The Boston Red Sox were a perpetually-.500 team just weeks before the MLB trade deadline. They turned into one of the hottest teams in the league from June until the All-Star break to convince the front office to buy at the trade deadline.
A shaky record after the All-Star break had Red Sox fans worried, though. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow specified he planned to hunt for an experienced starter and impact righty bat to add to the roster, but Boston's recent losses coupled with a few injuries revealed bullpen needs as well.
The Red Sox did address their greatest deficiencies, although, maybe not the way most fans wanted. Regardless, Breslow's first trade deadline at the helm of the organization was one of Boston's best in years.
Grading the Red Sox's performance at the MLB Trade Deadline
James Paxton
The Red Sox got their trade deadline additions underway with the addition of James Paxton. The veteran pitcher reunited with his 2022-23 club just days after he was designated for assignment by the Dodgers.
The 35-year-old logged a 4.43 ERA through 89 1/3 innings with the Dodgers. He's a lefty and will bring some balance to Boston's all-right-handed rotation, but his strikeout and walk rates are less than impressive.
Paxton began his second stint as a Red Sox soon after the trade deadline passed and gave up three runs on six hits over 4.1 innings. Boston's defense didn't help Paxton in his first outing back with the club, but he finished his night with an average start in the books.
Danny Jansen
Danny Jansen was the Red Sox's second pickup, and the move came out of nowhere. Jansen's name wasn't popular in trade rumors and Boston hadn't been formally linked to the catcher in any capacity before the trade occurred.
A right-handed bat was one of Breslow's biggest priorities ahead of the deadline, and Jansen fits the mold. His offense doesn't provide much of a boost — he's slashing .219/.310/.373 — but he's played better than Reese McGuire this year, both offensively and defensively.
Jansen is an elite defender with 11 blocks above average, and both McGuire and Connor Wong struggle in that department. The Red Sox shared that Wong will begin taking more reps in the infield to get Jansen more time behind the plate.
Quinn Priester
Boston shipped its No. 6 prospect Nick Yorke to Pittsburgh in a one-for-one swap for Quinn Priester, a 23-year-old controllable starter. Both players were former first-round draft picks, Priester in 2019 and Yorke in 2020.
Yorke has yet to debut in the big leagues but Priester is well acquainted with The Show. He's pitched 94 2/3 innings over two seasons, however, he was optioned to Triple-A after the Red Sox traded for him. Priester logged a 5.04 ERA over 44 2/3 innings with the Pirates this season.
Priester is under team control until the 2030 season and carries a five-pitch mix that the Red Sox see potential in. He's a quality return for Yorke, a top prospect who likely didn't have much of a future with the big league club after Boston's trade for Vaughn Grissom and with Marcelo Mayer nearing MLB readiness.
Lucas Sims
Lucas Sims is a veteran high-leverage reliever who spent seven seasons in the Cincinnati Reds organization. He's right-handed, so he doesn't bring any balance to Boston's righty-heavy bullpen, but he'll serve as a solid setup man while Chris Martin and Justin Slaten are on the injured list.
Sims clocked a 3.57 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 20 walks over 35 1/3 innings with the Reds this season. Boston received him in a one-for-one trade for Ovis Portes, a 19-year-old pitching prospect who most recently played for Single-A Salem.
Luis García
The Sox traded for another veteran righty reliever in Luis García. The Angels got four players in exchange for the 37-year-old: Ryan Zeferjahn, Matthew Lugo, Yeferson Vargas and Niko Kavadas.
García posted a 3.71 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 14 walks in 43 2/3 innings. He's improved as the season has gone on, and his ERA is down to 2.76 in his last 15 appearances. Hopefully, Andrew Bailey, with whom García is already acquainted, can help him continue his trend in the right direction.
Overall grade: B-
Breslow addressed his club's biggest needs, but without any blockbuster trades. Paxton brings an experienced, left-handed arm to the rotation, which is what the Red Sox wanted most out of the deadline. García and Sims are solid late-inning hurlers, and both have more big-league experience than Boston's other options while Martin and Slaten are on the shelf. Jansen is a righty bat — albeit, not a powerful one — who's had more success against lefty pitching than some of his new teammates this year.
Although it won't have an immediate impact on the big-league roster, the Sox's trade for Priester might be their biggest move of the deadline. Boston traded a top-10 prospect who didn't have a spot with the major league squad for a young, former first-round pick with real, big-league starter potential. Bailey and Breslow are on a mission to improve Boston's pitching development in the minor leagues, and Priester is a quality candidate for their methods.
The Red Sox's American League East opponents didn't fare as well as many expected. The Yankees' biggest additions were Jazz Chisholm and Mark Leiter Jr. The Orioles walked away with Eloy Jimenez, Trevor Rogers and Seranthony Dominguez, among others. But there were no blockbusters in the AL East.
Boston addressed some of its biggest deficiencies without sacrificing too much in a year no one expected them to be in playoff contention in the first place. Overall, Breslow's first trade deadline as CBO made the team deeper, and a little bit better, but not much more.