Red Sox beat Dodgers, hope to convince front office to add at trade deadline

New York Times

4 days ago

BOSTON — With five days until the trade deadline, the Boston Red Sox remain in a familiar position as in recent years, sitting in contention for a wild-card spot, hoping the team adds instead of remaining idle.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow vowed in mid-June after the Rafael Devers trade that he would still bolster the team at the deadline. Now it's crunch time, and despite a 2-5 record with a tough schedule coming out of the All-Star break, another commanding win Saturday gave Breslow more reason to fortify the club.
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Garrett Crochet held the Los Angeles Dodgers to two solo homers and struck out 10 while Boston's offense knocked Clayton Kershaw out in the fifth inning on rookie Roman Anthony's RBI double in a come-from-behind 4-2 win over the National League West division leaders.
'These are teams you've got to beat to show what you're going to be the rest of the year,' said Jarren Duran, who had a 3-for-4 night with two triples. 'I think it's awesome to face these really good teams, because you want to see what you're made of.'
Though the Red Sox need to add to the rotation behind their ace Crochet, he agreed it's important for the team to show what it can do.
'Right now, we're in a position where, 'Let's play as well as we can up to that point, but we're not going to stop there, regardless of what we do at the deadline,' he said. 'It's not going to change the mentality of the guys in the clubhouse.'
The past few seasons, Red Sox teams have shown potential only to stall after the break with few reliable additions. There's belief among the current group in their ability, but also the reality of what a few extra players could mean for the stretch run.
'I think naturally, you see we're holding a wild-card spot, and we know how good that we've played,' shortstop Trevor Story said. 'It gives us reason to believe we're going to make some nice moves and just bolster our team a little bit.'
Jarren's first career 2-triple game! ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/NDwmamoNLs
— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 27, 2025
Against the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and the Dodgers, the Red Sox have tallied just three wins but have not been blown out, outscored 25-33 while playing competitive baseball in a tough stretch.
'You look at the Philly series and obviously, they're a great team with a great staff, that's the type of pitching we're gonna be facing when it comes to playing the playoffs,' Story said. 'When we're down 5-0 facing a sweep against a really good team, to come back and show our toughness there, I think goes a long way.'
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Losses are losses, but there's parity in the American League. The Red Sox have not gained any ground in the standings since the break, but they also haven't lost any, either, remaining in the exact spot as they entered the break, holding on to the second wild-card spot.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers are spiraling, losing 11 of 12 games, and the New York Yankees lost Aaron Judge to the injured list Saturday, making the AL seemingly more open.
The Tampa Bay Rays are 6-14 in July, and The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal noted Saturday that the Rays might be willing to trade first baseman/designated hitter Yandy Diaz. As Rosenthal noted, the veteran right-handed hitter would be a strong fit for the Red Sox, who, while prioritizing pitching, could use another bat after infielder Marcelo Mayer's injury.
Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro have filled in well at first in Triston Casas' absence, but adding a power right-handed bat (Diaz has 17 homers) at first would strengthen the club. With Mayer out, Gonzalez is likely to see more time at second base alongside Ceddanne Rafaela.
The Red Sox know they need to keep playing better baseball and are convinced their team can compete, but even the mental energy of the front office investing in the team at the deadline can boost a club.
Cora didn't mince words before the break when noting the disappointment of recent years.
'When teams add and you stay put, other teams get better,' Cora said. 'It's not that you got worse. It's just that other teams took a step forward, and we haven't done that in a few years here.'
Saturday, Cora was diplomatic, saying that all 30, if asked, would say they want to add at the deadline. The Red Sox are trying to prove they can make a push.
'I think we can get it done with the group that we have here, but it takes a lot of depth and it takes experience,' Story said. 'We have a little bit of that. We have some youth, too. I think if you ask anybody, we expect some moves to happen. What they are? I don't know. But reinforcements for sure, just to bolster us for a deep run.'
(Photo of Alex Cora and Jarren Duran: Winslow Townson / Getty Images)