Fans of the Boston Red Sox are still trying to figure out what exactly happened (or, to be more precise, what didn't happen) at Thursday's trade deadline. It seemed like the team was perfectly positioned to buy, with an injury-ravaged rotation the obvious area to address. Instead, Craig Breslow opted to settle for a couple of marginal signings, landing lefty reliever Steven Matz from the St. Louis Cardinals and righty Dustin May from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The disconnect between Boston's record (and Breslow's rhetoric) and its actions was jarring. So what happened? Why didn't the team show more urgency in its pursuit of another starting pitcher, particularly Minnesota Twins ace Joe Ryan? We're still not quite sure of the answer. And as the deadline dust settles, Breslow's decisions just make less and less sense.
The Red Sox had been linked to Ryan for weeks prior to the trade deadline. It was, on paper, the perfect fit: Boston had the prospects to give, the Minnesota Twins were on the verge of a fire sale and Ryan was the perfect complement to Garrett Crochet both in 2025 and beyond. But just when it seemed like the Red Sox were about to get a deal done, things fell apart. And it sure seems like the blame falls squarely on the Red Sox: According to a report from The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Jen McCaffrey, Boston was "unwilling to offer any of their big league outfielders, or an enticing enough package of their top-tier prospects."
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Red Sox should have jumped at Twins' rumored asking price for Joe Ryan
Let that sink in: unwilling to offer any of their big-league outfielders! It would be one thing if the Twins were asking for a Mason Miller type of haul in return for two-plus years of Ryan's services. But we know from the relatively reasonable return for star reliever Jhoan Duran that that probably isn't true. Breslow was gifted a golden opportunity to keep up in the AL's arms race, and instead he decided to pass.
Again, the point is not that the Red Sox should have thrown caution completely to the wind. If Minnesota was holding firm on, say, Roman Anthony, that ends the discussion right there. Heck, even Jarren Duran might be a little rich as the centerpiece of a package. But this team really couldn't afford to move on from Wilyer Abreu? Or top outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia? Kristian Campbell probably would've held a lot of appeal to a Twins team in need of infielders after moving on from Carlos Correa; given his struggles in his rookie year, is that really such an unrealistic ask?
The point is that the Red Sox were uniquely positioned with depth among their young big-leaguers and high Minors farm system. A more shrewd negotiator, and someone more willing to pull the trigger, could probably have navigated that and landed a deal that brought in a crucial frontline starter without mortgaging the future. Unfortunately, the Red Sox have somebody else leading their front office.