Flavin Media

By: Declan Flavin | Follow me on Twitter / X @FlavinDeclan

The Boston Red Sox have been trending downward in recent weeks, no matter how their season ends. The offense has looked flat and lacked energy. The defense has also shown cracks, with costly mistakes surfacing late in games. The pitching, while inconsistent, has still managed to give the offense chances. Regardless, this is not how the city expected the team to perform after the trade deadline, and there are a few key factors fans should revisit that have contributed to the struggles.

1) Trade Deadline

Beyond the obvious absence of Roman Anthony, the Red Sox clearly needed to add at least one hitter, preferably a right-handed bat, to stay competitive against stronger teams. The lack of an offensive move drew some anger, which later eased amid the hype surrounding the team’s success. The narrative is set to resurface now that the lack of offense has left the team dead in the water. After adding young talent from within the organization to the pitching staff, it’s notable that General Manager Craig Breslow still chose to upgrade the position at the deadline.

2) Triston Casas

Although Casas struggled early, it would still be valuable to have a reputable presence like his in the lineup. After rookies Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer showed they still need seasoning, this was a season where the team could have benefited from experienced young players ready to break out. Instead, the team has had to rely on a lineup patched together with players like Nick Sogard and Nate Eaton, who aren’t ideally suited for the roles they’ve been asked to fill. At the end of the day, a reputable presence in the lineup can change the opponent’s mindset, regardless of whether that player is producing.

3) Rafael Devers

Similarly, Devers being traded for minimal player return raises questions. Was that all the team could do in terms of acquiring talent in return, or did they prioritize shedding salary because they believed the current lineup could hold up? Either way, most would prefer a playoff spot with an unknown captain at the helm rather than rallying around Alex Bregman without October baseball. Having Devers on the roster now would literally provide the talent needed to give the team breathing room in the wild card race.

The team still has the upper hand over the Cleveland Guardians below them, but it should never have reached this point, and fans are well aware of that. In the first half of the season, the Red Sox were on a real rise, with players like Ceddanne Rafaela leading the way. But injuries and the trajectories of various players have left the team poorly positioned for success in the second half of the season, and there should have been some foresight that this outcome was possible. Nevertheless, fans shouldn’t reach the point of turning their energy against their own team just yet. Although the city may not want to hear it, once any Major League Baseball team is in the playoff picture, the outcome is unpredictable, no matter what any expert says.