The Boston Red Sox’s underwhelming performance before Thursday’s MLB trade deadline is receiving some harsh opinions from experts around the game.
The Red Sox had clear needs heading into yesterday’s deadline. Upgrading first, getting an impact starter, and more help in the bullpen were priorities. In the end, the front office addressed those needs with Dodgers veteran Dustin May and Cardinals reliever Steven Matz. It was a trade haul that mirrored the last few seasons as Boston continues to make moves like a small-market club.
It was something Boston Globe Red Sox reporter Peter Abraham spoke about on the “Foul Territory Show” after the deadline. And claimed general manager Craig Breslow continues to offer false hope publicly about the Red Sox getting back to becoming a consistent playoff contender.
“The Red Sox like to say they’re championship-driven. But the last few years, they haven’t demonstrated that when the time has come to do that,” said Abraham. “This team has done a good job since they traded Rafael Devers. They’ve got themselves back in contention against all odds. They’ve played better than the Giants since they acquired Devers.
“Craig Breslow flew out to Seattle the day after the trade to meet with the team and said, ‘This is not a white flag. We are not giving up on you. We still feel like this is a good team.’ He said to [the media], ‘We are going to win more games than we would have won if we kept Devers,'” he added. “That’s all been true, but if you don’t supplement the rotation, if you don’t add something, those are just empty words.”
Ken Rosenthal calls Boston Red Sox trade deadline results an ‘epic fail’
Abraham was not the only major MLB insider to hammer the Red Sox moves this week on the popular podcast channel. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal also took some big shots at the club and their “feeble” attempt to upgrade the roster before July 31st.
“They come off an epic fail last year with Breslow, and this was an epic fail as well,” Rosenthal said. “Joe Ryan was another starting pitcher who wasn’t traded. From my understanding, any talks that they had with the Twins were feeble at best. They didn’t come at them hard. The Red Sox are one of many teams that use modeling and try to figure out what the best values are. And it’s about efficiency and getting the best deal. At some point, you’ve got to fire.
“It’s the same thing we’re saying with the Cubs. And they did not even address first base. My goodness. That was a position where they had to act… They needed more. This is a team that is on the rise. They may say they’re gonna be better next year. ‘Our young guys will be that much better.’ That’s what the Orioles were saying a year ago. There is no guarantee,” he added.
The Red Sox are tied for the second AL Wild Card spot and are just five games out of first in the AL East heading into Friday’s games.
