Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow and team CEO Sam Kennedy spoke publicly Monday for the first time since the trade.

Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow acknowledged on a conference call Sunday night that the deal leaves a hole in the lineup, but he hoped it would pay off this season. Although there is a newly created need for a power hitter, the team now has roster and payroll flexibility to add players at the trade deadline, he said.

The Boston Red Sox have been one of the hottest teams in baseball over the past week—winning five straight games, seven of their last eight, and capping it off with a sweep of the New York Yankees on Sunday.