The Boston Red Sox entered July with postseason aspirations and looked to be one of the top contenders in the American League.
Unfortunately for Boston, its 7-18 start has severely impacted not only its playoff chances but its perception around the league.
The latest Major League Baseball power rankings reflect the Red Sox's recent skid.
"It wasn't long ago that the Red Sox found themselves in second place in the division -- but Boston had a brutal month of July," ESPN published Thursday. "At a crucial time ahead of the trade deadline, the Red Sox faced a barrage of injuries including Chris Sale's return to the (injured list) after he was hit by a comebacker in the finger. While executive Chaim Bloom says that there's been no discussion about trading Xander Bogaerts or Rafael Devers, the team does have a bunch of players other teams could find valuable heading into the playoff stretch."
The Red Sox took the biggest dive on the list, falling from No. 7 in their previous ranking all the way down to No. 16. With the MLB trade deadline approaching Tuesday, the Red Sox will have to decide whether to buy in completely or sell some of their players on expiring deals. While the perception might be that the sky is falling at Fenway Park, the Red Sox sit just 3 1/2 games back of a wild card spot.
The Red Sox will aim to inch closer when they take on the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park for the second game of the three-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET following an hour of pregame coverage, and you can watch it all on NESN.
