Red Sox rumors: 3 biggest trade deadline mistakes

The Boston Red Sox had an interesting trade deadline … and not in a good way.

Of all 30 MLB teams, the Boston Red Sox had, perhaps, the most interesting trade deadline of any of them. The Red Sox made four trades but three of them were on August 1, the day before the trade deadline. Even those were very confusing.

They bought by getting Reds outfielder Tommy Pham for a player to be named later. They sold by trading catcher Christian Vázquez to the Astros for two minor leaguers. They bought and sold by acquiring catcher Reese McGuire from the White Sox in exchange for reliever Jake Diekman.

On Tuesday, they bought again as they acquired Eric Hosmer from the Padres (along with two minor leaguers and cash for another minor leaguer. So it was a very mixed bag for the Red Sox, who entered Thursday with a record of 53-53, which is last in the American League East but only three games out of the AL Wild Card picture.

With that mixed bag, here are three mistakes the Red Sox made at the trade deadline.

Boston Red Sox: 3 biggest trade deadline mistakes

1. The Red Sox did not add starting pitching

On the season, the Red Sox have had a lot of injuries in their starting rotation and they have had some ineffectiveness as well.

Entering Thursday, their starter ERA was 4.33, which is 20th in baseball. Not great by any stretch. But it was made even more apparent in July. Their starters had an ERA of 7.09 in July, which was the worst in the sport.

For the injuries, they had Rich Hill come off of the IL after more than a month there. He was tagged for four runs in three innings. Brayan Bello came on in relief of him and he suffered a groin strain before his first inning was even over. Bello had been in the rotation (with little success) before Hill’s return.

They only have four starters with double-digit starts … and one of those pitchers is still on the IL (Michael Wacha). Two of the three that are active (Hill and Nick Pivetta) both have an ERA+ below league average.

If the Red Sox truly thought they had a shot at the playoffs, they would have addressed their rotation. They didn’t and they will regret not doing that.