Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom still knows what he’s doing, and one underwhelming trade deadline doesn’t change all his successes.
However…
The Sox needed pitching. We knew it, the club knew it, and Rafael Devers even asked for help.
Bloom didn’t get pitching.
Was not adding a starter the right move for a team in the thick of a playoff race? No. But it’s justifiable.
Bloom focused on controllable players this trade deadline. Rental prices were sky-high, so prices for players with one or more years of control were likely even higher. He wasn’t willing to part with integral players to get the controllable starters they were pursuing.
The upcoming free agent class is projected to be full of starting pitching options, and a trade for a controllable starter will be easier to pull off in the offseason.
2024 is the year to go all out anyway.
Meanwhile, for the rest of 2023, it’s more bullpen games once a week for now. It’s been working, so it is justified to continue until injured pitchers return.
Chris Sale, Garrett Whitlock, and Tanner Houck aren’t too far away. They could return before being built up and piggyback each other.
Nick Pivetta reclaiming his rotation spot could’ve also factored into Chaim’s decision-making (Red Sox have four starters with Pivetta).
We didn’t get what we wanted. The Red Sox didn’t add what they needed, or what could’ve given them an edge. But Boston didn’t subtract either — they had a chance to but didn’t — which signals at least some trust in the current group. What we did get instead, as Chaim Bloom does, is some interesting depth that has a chance to turn into more for next year and beyond.
Pre-Trade Deadline Move Red Sox Had to Make
Embed from Getty ImagesI have already talked about Kiké’s defense. Hernandez hurt the Red Sox more than he helped. And he was one of the worst hitters too.
There’s not much else to say about Enrique Hernandez. He had to go. The situation only got more untenable and weird the longer he was around.
But the fact Boston got anything in return for him from the Los Angeles Dodgers is a miracle.
The Sox had to pay all but $1.1 million of Kiké’s remaining salary for 2023 to get two Triple-A depth arms that could help sooner than later.
Nick Robertson, a 25-year-old right-hander on the Red Sox 40-man roster, made his MLB debut this season and struggled (6.10 ERA over 10.1 IP). He’s dominated Triple-A, though, pitching to a 2.97 ERA with ten walks and 44 strikeouts over 30.1 innings. Per his Baseball America scouting report, he attacks the strike zone. His delivery and tempo keep hitters off balance. And he can get both left-handed and righty hitters out. Robertson has the ceiling of a high-leverage reliever and is very close to big-league ready.
Justin Hagenman, also a 25-year-old righty, has been used as a multi-inning reliever this year at Triple-A, pitching to a 2.64 ERA with 12 walks and 62 strikeouts over 58 innings. Per Hagenman’s BA scouting report, his stuff is below average, but he throws strikes with good control.
Red Sox Needed a Righty Reliever and Got One
Embed from Getty ImagesRighty Mauricio Llovera, 27, acquired from the San Fransisco Giants, has only 31.2 career innings (5.68 ERA).
In just five appearances for the Giants in 2023 before the trade, Llovera pitched to a 1.69 ERA.
However, he has an intriguing sinker/slider mix that, if harnessed, could make him the next Chaim Bloom “bargain bin” reclamation success story.
Llovera is holding opponents to a .214 batting average on the sinker (95.6 mph average velocity), and the pitch has the 11th-highest strikeout rate of all qualified sinkers in MLB in 2023. The slider is his pitch that generates swings and misses.
Over just 2.1 innings with the Red Sox, Llovera has allowed one unearned run, walked three, and struck out four.
He is out of options, so he has to be in the big-league bullpen for now.
It’s a big “if’ he becomes another Bloom success, but we’ll see how long he sticks.
Red Sox’s Most Interesting Trade Deadline Acquisition
Embed from Getty ImagesLast but certainly not least, and arguably the most interesting (and only) player the Red Sox acquired on trade deadline day, infielder Luis Urias.
Urias has only appeared in 20 MLB games in 2023 due to a left hamstring strain he sustained on Opening Day and did not do well.
He’s spent the majority of 2023 at Triple-A.
At Triple-A in July, he hit .250/.392/.447/.839 with 17 walks, 21 strikeouts, and 12 RBI in 20 games.
Before the injury, Urias had been a quality big-league player the previous two seasons.
Between 2021-22, he hit 39 home runs combined. He took a lot of walks (78-79th percentile, respectively), did not swing and miss much (67-63rd percentile, respectively), did not chase much (65-80th percentile, respectively), and did not strike out too much (57-50th percentile, respectively).
The 26-year-old Mexico native was a quality second baseman, too (2 Outs Above Average/-2 Defensive Runs Saved between ’21-22).
Luis Urias, under team control through 2026, is a lotto ticket right now. If he can return to his 2021-22 form, though, he’ll be an extremely useful player and possibly an everyday second baseman whose swing fits Fenway pretty well.
Unless the Milwaukee Brewers pay the remainder of his 2023 salary, the Red Sox are on the hook for the $1.57 million left this season.
Interesting Players but Meh for 2023 Sox
Despite the intrigue of these players, I can’t say they were pieces this team definitely needed.
This offseason will be a better time to add a starter, plus 2024 is the start of their competitive window anyway. However, it did seem like this year’s trade deadline was the time for the Red Sox to start pushing some chips in.
The 2023 trade deadline wasn’t good for Boston, though it’s hard to say it was terrible. It certainly wasn’t a helpful deadline. The Sox are in no better position (no worse either) than they were on July 31.
Meh.
For daily Red Sox coverage, follow me on Twitter. For more MLB coverage, follow @BellyUpBaseball and check out Belly Up Sport’s other MLB content.
