Red Sox trade deadline acquisitions Steve Pearce, Nathan Eovaldi, Ian Kinsler paying off

Trade acquisitions Steve Pearce, Nathan Eovaldi, and Ian Kinsler are already paying major dividends for the Red Sox.

As the best team in the Major Leagues, the Boston Red Sox were expected to make a big splash at non-waiver trade deadline. Names like Brad Hand, Zach Britton, Brian Dozier, even Manny Machado were being thrown around at different times as potential trade targets for the Sox.

But Dave Dombrowski chose to go a different route, bolstering the roster with three under-the-radar moves that all addressed varies weaknesses of the team.

First, he acquired Steve Pearce from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for minor leaguer Santiago Espinal. This move gave the Red Sox another option at first base, one that hits left-handed pitching very well.

Since joining the Sox, Pearce is batting .357 with five home runs, 14 RBIs, and a 1.162 OPS in 19 games. He hit three homers and drove in six runs in Game 1 of the rivalry series against the Yankees, and another home run in Game 2 that made a difference in the 4-1 victory. Pearce was the third Red Sox player in history to hit three home runs in a game versus the Yankees.

After both Steven Wright and Eduardo Rodriguez went down with injuries, the Sox were in need of another starter. So, Dombrowski went out and got starter Nathan Eovaldi from the Tampa Bay Rays for pitching prospect Jalen Beeks. Eovaldi has been phenomenal since joining the Red Sox, yet to allow a run in two starts. And in those starts he allowed a combined seven hits and just one walk.

With Dustin Pedroia likely out for the rest of the season, Dealin’ Dave acquired veteran second baseman and top defender, Ian Kinsler.

Kinsler was recently placed on the 10-day DL with a hamstring strain after just three games with the Red Sox, but in his 10 at-bats he had four hits (.400 AVG), drove in two runs, and stole two bases. He also had two remarkable plays in the field:

I know it’s a very small sample size for these three, but they’ve contributed a lot in one of the most important series of the season. Pearce hit four home runs in the first two games against the Yankees, Eovaldi shut them out for eight innings in his start, and Ian Kinsler showed off his glove and bat on multiple occasions in the series.

This rivalry series could decide the final outcome in the AL East, as after Saturday’s game the Red Sox are up 8.5 games on the Yankees, and their deadline additions helped their cause in a big way.