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LOS ANGELES — Like most other teams with designs on the postseason, the Red Sox are hopeful that their front office can deliver some help for the stretch run before the trade deadline at 6 p.m. Monday.
Boston struck early a weekend ago when the Sox acquired Curtis Mead from Washington in exchange for Connelly Early. But no sooner had Mead joined them before suffering a broken wrist, sidelining him for six to eight weeks, and effectively negating the deal.
As frustrating as that blow was, the Red Sox remain active in talks in the final hours before the deadline, in search of offensive upgrades and perhaps some pitching depth.
The deadline represents an emotional roller coaster for teams. There’s an air of expectation that management will reward teams in contention by making a move (or two) to improve the roster. But also, there’s the fear that some of the existing players who helped to put the team in position to add could be edged aside by a new arrival.
In short, it can be an emotional roller coaster with a range of different feelings in play.
That’s especially true with this group, whose hot stretch began five weeks ago with a lineup full of journeymen and depth pieces playing on a regular basis. If the Red Sox acquire a star shortstop at the deadline, that will mean a reduction of playing time for the players who have manned the position during the team’s 30-8 run.
“Universally, in a big league locker room, if you add something impactful, that’s usually going to be pretty well received by players,” said interim manager Chad Tracy, “because that’s an indication that that’s going to help us, right? But you also are sensitive, as a manager, to, well, how does that effect the rest of our roster? How does it fit? How does it effect (others)? So I’m sensitive to that, for sure.
“But I don’t think it so drastically that it takes away the identity of what we’re doing. (Ceddanne Rafaela) can hit home runs and he can bunt. (Jarren Duran) can show what he can do and bunt. (Caleb) Durbin can hit home runs, and he can bunt. So there’s still a lot of our identity that doesn’t go away with the addition of a player. We’ll figure it out as we go, but I’m sensitive to that.”
Six weeks ago, the Red Sox were desperate for an infusion of pop to the lineup, with the team in the bottom five in numerous offensive category. More recently, thanks to improved performance and a willingness to play small ball, the team has shown itself to have at least a league-average offense.
“Any team, if you add a big bat to the lineup, it’s going to help,” continued Tracy. “That being said, if it happens or not, with our team right now, over the course of the last month-plus, we’ve figured out a little bit of an identity of how do we score runs with this pocket in the lineup, or that pocket of the lineup, or this game against that pitcher. So we’re just going to keep playing baseball and over today and tomorrow, we’ll see if something happens.
“And if it doesn’t, we’ll keep trying to attack offense the way we have been. But we have some guys who have done an amazing job in the last month plus of providing things that people didn’t expect but we did — Mona (Andruw Monasterio), (Anthony) Seigler, the lift he’s brought, Sogey (Nick Sogard) and the quality of the at-bats...We just have to continue that regardless of what happens. And we’ll deal with the rest of that as it comes."
More Red Sox coverage
- Are Red Sox’ two star rookie starters actually related? Payton Tolle explains
- Red Sox have top slugger back in lineup Sunday as they try to sweep Dodgers in L.A.
- Some Things I Think I Think: Red Sox and Jarren Duran no longer a good fit
- Red Sox’ Ceddanne Rafaela, usually a defense-first player, caps ‘otherworldly’ week with two more homers
- As Red Sox try to trade for a shortstop, ‘outstanding’ fill-in at the position making a case to stay
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