No Major Moves For Red Sox At MLB Trade Deadline
BOSTON (CBS) -- The MLB trade deadline has come and gone, with the Red Sox pulling off only a minor trade earlier in the afternoon.
Dave Dombrowski couldn't pry lefty ace Chris Sale from the Chicago White Sox, or find a taker for Clay Buchholz, and instead bolstered his bullpen with the acquisition of lefty reliever Fernando Abad from Minnesota.
Abad will give manager John Farrell another reliable lefty out of the pen going forward. In return, Boston sent Triple-A reliever Pat Light to the Twins.
Dombrowski did most of his dealing earlier this month, most notably acquiring left-handed starter Drew Pomeranz from the San Diego Padres for Boston's top pitching prospect, Anderson Espinoza. Pomeranz was brought in to help solidify the rotation, but is 0-2 with a 7.53 ERA in his three starts with the Red Sox, further fueling the disdain for Dombrowski surrendering an 18-year-old pitcher in the deal.
A few days before landing Pomeranz, Dombrowski added more bullpen help in righty Brad Ziegler from Arizona and added some depth to the infield by acquiring Aaron Hill from the Milwaukee Brewers.
In the end Dombrowski did not land a top-flight starter, but he did acquire a pair of arms that could be key for the Boston bullpen down the stretch for essentially nothing.
Sale did not end up getting traded on Monday after a morning full of rumors, with Chicago's lofty asking price the likely reason why. It was reported that Chicago was asking for four players from Boston in return for Sale, including their top three prospects in Yoan Moncada, Andrew Benintendi and Michael Kopech -- a price tag Dombrowski must have found too high.
But Oakland's Rich Hill, the other available starting pitcher at this season's deadline, went from Oakland (along with fellow former Red Sox, Josh Reddick) to the L.A. Dodgers for a trio of minor leaguers.
The Red Sox were also rumored to be chatting with the New York Yankees for veteran outfielder Carlos Beltran, who was dealt to the Texas Rangers for three prospects.
Players can still be traded the rest of the season, but only after clearing waivers.
The Red Sox currently sit at 57-46 for the season, 1.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East (and a half-game behind the Toronto Blue Jays). They currently hold a one-game lead over the Detroit Tigers for the second Wild Card spot in the American League.