The Boston Red Sox's approach to the July 31 trade deadline was met with a lot of angst from the fanbase. There was the phony Joe Ryan trade that never actually happened, and when the Red Sox did finally make a move, it was underwhelming, to say the least.
Once all the dust was settled and the smoke was cleared, the Red Sox picked up a pair of pitchers at this year's MLB trade deadline. Boston landed Dustin May from the Los Angeles Dodgers and Steven Matz from the St. Louis Cardinals.
While May was shelled by the New York Yankees on Sunday night and has been mostly disappointing since the deadline, Matz has performed quite well since arriving in Boston — so much so, that Red Sox fans might owe Craig Breslow an apology.
Red Sox fans owe Craig Breslow an apology for outrage over Steven Matz trade
To be fair, on paper, the trade was an outright dud. Red Sox fans were expecting a blockbuster trade for a pitcher like Dylan Cease or the aforementioned Ryan. Even Arizona Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen, who's having a down year, would've been better than nothing.
After the deadline passed, Red Sox fans were noticeably upset, and who could blame them? Matz was a failed starter in St. Louis whose strikeout numbers were unimpressive. But since being traded to the Red Sox, the veteran left-hander has excelled coming out of the Boston bullpen.
Matz has made nine appearances thus far and owns a sparkling 0.87 ERA with eight punchouts over 10⅓ innings of work. He's allowed just one run on five hits, and his 0.677 WHIP is quite impressive. In fact, it's exactly the type of addition Red Sox fans were clamoring for before the trade deadline.
Not every trade can be as flashy as the deal Boston swung this past offseason for Garrett Crochet. Sometimes these under-the-radar deals are the ones that help shape the team and turn them into a formidable contender during the second half.
So while Breslow's trade for May looks like a miss, acquiring Matz in exchange for infield prospect Blaze Jordan would appear to be a rather ingenious move on the part of Boston's top decision-maker. The southpaw could be a key contributor for the Red Sox down the stretch and into the postseason.