There's no denying the Boston Red Sox got better ahead of the 2026 trade deadline, though it'll take some time to see the results.
Adley Rutschman and Curtis Mead are on the injured list, but both can hit from the right side. Rutschman has a keen eye and he's an elite defender while Mead can slug, with 17 home runs on the year.
Boston's bullpen will improve right away following the addition of former San Francisco Giant Erik Miller. The lefty has posted a 2.76 ERA, 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings and four saves over 32.2 frames. Former Atlanta Braves outfielder Eli White adds another righty bat to the mix and he's been on a tear over his last 15 games (.304/.360/.522).
Meanwhile, the Red Sox's closest competition in the division race didn't do much, at all ahead of the deadline. The New York Yankees brought in former Washington Nationals infielder Luis García Jr. and Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos to add some more bats to their tired offense, but that's about it (subscription required).
With Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton out of action due to injuries, the Yankees' offense needed a boost — Ben Rice can't carry the team all on his own. García (.285/.315/.568) and Ramos (.264/.304/.424) meet the brief. García is a particularly scary addition because his left-handed pull-side power will make incredible use of the short porch in the Bronx. He heroically homered in his Yankees debut, but New York couldn't pull out the win.
The Red Sox's trade deadline performance blows Yankees' out of the water
But García makes little sense for the Yankees, positionally. He'll probably rotate between first base and the designated hitter slot alongside Rice and Paul Goldschmidt. The Yankees desperately need a catcher following Austin Wells' regression from last season, but they never landed one. Shea Langeliers and Ryan Jeffers weren't available for different reasons, the price for Hunter Goodman was astronomical and the Red Sox stole Rutschman before New York could get him.
Ramos makes sense for the deeply injured Yankees outfield, even more so now that former top prospect Jasson Domínguez has been optioned and Spencer Jones is their only other option. Ramos will take an everyday outfield spot until Judge and Bellinger return, and maybe after depending how well Jones and Trent Grisham are playing.
The Yankees also neglected to strengthen their bullpen. They have the second best bullpen ERA (3.16) behind the Red Sox, but every contending team needs additional bullpen depth to thrive in a long and tiring playoff race. Miller will go a long way for Boston as Garrett Whitlock and Jovani Morán continue tiring.
Before the Red Sox and Yankees' games on August 4, Boston sits just two games behind New York in the American League East race. The Red Sox's improvements have set them up for a better playoff chase than the Yankees, especially if they can continue delivering anything close to their winning pace from July.
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