The Boston Red Sox had one of the worst trade deadlines in recent history. It's arguably the worst one since 1990 when they traded Jeff Bagwell to the Astros, especially in terms of postseason ambitions, the stakes, and the amount of fixes needed to the team. Many have already written them off for the season, projecting them to fall apart in August or September. Honestly, it may just happen.
Red Sox CBO Craig Breslow made many promises. He said he would "bolster the lineup", fix the pitching depth, and address the logjam in the outfield, and told the fans that they were going to be buyers at this year's deadline. Arguably, only one of these things actually happened. They acquired Steven Matz as a bullpen option from St. Louis and Dustin May from the Dodgers, who, according to sports radio host Michael Felger, was not even going to be on the Dodgers' playoff roster.
So this begs the question that only a hard truth will answer: Does the Red Sox organization, including Craig Breslow and company, actually care about the product on the field?
First, let's talk about the two new Red Sox acquisitions. Steven Matz used to be a good fourth starter for the New York Mets, but he's 34 and has been demoted to the bullpen because he can't pitch well in that capacity anymore. He's had a good season, but who knows if he'll keep it up? Dustin May, albeit a sneaky one as well, is an injury-riddled mess with fantastic potential, but has not tapped into it.
Second, let's view what they traded away. Breslow traded prospect Blaze Jordan, who was their first base depth in the minors, who was doing exceptionally well, and was due for a call-up this season. They didn't have much faith in him and traded him, ironically enough, to the executive who drafted him in the first place, Chaim Bloom. They also traded away James Tibbs III (acquired in the Devers trade), who was struggling immensely in AA Portland.
Those two prospects, along with LHP Zach Ehrhard, could've been dealt somewhere else for, say, a first baseman instead. Maybe Dustin May can be something if he stays healthy, but he's a rental this year, along with Matz. So thinking about it, Breslow talked about gaining a pitcher under control at the deadline and got two rentals instead. What does that tell you?
This tells us either one of three things: Breslow misread the market, folded under the pressure, or never intended to actually "buy" in the first place. Knowing Breslow, he definitely didn't "misread" the market at all. He may have folded under the pressure, especially with the Joe Ryan deal. But, the most logical reason is that when he said they were going to "buy", he meant that loosely. He was talking about whether he could have his cake and eat it too.
He was focused on getting the likes of Joe Ryan, Merrill Kelly, Zac Gallen, or even Dylan Cease, for that matter, if only they were willing to take prospects. Here's the problem: They were asking him to give up either Wilyer Abreu or Jarren Duran, which would undoubtedly solve that logjam in the outfield.
Not giving up Jarren Duran is understandable, but not Wilyer Abreu? While he's got an amazing pedigree and is a great outfielder, he's been inconsistent this year. Sure, he's the team leader in home runs, but that would've been either Bregman or Casas if they were healthy.
Abreu should've been the piece to go, regardless of what the fanbase thought. Breslow knew he had to make a hard decision at the deadline to address this issue, but he didn't, and it probably came at the expense of the chemistry or players falling apart because Rob Refsnyder, Masataka Yoshida, and Romy Gonzalez need their reps.
Executives in MLB organizations have big heads, and it's not for the sanctity of winning. Guys like Craig Breslow are committed to what they want and have no real backup plan because they'll stubbornly believe that what they're doing is correct.
Another problem is that while May is great for their depth, they didn't truly fortify the pitching rotation. Do you understand why Jhoan Duran, Ryan Helsley, Mason Miller, and Merrill Kelly were dealt? Even if all of their respective farm systems were considered "barren" compared to the Red Sox?
It was because of their willingness to sacrifice. Breslow doesn't want that. He doesn't like sacrifice. Notice how in the Garrett Crochet deal, he only gave up prospects? That wasn't by design; they originally were rumored to want Wilyer Abreu as the headliner as well. But Breslow refused to let him go.
So now this comes to the conclusion of whether the Red Sox care about winning. In most cases, yes. The acquisitions of Crochet, Bregman, and Buehler (albeit it was boom or bust) proved that Breslow wants to win. The bigger issue is that Breslow's afraid.
Breslow is not a risk-taker and is much different from all of these other GMs who were successful at the deadline. Compared to even Ross Atkins from the Blue Jays, he still acquired Shane Bieber to fortify his rotation. What did Breslow do? If you consider Dustin May, he's a project at best. He's got an ERA of 4.85 and had a 6-7 record with the best offense in baseball. That should tell you something.
Speaking of which, the entire American League has improved mightily, except for Boston. The Blue Jays acquired Ty France along with Bieber. The Yankees acquired Camilo Doval and David Bednar, who were big upgrades needed for their bullpen. The Rangers didn't trade anybody despite a bad season, and even acquired Merrill Kelly, Danny Coulombe, and Phil Maton. The Rays acquired Griffin Jax from Minnesota. The Tigers bolstered their pitching depth, notably acquiring Paul Sewald and Kyle Finnegan. The Astros got back Carlos Correa to address Isaac Paredes' season-ending injury. The Mariners upgraded heavily in their lineup, getting both Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor.
Many pieces, other than Joe Ryan, were not traded at the deadline. Sandy Alcantara, Edward Cabrera, Mitch Keller, Zac Gallen, Dennis Santana, Dylan Cease, etc. These were all formidable pieces that the Red Sox could and should have gotten.
It's difficult to understand, with all the huffing and puffing about wanting to build a championship team this year, how Breslow couldn't get anybody on that list. The Pirates, Marlins, and the Diamondbacks were selling. They had already given up pieces. Why not pounce on that opportunity? Even if it was just Alcantara?
This organization is slowly becoming the Colorado Rockies, putting an essence of talent out there so the fans can show up to the ballpark. This part isn't on Breslow, but that's the ownership group that's running this team to the ground.
The Red Sox may stumble to a championship within the next couple of years because of the farm system and outstanding player development in the minors, but it won't be because of ownership and Breslow's branch. This year may be a lost scenario, but look on the bright side: at least the future is bright.