Another trade deadline has come and gone. And once again, the Red Sox did nothing of substance.
Craig Breslow, in a virtual press conference after the deadline, said, “I understand the frustration and the disappointment because we’re all looking at the last week right now in terms of the trades that were made and weren’t made, and there’s not a lot of sympathy for how hard we tried to get deals across the line, I understand that.”
If you want to sift through that robotic answer, you may come to the conclusion that Breslow and company wanted to do more but couldn’t. After Liverpool, an English soccer team owned by Red Sox owner John Henry, has spent a ton of money this offseason, it is likely that he put restraints on what the Red Sox could do.
So, what did they do?
Red Sox acquire Steven Matz from the Cardinals
Former starter turned reliever, Steven Matz, was the first of two players traded to the Red Sox during deadline day.
The team dealt prospect Blaze Jordan in exchange for the left-handed bullpen piece who has a 3.44 ERA.
Honestly, I like the trade. However, it is not the groundbreaking addition that this team needed. When news of the deal broke, I was hopeful that it would be a good start to a busy day.
Boy, was I wrong.
Dodgers give Dustin May to the Sox
Gross.
Dustin May in 2025 is nothing more than a washed-up, fringe number 5 starter.
With hopes that the team would acquire a number two starter, like Joe Ryan from the Twins, to slot behind Crochet, this move had every Red Sox fan feeling numb.
Did someone forget to tell Breslow that if you’re buying at the deadline, you don’t trade with teams that are also in the playoff picture? The Dodgers gave May to the Red Sox because he wasn’t going to make their postseason roster.
Another deadline wasted
You know, I wouldn’t care so much about the Dustin May deal if the team continued to make moves after that.
But nope. Dustin May and Steven Matz are the only new additions to the team. Yippee.
You know what’s really troubling? If they weren’t going to add to this team, then I don’t think they’ll ever have a real trade deadline until something huge changes behind the scenes.
This team was in the perfect spot for a team poised to have a big deadline. They are a fringe playoff team that is missing one or two big pieces. A number two starter and a first baseman. Instead, they got a number five starter and another lefty in their bullpen.
Quite frankly, I am at the end of my rope as a Red Sox fan.
NESN, once one of the premier local sports stations in the country, has turned into a team propaganda machine the likes of which North Korea would be proud of.
Popular local reporters and talking heads bootlick for Fenway Sports Group in unprecedented fashion. Thankfully, after this horrific deadline, notorious team shills like Lou Merloni are even starting to publicly chastize the team.
“I throw up in my mouth when I hear people talk, upset about Blaze Jordan leaving,” Merloni said on WEEI. “How many rookies do you want up here? Get me veterans who have been here before. That’s what everybody wants.”
With two months left in the season, let’s see if the team makes a playoff run. The American League is very weak, so sliding into a wildcard spot is very doable for this team. However, they certainly aren’t getting any help from the front office.
