Former Exec Reveals Red Sox Nearly Traded For Felix Hernandez
Hernandez very nearly found his way to Boston in 2009
The Boston Red Sox are looking to swing some deals ahead of the upcoming MLB trade deadline. While their biggest move of the year saw them shockingly send Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants, the Red Sox are now looking to act as buyers at the deadline.
Trades are beginning to pick up across the league, and it’s clear that it’s crunch time for Craig Breslow and Boston’s front office. Take it from former Red Sox front office executive Zack Scott, who has become quite familiar with the cadence of the trade deadline.
Scott worked in the Sox’s front office from 2004 to 2020, before becoming the New York Mets’ acting general manager for the 2021 season. During that time, Scott has seen pretty much every single thing that can happen at the deadline.
While the deals that actually get completed obviously draw the most attention, there are quite a few deals that fall through as well. Case in point, Scott revealed that Boston nearly pulled off a trade for Felix Hernandez in 2009, only for the Seattle Mariners to back out at the last second.
“In 2009, we had a three-team deal almost done: Adrian Gonzalez from San Diego to Seattle, Felix Hernandez from Seattle to us, and several young players, including Josh Reddick, Daniel Bard, and Justin Masterson, going to the Padres,” Scott wrote in a column for MLB Trade Rumors.
“Seattle’s GM slept on it, then decided he couldn’t move the King. Just like that, a deal that could have changed three franchises was dead.”
Hernandez officially made his star turn in 2009, as he led the majors with 19 wins while earning his first All-Star selection and a second-place finish in the American League Cy Young race. Hernandez would go on to win the AL Cy Young Award in 2010 before rattling off five consecutive All-Star selections from 2011-2015.
Had the Red Sox pulled off this trade, Hernandez would have been leading their starting rotation for years to come. However, the team probably isn’t kicking themselves that much, as they did go on to win the 2013 World Series just a few years later.
