The Boston Red Sox have some weird string of luck when it comes to offloading their best players. Both Mookie Betts and Rafael Devers are struggling with their respective teams, while the Red Sox are on a heater. Boston was on a 10-game winning streak before a loss to the NL-leading Chicago Cubs on Friday night. They also won four-straight series in what’s been a turnaround since Devers was traded and then the slump they endured with Alex Bregman’s sudden injury.
Not even Craig Breslow could have seen this stretch coming, though he did say the Red Sox would be better without Devers. At first he was eating his words, now he’s basking in them because the Red Sox are actually in an AL East division race with the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays.
How did they manage to be on the winning side of trading star players? Nobody has the answer to that, but it does mean the Red Sox could finally rid themselves of the years rebuilding and actually be contending now. And if they do it after another surprise trade, maybe that’s just the key after all.
Why this Boston Red Sox season feels more optimistic than any other
It’s been frustrating times for the Red Sox since they won the World Series back in 2019. Back then they had Betts, then they later had Devers; now both players, which were supposed to be the key to the Red Sox dynasty, have departed and Boston’s been in the depths of the division since.
They’ve been to the playoffs once since their World Series title and haven’t finished better than third in the division since the 2021 playoff appearance. This year feels like the year, one where it’s been nothing short of a roller coaster ride, they could actually end that trend.
In a Boston.com story, Jon Couture highlights why this season might feel like past Red Sox seasons. And it’s fair to say that. But this one feels different. This season, the Red Sox finally have the core they’ve been nurturing and developing on the MLB side and growing by the game.
While they lost Triston Casas, Devers and Bregman in succession in the first half of the season, instead of defining this team, it charged them. They had ups and downs, frustrations and drama, but a 10 win streak and a pending surge in the second half. What they do in the Chicago series will either reassure Red Sox fans this year’s difference or reaffirm things aren’t going to change.
This year feels like the former is more realistic than the latter, which isn’t always the case. The Red Sox have something to play for now, which felt like a distant goal a few months ago. This season feels different than normal. This doesn’t feel like a passing fad; this feels like they belong and will end up turning a sour situation into a sweet success.