Who Would You Rather Be -- Red Sox Or Yankees?
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Red Sox and Yankees both made a deal ahead of Monday's trade deadline, bolstering their areas of need for a postseason run.
While the Red Sox addressed their need in the bullpen by picking up Mets closer Addison Reed, the Yankees shored up their rotation by acquiring starter Sonny Gray from the A's. Tack on their pickups of relievers Dave Robertson and Tommy Kahnle from two weeks ago, and it appears the Yankees will only build on their half-game lead over Boston in the AL East over the final two months of the regular season.
Shortly after the deadline, Michael Felger asked Tony Massarotti if he'd rather be the Red Sox or the Yankees going forward. It should come as no surprise which team Mazz picked.
"If you're asking me to pick today, with everything that we know -- the momentum of the Red Sox and momentum of the Yankees, the deals New York made, the Red Sox' desire to stay under the luxury tax -- I'll take New York over the final two months. The Yankees have more firepower in the lineup, more firepower in the end of the game, and really, with Gray on top of it, it gives them another guy to give them six innings in there," said Mazz. "I know we're focusing on 2017, but there is a long-term ramification from these deals. Robertson is back next year, Kahnle is back next year, Gray is back next year. [Aaron] Judge and [Gary] Sanchez are going nowhere. The Yankees may now be the leader in the clubhouse for the next few years for the division. ....I think there's that chance."
Felger believes if the Red Sox falter over the next two-three months, they'll be forced to make a massive shakeup and go find a dangerous bat for the middle of the lineup, likely meaning a run at Bryce Harper or Manny Machado after the 2018 offseason.
Mazz doesn't know if that will be enough to put Boston ahead of New York in the division.
"There isn't anyone to fear in this lineup," he said of the Red Sox. "I look at the problem with the Yankees being long-term as much as short-term. I thought they would be a factor this year but would fade in August and September because they didn't think their starting pitching would hold up. Now they've added two relievers and a starter. The Red Sox, I don't think they'll make a blockbuster deal in the final two months. So if you're asking me to pick today, I'm taking the Yankees."
Watch the full discussion in the video above and check out all of Monday's show on the Felger & Mazz audio page!
