Perhaps the worst part about the MLB trade deadline is that there’s no going back once the clock hits triple zeroes. Fans are left to wonder what could have been, especially when reports emerge about who nearly went where or what trades fell through at the last minute.
Welcome to Boston Red Sox fans’ new reality, which comes at an unfortunate time. The good news is that the surging Red Sox, winners of five straight and now only three games out of first place in the AL East, just swept the Houston Astros after opting not to overhaul their roster before last Thursday’s deadline.
Not that the Red Sox planned to avoid making any significant moves. WEEI’s Rob Bradford published an in-depth look at the Red Sox’s trade deadline meetings, sharing that manager Alex Cora sat with team president Sam Kennedy in the hours leading up to the deadline.
Various trade rumors last week suggested that the Red Sox would add a starting pitcher, and that apparently nearly came to fruition. Bradford reported that the Red Sox honed in on Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Ryan and Miami Marlins veteran Sandy Alcantara rather than pursue a rental pitcher like the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Merrill Kelly.
“What the Red Sox thought they might have going for them was that both organizations seemingly had little interest in major league talent,” Bradford wrote, “which was perfect for Breslow and Co. since they had no intention of including players from the current roster in these deals.”
Instead, the Red Sox only acquired Los Angeles Dodgers starter Dustin May and St. Louis Cardinals reliever Steven Matz.
Will the Red Sox regret not trading for Joe Ryan or Sandy Alcantara?
The Red Sox woke up Monday morning as a second-place team and owners of the AL’s top Wild Card spot. They’re 20-7 since July 1 and taking full advantage of the rival Yankees’ stunning freefall — and it’s certainly not unrealistic to think that these Red Sox could win their first AL East crown since 2018.
Does that mean they won’t regret trading for Ryan or Alcantara? That comes down to two obvious things: how far the Red Sox go this year, and how May performs in the rotation. If the Red Sox lose in the AL Wild Card Round, then there’ll naturally be questions — and rightfully so — about Craig Breslow’s reluctance to acquire a more reliable pitcher or to add another bat.
Then, there’s the May equation. The injury-prone May missed all of last year with Tommy John surgery and emergency surgery for a torn esophagus. The fact that he returned to post a 4.85 ERA in a career-high 104 innings with the Dodgers before last week’s trade feels like a miracle.
No one is asking May to be a modern-day version of the 2008 CC Sabathia, but he’ll need to provide some value and avoid an IL stint.
As of right now, the Red Sox shouldn’t regret their trade deadline strategy, and certainly not as they inch closer to first place. Let’s see where things stand on Sept. 1, especially if the Yankees finally get back on track.