3 Red Sox trade deadline mistakes Chaim Bloom must avoid at all costs
By Tim Boyle
2) Red Sox trade deadline mistake to avoid: Don’t overpay to make it work
The Red Sox would need a vastly different pitching staff in order to make anyone confident in them going very far. They’d be wise to begin by acquiring starting pitchers. Any leftovers they may have might need to find their way to the bullpen. Boston could use some upgrades there, too.
In buyer mode, the Red Sox have some very obvious upgrades they could make. It would be a major mistake to overpay for players just to try to turn the season around. It’s lipstick on a pig.
The signing of Corey Kluber has turned into a massive mistake. Chris Sale has shown flashes of his old self yet he’s as combustible as ever. Ailing arms in the bullpen. ERAs so high we question if someone made an error. The pitching the Red Sox currently have needs to get right before even considering some major expensive upgrades.
It may even be a waste for Boston to acquire a lesser pitcher or a position player if they’re not going to attack the trade deadline in full force. The congested American League East will likely create several trade deadline battles between the five ball clubs for other players. As each plunders the American League Central and the other weak teams around MLB, the Red Sox need to be honest about who they are.