For a brief moment, it looked like something big was coming. The kind of buzz that makes you think the Red Sox are ready to shock the league. Late chatter connected the management to Eugenio Suárez — arguably the most elite bat on the block. There was real optimism that this could be the season the Red Sox went all in. “I thought, ‘Wow, they’re going for it,’” Sean McAdam said on MassLive, remembering his initial belief that the team was cooking up something very good and meaningful, and then, just like that, it crumbled.
Instead of a headline-grabbing move, the Red Sox walked away with just two additions: Steven Matz and Dustin May. The 2 stars are serviceable, sure, however, hardly game-changers. “Underwhelming to say the least,” McAdam summed it up. McAdam did not stop and said that May, while talented, “has already thrown more innings than he ever has in his major league career” and comes with a vital injury history, containing 2 Tommy Johns. As for Matz? “If there is one team in Major League Baseball that did not need a lefty in the bullpen, it might be the Red Sox,” McAdam said, highlighting that the Red Sox already stacked an arsenal of lefties like Chapman, Wilson, and Bernardino.
This lack of need made the new additions look more like placeholders than outcomes. McAdam called the additions “incremental improvements… falling far short of what everyone had hoped for.” It did not help that the team passed on better options, containing Suárez, despite being “seriously in on” the slugger. McAdam also described the situation best: “They did everything by half measure.”
While Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow defended the team, his explanation did not exactly inspire confidence. “I understand the frustration and disappointment… There’s not a lot of sympathy for how hard we tried to get deals across the line,” Craig Breslow said. This was an answer that only further alienated the fans, tired of hearing excuses over execution.
Image Credit- Imago
If the trade deadline left the Red Sox fans underwhelmed, the moment related to a most intriguing young star of the team only added to the frustration, and possibly highlighted another missed scope.
Red Sox’s handling of Grissom sparks fresh concerns over management vision.
Vaughn Grissom was once identified as the crown jewel in the deal that sent Chris Sale packing. However, fast forward to this season, and the promising infielder has become more of an afterthought in the Red Sox’s crowded middle infield picture. Despite a .278/.345/.452 slash line with 24 doubles and 12 homers in Triple-A this season, the star has yet to get another elite MLB shot. The Red Sox chose David Hamilton—who has struggled mightily — as Marcelo Mayer’s injury replacement. This one approach told fans everything: the team does not look to believe in Grissom’s future in the Red Sox.
It is not just related to playing time; it is related to value management. With the team firmly in need of reinforcements elsewhere, the deadline was the perfect scope to flip Grissom while the star’s trade value had rebounded. However, the Red Sox did not do that, and now, with Trevor Story and Alex Bregman clogging the middle infield, Grissom looks like a stranded resource. As Katie Manganelli aptly said, “The Red Sox have telegraphed that [Grissom’s next opportunity] may come with another team.” Such a missed window mirrors the management’s larger issue—vital pieces with no clear plan in place. If Grissom does get dealt this offseason, the concern will linger: why not sooner?
Image: MLB.com
The Red Sox had a chance to silence doubters and build on momentum; however, instead, the team’s trade deadline approach did the opposite. Between minor additions and baffling roster decisions, the team’s management left fans scratching their heads. If this team thinks to be taken seriously in October, vital and clear-eyed decisions—not half measures—are a must.
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