Did Red Sox’s Midseason Moves Come Back To Haunt Them?
Now that the Boston Red Sox’s season is officially over, it’s time to look back at some of their in-season moves and see how they worked out.
The big one, of course, involved sending Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants for Kyle Harrison, Jordan Hicks and two prospects on June 15.
While this move may pay off in the long run for the Red Sox, it did more harm than good for them this season.
For starters, losing Devers — the team’s best hitter — was a significant blow to the offense, especially down the stretch after Roman Anthony got hurt. Boston ranked 10th in home runs during the first half but 27th during the second half, struggling to hit for power after losing one of the best sluggers in the game.
The Red Sox’s thin lineup was particularly glaring during the AL Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees, as Boston managed just six runs in the three games and was held scoreless over the final 15 innings. Devers, a bona fide Yankee killer with a career .955 postseason OPS, may have swung the series.
While Devers produced 1.8 WAR after the trade, Harrison and Hicks combined for -0.8 WAR. Neither pitched in the playoffs, and Hicks was one of the worst pitchers in baseball before going on the injured list in September.
The Red Sox fared a bit better with their trade deadline moves, adding Dustin May and Steven Matz (who combined for 0.2 WAR). May provided mixed results before getting hurt, but Matz gave the bullpen a boost with his 2.08 ERA in 21 appearances. He was the only trade acquisition to appear in October, contributing a pair of scoreless innings against New York.
However, Boston’s trade deadline was ultimately defined by what it didn’t do, such as landing a No. 2 starter or an impact bat. Either could have made a huge difference in October, as the depleted Red Sox were short on bats and starting pitching.
Ultimately, Boston didn’t do enough to fortify its roster this season, especially with all of the injuries that cropped up. Despite making strong additions last winter in Garrett Crochet, Aroldis Chapman and Alex Bregman, they didn’t add enough reinforcements during the season and ended up shorthanded in October.
Had the Red Sox kept Devers and/or been more aggressive at the deadline, perhaps there would have been a different outcome this week.