Before the Trade Deadline, the Boston Red Sox were the hottest team in baseball.
That was only fortified by great moves made on deadline day and earlier, including the acquisitions of infielder Curtis Mead and catcher Adley Rutschman.
According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, the Red Sox earned an A- for their trades, the third-highest in baseball. This was just behind the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers.
But did they deserve this grade? After all, the Red Sox practically mortgaged their future for Rutschman and Mead, while also officially giving up on former top prospect Marcelo Mayer.
Why Did the Boston Red Sox Receive a High Grade for Their Deadline?
On Monday, Boston completed a trade with the Baltimore Orioles to receive the three-time All-Star catcher for a prospect haul. The Orioles got three of Boston’s top five prospects in Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon and Enddy Azocar.
Bowden seems to think it wasn’t as big of a haul as fans make it out to be.
“I know many Red Sox fans who buy into prospects will be screaming about them trading so many big-name prospects, but several players that team president Craig Breslow traded have been over-hyped and over-ranked,” Bowden wrote. “In time, I believe Sox fans will be happy they landed Rutschman, especially if they can sign him long-term.”
While Rutschman is a great player when healthy, he hasn’t been very healthy this season, playing just 67 games. He is also only signed through 2027. With the impending lockout in 2027, this could end up being a rental if Boston fails to re-sign Rutschman.
That’s a lot to give up for a rental. Because of this trade alone, many are under the impression that the grade should’ve been lower. We’ll see later if it was worth it, but Rutschman is certainly a talented player.
What Else Constitutes a Lower Grade?
Marcelo Mayer was once a top 10 prospect in all of baseball. However, Boston traded him on Monday to the San Francisco Giants for reliever Erik Miller.
Some Red Sox fans might feel that the return was not enough for Mayer. But the Red Sox, if they were to deal him, had to sell low on Mayer.
While Miller has a 2.76 ERA in 38 games this season, the price for a former top prospect who still has plenty of potential could’ve been higher. Was it right to sell low on the former top prospect? That is unknown at this time.
Mayer, in 114 games, slashed .223/.278/.346 in his career with Boston.
While out of Boston’s control, the Mead trade has turned into a short-term disaster. After trading a very promising rookie pitcher, Connelly Early, straight up for the infielder Mead, he suffered a major injury in his first game with Boston.
Because of those two trades, plus the Rutschman trade, Boston may have had a worse deadline than Bowden is giving them credit for. Was it worth it? Only time will tell.
Either way, Boston has vaulted itself from the bottom of the league to contenders, and the league should be very scared of the team they’ve assembled.
Red Sox Get Unexpected Deadline Grade Amid Rutschman Trade Criticism