Red Sox’s Trade Deadline ‘Didn’t Add Up’ According To This Ex-MLB GM
'I'm not quite sure I understood their end game'
The Boston Red Sox completed four trades by Tuesday’s 6 p.m. ET Major League Baseball trade deadline, resulting in mixed reactions from current players, one former player and now a Boston native who formerly served as an MLB general manager.
Jim Bowden, who served 16 seasons as vice president and general manager for the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals, currently covers the MLB for The Athletic — and graded the Red Sox’s trade deadline in his latest piece Wednesday.
Bowden’s grade for the Red Sox: D+
“The Red Sox were buying and selling at the deadline, but I’m not quite sure I understood their end game,” Bowden wrote. “(Christian) Vázquez was too important in that locker room, and to their pitching staff, to trade him for two position players who were not even rated in the top 20 of the Astros’ farm system.”
Bowden added: “But overall, for a team so close in the wild-card race, trading Vázquez and adding (Tommy) Pham and Hosmer just didn’t add up for me.”
The Red Sox concluded their deadline by acquiring three big league veterans along with four minor league prospects:
— Acquired prospects Emmanuel Valdez (infielder) and Wilyer Abreu (outfielder) from the Houston Astros for Vázquez.
— Acquired outfielder Pham for a player to be named later.
— First baseman Eric Hosmer and prospects Max Ferguson (infielder) and Corey Rosier (outfielder) from the San Diego Padres for left-handed pitching prospect Jay Groome.
— Acquired catcher Reese McGuire and a player to be named later (or cash considerations) for left-handed relief pitcher Jake Diekman.
Following Wednesday’s loss to the Astros, the Red Sox sit three games back of the American League wild card race.
