently been forgotten, and he's the man for the job until 2030! This is certainly a decision worth questioning, unlike the Tracy extension. Advantage, Yankees. Perhaps.

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