Two weeks post-MLB trade deadline is when fans can truly take stock of the acquisitions made by their clubs. Most position players will have 10 or more games under their belts, most starters will have made two starts for their new teams, and most relievers will have notched a few appearances. Dustin May has made two starts so far for the Boston Red Sox, and Steven Matz has three games out of the 'pen.
Red Sox Nation was unhappy with the Red Sox's trade deadline. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow promised them the world, but fans were given a starter who was forced out of the Dodgers' rotation and a non-back-end of the bullpen reliever. Rumors that swirled during the final hours of the deadline about Boston's interest in certain players, but ultimately coming up short, only made things worse.
Fans had hoped for a top-line starter, a high-leverage reliever, and an upgrade at first base. Plenty of those types of players were moved, and while some have proven that the prospect cost has been worth it so far, others have been underwhelming. Here are three that Red Sox fans should be happy Breslow ultimately avoided:
3 trade deadline deals Red Sox fans should be glad Craig Breslow totally avoided
Sandy Alcántara
Sandy Alcántara was one of many controllable starting pitchers not moved at the trade deadline. The former Cy Young winner picked up a little steam heading into the deadline with back-to-back scoreless outings for the Fish and was someone the Sox called about. The righty seemed like the poster child for being a "change of scenery guy", with most analysts predicting that a new team may help him rediscover his former self after struggling coming back from Tommy John.
It seems like the Sox (as well as most teams around the league) dodged a bullet with this one. In his two August outings, Alcántara has allowed six runs in seven innings and five runs in five innings, pushing his ERA up to 6.55. Now, it's looking like the right move not to have forked up the capital needed to try and acquire and then fix the almost 30-year-old during a playoff race.
Bailey Falter
Bailey Falter was one of the more intriguing arms available at the deadline. The 28-year-old lefty was having a career season in Pittsburgh, and with their abundance of young arms, they were looking to move him with three years of control remaining after 2025. He had a 3.73 ERA in 113 innings for the Pirates with an ERA+ of 114.
The Royals decided to grab the lefty on deadline day, and in his first two starts for them, he's allowed nine runs in eight innings. Seven of those runs came against the Sox in his first outing, but in his second outing, he still couldn't make it past the fourth inning. With Breslow looking around for controllable arms, Falter might have been someone he checked in on. Now, Sox fans are probably glad he isn't wearing Red.
Eugenio Suárez
Eugenio Suárez was the premier bat available at the deadline. He became the first player in MLB history to be traded with 35 home runs on the season. Reports came out on deadline day that the Red Sox had talked to the Diamondbacks about Suárez, with the thought that he could slide across the diamond and play first base.
Suárez has been abysmal for the Mariners. In his first 11 games, he's hitting a lowly .098 with an OPS well under .400. He had just one home run, while striking out 16 times in 41 at-bats. T-Mobile Park is infamous for how pitcher-friendly it is, but fans had hoped he could continue his form from Arizona and be an outlier (not that he was in his two seasons there in 2022-23). Instead, he continued the cold streak that started his final eight games in Arizona. Red Sox fans should be glad they didn't bring that cold streak to Boston.