Chris Martin would have been a prime trade chip for the Red Sox
At any trade deadline, the player demographic that is the easiest to find suitors for are relievers. Every contender wants to add bullpen depth for the stretch run and this year was no exception. Most of the time, it is relievers that have performed well enough that are also rentals are the ones that get moved. However, bullpen arms that come with a bit of team control along with the added urgency of the deadline can result in a big return and this is where Boston missed a prime opportunity with Chris Martin.
Through 39 appearances this season, Martin has posted a 1.49 ERA thanks to his elite ability to limit hard contact and getting hitters to chase his pitches out of the zone. Perennially underappreciated, Martin would have appealed to data-driven and more traditional teams alike especially since he is under team control through 2024. His age and the $7.5 million owed to him next year might have given some teams pause, but moving Martin in this year's seller's market just should have happened.
Alex Verdugo getting traded would have brought a haul back for Boston
Let's assume a world where the Red Sox didn't want to move Adam Duvall whether it was because they didn't think teams were valuing him highly enough or because they wanted to honor his wishes. The reality of Boston's roster and minor league system is that they only have so much playing time to go around. If Boston was serious about setting themselves up for success in the coming years, the move they should have made was to trade Alex Verdugo.
The lack of bats on the trade market is another strong argument for moving Verdugo especially considering that he is under contract via arbitration through 2024 and who is having a really good year this year. Assuming that Duran and Yoshida are not going anywhere (and they shouldn't be) and the number of outfield prospects Boston has coming through their farm system, the logical move is to deal from that position of strength to shore up Boston's obvious pitching deficiency. Again, we know that the Red Sox front office didn't think a playoff push was in the cards because they didn't actually do anything, so what is the value of keeping Verdugo on the roster and watching his value die on the vine?