The quote Red Sox should feel good about heading into trade deadline

It's a seller's market. That's good news for the Red Sox. You know why? They are one of the few teams that unequivocally are labeling themselves sellers.

Chaim Bloom made it perfectly clear what his intentions were last Friday, dealing off the Sox' closer (Brandon Workman) and one of their most reliable relievers (Heath Hembree) for two pitchers (Nick Pivetta, Connor Seabold) who nobody is going to be counting on performing in a Game 7 any time soon.

It's all understandable and expected.

But what was interesting was what has followed from the rest of the Major League Baseball ... nothing. In fact, the most notable moment from this week regarding the Aug. 31 trade deadline might have come via the words offered to the Kansas City Star by Royals general manager Dayton Moore.

"We wouldn't hesitate to add to this team," Moore said. "This team is talented enough to be one of eight teams representing the American League in the playoff. ... So I'm not even beginning to think about dismantling or moving players that help us win at this point.  I believe that this group of players is extremely talented and very much capable of being a playoff team."

At the time Moore proclaimed his approach his team was just two games better than the Red Sox.

What does that tell you? Teams are reluctant to wave the white flag quite yet.

Theo Epstein says there are fewer "sellers" this season than there normally would be 10 days from the trade deadline. Says expanded playoffs has a lot to do with that and teams not picking a direction just yet. #Cubs

In fairness, after Kansas City responded to Moore's statement with a win over the Cardinals, it sits just three games out of the last Wild Card spot. (The Red Sox are six games back in the loss column, in case you were wondering.)

And it's not as if the Royals don't have very interesting pieces that they can use to replenish their 2021 roster. Relievers Trevor Rosenthal and Greg Holland would likely be viewed in the same vein as Workman and Hembree if made available.

There are teams who are probably going to be teams who will be going down the same path at the Red Sox have already set out on. The Angels (10-22) have starter Dylan Bundy, who is still under team control for another year at a semi-reasonable rate ($5 million). The Rangers (11-18) have a slightly more expensive and older starting pitching option in Lance Lynn, who also doesn't become a free agent until after 2021. The 12-19 Mariners have starter Taijuan Walker, who would be a rental but has been solid. 

The team with the worst record in the majors, the Pirates, possess an interesting late-inning reliever in Keone Kela, who hasn't pitched much in what is his contract year due to COVID-19 and then forearm tightness. Pittsburgh said it is being cautious with the reliever, but if he can pitch this week the pitcher jumps to the top of the list of those undoubtedly being dealt.

Everyone else? Google the names of the worst teams in baseball along with "trade deadline" and you will find a lot of confusion. Buyers? Sellers? Who knows?

The Red Sox are one of the few who have defined themselves, and that can only be good news for Bloom and Co.

'Philly came hard after these two pitchers' pic.twitter.com/AckMULEgod