The return of Dustin Pedroia
Back on June 27, few raised an eyebrow when it was announced that Seattle had traded for veteran first baseman Carlos Santana, giving up Single-A pitcher Will Fleming and reliever Wyatt Mills.
The Mariners were six games under .500 while the Red Sox were in the midst of an epically hot June, residing 7 1/2 games in front of Seattle at 42-33.
But lurking on the transaction wire that day was a painful reminder for the Red Sox: Sometimes the best moves are executed too early instead of too late.
While Santana's numbers with the Mariners aren't mind-blowing - totaling a .783 OPS and five homers - the impact he has had on Seattle is. Since the deal, the M's are 17-4, sitting as a Wild Card team while the Red Sox currently reside three games out of postseason consideration.
According to a major league, despite clearly struggling when it came to first base production, the Red Sox were not in the mix to acquire Santana, with Seattle and Cleveland showing the most interest.
Coincidentally, the date of the Santana trade was one day earlier than when the Red Sox secured the services of Steve Pearce four years prior. The two deals have served as two of the best examples regarding how impactful proactive roster-building can be.
The veteran switch-hitter (who has an .830 OPS against lefties) isn't the be-all, end-all when it comes to production. But he certainly could have provided the same kind of presence Pearce added.
And it's really tough to argue with the results in what this results business of big league baseball.
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