Red Sox 2018 trade deadline recap: Contenders made moves to improve
By Sean Penney
Assessing the moves the Boston Red Sox made prior to the 2018 MLB deadline compared to the other American League contenders.
The MLB trade deadline ended up being anticlimactic for the Boston Red Sox. Other contenders stocked up for the stretch run with a flurry of last-minute moves yet the team with the best record in the majors remained quiet.
Despite being linked to virtually every relief pitcher on the market, Tuesday’s 4:00 p.m. deadline passed without a deal to upgrade the bullpen.
That doesn’t mean the Red Sox haven’t improved. Deadline Day was uneventful in part because Dave Dombrowski got his work done early. He may not have landed the lockdown reliever many of us pegged as the team’s greatest priority but Dombrowski did add a couple of infielders plus a starting pitcher over the last few weeks.
We can’t rule out the possibility of an August waiver deal. A minor league prospect would force their way to the big leagues with a strong finish. However, I wouldn’t expect a significant addition from either source. For the most part, what we see on this Red Sox roster now is what they’ll have as they prepare for a postseason run.
The best team in baseball got better before the deadline. So did the other American League teams they are contending with. Who went where and why does it help those teams? That’s what we’re here to recap.