The Boston Red Sox did not do enough at the MLB trade deadline, while the Yankees made every move they possibly could have.
The Boston Red Sox won’t win the AL East in 2017 like we all originally thought they would. Here we are, in the beginning of August, and this team has yet to establish an identity other than to become a team that a lot of fans are struggling to cheer for.
Last season’s Cy Young winner Rick Porcello looks like a little leaguer on the mound, David Price can’t figure out how to succeed in Boston, and the offense has no pop. Thankfully this team has Chris Sale and Drew Pomeranz, who has turned things around. Otherwise, this team may be near the bottom of the AL East. At the trade deadline, Dave Dombrowski was able to add Eduardo Nunez as an infielder and setup man Addison Reed. He addressed two team needs, but it won’t be enough.
Boston should have added one more big bat. Yonder Alonso was rumored to be available from Oakland with his 22 home runs, but somehow Dealin’ Dave couldn’t, or wouldn’t, make the move. Meanwhile, the New York Yankees acquired every player under the sun to get better. With improved pitching and a stud in Aaron Judge, New York is now the favorite to win the division.
Let’s take a look at how the rest of the season may play out for the Red Sox and Yankees.
Who Boston added
Prior to the MLB trade deadline, the Boston Red Sox added both an infielder and a back end reliever. Eduardo Nunez was acquired first in a deal with the San Francisco Giants, while Addison Reed was acquired from the New York Mets on deadline day.
Yes, both players will make Boston a better team, but I don’t think either of them puts the Red Sox over the top.
Nunez has already proved to be a valuable player, especially with Dustin Pedroia missing a few games. He’s filled in at second base, and his bat has been pretty nice in Boston. Nunez is hitting .471 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI in 19 plate appearances. While his bat will likely cool down a bit, he should be able to maintain his .308 average that he had with the Giants. His play at second base has also allowed Boston to keep Rafael Devers at third. Devers has been hot and hopefully, the pair can carry the Red Sox to some wins.
Addison Reed was acquired on deadline day and Red Sox manager John Farrell has already said Reed will begin as the setup man for Craig Kimbrel. Reed was a strong setup man in New York before he took over the closer role. The hopes are that Joe Kelly, Reed, and Kimbrel will be able to close out games in the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings. I just don’t think the Red Sox made enough moves.
Who New York added
Dave Dombrowski is now calling the Yankees the “Golden State Warriors of MLB”. He may not be wrong. New York was already hanging around and giving the Sox a run for first in the division before they began to make a number of moves. The moves New York made may push them over the top.
The first move that came was in a blockbuster deal with the Chicago White Sox for third baseman Todd Frazier. He had been on Boston’s radar as well, so the Yankees kept him out of a Red Sox uniform and got better all at the same time. The Yankees also added pitchers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle in that deal, so they now have a stronger bullpen.
Following the Frazier deal, the Yankees began to address their starting pitching needs. They began with Jaime Garcia. Garcia has a 67-52 record with a 3.65 ERA over the course of his career. While he’s no top-notch pitcher, he is an improvement for New York.
Another big deal came just as the trade deadline was approaching when Brian Cashman swung a deal to land Sonny Gray in pinstripes. New York gave up a lot, but they now have a very good pitcher on the team through 2019. He will instantly make the Yankees true contenders in the postseason.
The lineups and rotations
Here, we will take a look at how the starting lineups and starting rotations will look for both Boston and New York going forward, in order to compare and contrast. For this, we will assume Dustin Pedroia will be back soon.
Boston Red Sox
- RF Mookie Betts
- LF Andrew Benintendi
- 2B Dustin Pedroia
- DH Hanley Ramirez
- CF Jackie Bradley Jr.
- 3B Rafael Devers
- SS Xander Bogaerts
- 1B Mitch Moreland
- C Christian Vazquez
- LHP Chris Sale
- LHP Eduardo Rodriguez
- LHP Drew Pomeranz
- RHP Doug Fister or LHP David Price
- RHP Rick Porcello
New York Yankees
- CF Brett Gardner
- LF Clint Frazier
- RF Aaron Judge
- C Gary Sanchez
- DH Matt Holliday
- SS Didi Gregorius
- 1B Chase Headley
- 3B Todd Frazier
- 2B Ronald Torreyes
RHP Masahiro Tanaka
RHP Sonny Gray
LHP C.C. Sabathia
RHP Luis Severino
LHP Jordan Montgomery or LHP Jaime Garcia
Will the rivalry be reignited?
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MLB is more fun to watch when both the Red Sox and Yankees are playing well. Hopefully that is the case down the stretch in 2017.
In 2003 and 2004 there was so much bad blood between Boston and New York. Now though, things have definitely settled down. Rivalries always see a dip in action, but they eventually turn back on. August and September could provide fireworks if either team decides to push back into the face of their opponent.
Earlier in the season, this Red Sox team was easy to like with players like Dustin Pedroia and Mookie Betts. AS the Price-Eck situation has unfolded though, it’s gotten tougher to root for the thin-skinned Sox. Maybe they can win back the hearts of some fans with a good old fashioned brawl against New York at some point. Surely these two squads will play some meaningful games as the season winds down, and I hope we get to see some action.
Next: Devers off to a hot start in Boston
I really think our Boston Red Sox will have to dig deep in order to take down the New York Yankees in the American League East. Right now, I’m not confident that this team can get it done, though I’m hoping they surprise me. How do you think the Red Sox will finish in the division standings this season? Let me know your thoughts on Twitter @CandCFanSided or @JakChowder.