The annual baseball trade deadline yard sale has ended with the Boston Red Sox and Craig Breslow coming up on a baseball operations version of the Mendoza line. The new additions did little in the way of appeasement to the fan base expecting far more after the Rafael Devers trade.
Breslow spoke of his failure at roster adventurism, but that will do little to mollify fans expecting a pitcher capable of sliding into the rotation between Garrett Crochet and Lucas Giolito.
Breslow's lack of significant success at the trade mart is reminiscent of Dave Dombrowski's failure to shore up the bullpen in 2018. Dombrowski went to great lengths to explain his perceived failures, but the result was a World Series flag. Breslow can only hope this season ends that well for him.
The Red Sox may have lukewarm results in the present, but what about the future? Trade talks provide insight into what others, specifically general managers, value in the Red Sox roster or within the farm system.
Red Sox's lackluster trade deadline calls for an aggressive approach this offseason
The Twins were fully engaged in a house cleaning, and one dust bunny remained — Joe Ryan. Righty Ryan has the perfect resume for Boston with the noted statistical accomplishments one would expect, along with a controllable contract. The negotiations were not successful, but the parties will resume discussions. The Red Sox have failed once, and a second failure will not float well with RSN.
Boston's trade acquisitions were the usual Rent-A-Center deals with Steven Matz and Dustin May, shoring up the bullpen and the rotation in a "meh" sort of way. Both will be free agents and both will go elsewhere unless Matz becomes Sparky Lyle and May morphs into Pedro Martinez. The real shopping list for free agents is here. Who do they target for pitching?
The available rotation arms comprise a mix of worn, old, and risky ones. Walker Buehler is available, and that is symptomatic of the recent Red Sox history of a baseball scavenger hunt. Framber Valdez will be a prime target for those with an open pocketbook, which is questionable with the Red Sox. I would expect Valdez to get a Crochet-type deal, but probably not with Boston. Could it be?
Now circle back to Ryan, who, with Valdez, could present Boston with a baseball version of Sophie's Choice. Ryan would cost the Red Sox nearly as much as Crochet, possibly a big league outfielder and two top prospects. The Twins asked for Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu as the centerpiece of the deal in their recent deadline discussions, which the Red Sox declined.
Valdez is money, and whatever MLB comes up with as draft compensation. Money is a replaceable tool, and prospects and MLB talent are not. Age can be factored in, given that Ryan is three years younger than Valdez and has about half the career innings pitched.
A critique of Valdez drifts into body shamming as he apparently thrives on the post-game buffet. Pablo Sandoval's body type, which is reminiscent of the great NFL quarterback Sonny Jurgensen, when questioned about his expanding paunch: "You throw with your arm, not your stomach." Valdez is a gritty pitcher and one of the best in the game.
Sophie made a choice, but Breslow doesn't have to follow suit. To cement that rotation, get both Ryan and Valdez — trade the prospects package and dish out the dough. It is time to be comfortably aggressive.