It's fair to say things haven't gone quite as planned for the Red Sox since the MLB trade deadline came and went two weeks ago.
With their 8-3 loss to the Pirates Saturday, the Red Sox finished off their first road trip since the Deadline with a less-than-inspiring 2-5 mark. Panic hasn't ensued by any stretch, thanks in large part to the five-game cushion they have while sitting in the wild card's second spot. But, still, the whole idea of pushing all those chips to the middle of the table just before and on Aug. 3 was to not have discomfort like this.
Yet, here they are.
The spotlight on the Red Sox's recent downturn will continue to drift toward Adley Rutschman, the player who was brought in to help Chad Tracy's team plant its flag. Starting his career in Boston by going 1-for-17 with nine strikeouts only makes the glare brighter.
The easy juxtaposition right now is turning to the other notable catcher who was dealt at the Deadline, Tampa Bay's Liam Hicks, who is 9-for-30 with two homers and a 1.075 OPS. Consider that analysis low-hanging fruit for those trying to define success and failure after 14 days.
But it's not that simple when it comes to pinpointing the problems.
For instance, since the deadline, the Red Sox have led all of Major League Baseball in runs. But also, in the last nine games, they have only won twice, scoring more than four runs just once. It hasn't helped that the starting pitchers have a 2-5 record, allowing the sixth-highest batting average of any group in baseball.
And then there are the issues with hitting with men on base and runners in scoring position since Aug. 8. In such situations, the Red Sox are just 13-for-76 (.171), third-worst in MLB. They also have hit just six homers, with only two clubs totaling fewer in that span.
Rutschman hasn't been the biggest problem, but he also hasn't been the kind of solution the Red Sox had hoped for.
If it makes Red Sox fans (and Craig Breslow) feel any better, they aren't the only team that has seen its early-August blueprint go awry. Of the five teams with nine wins since the trade deadline, two of them (Mets, Blue Jays) were sellers, and three (Cubs, Rays, Padres) have been primarily buoyed by players already on their rosters.
In fact, if you look across the board at early returns for hitters secured at the deadline, it's truly sort of stunning.
The good? Hicks and Cleveland's Nathaniel Lowe (.840 OPS). Everyone else? Nope.
Lars Nootbar (Arizona): 5-for-32, .513 OPS.
Joe Adell (Cleveland): 7-for-42, .685 OPS.
Daulton Varsho (Houston): 6-for-44, .445 OPS.
Luis Garcia Jr. (Yankees): 10-for-42, .664 OPS.
Heliot Ramos (Yankees): 3-for-36, .381 OPS
Luis Arraez (Phillies): 13-for-53, .645 OPS.
Taylor Ward (Seattle): 5-for-32, .375 OPS.
Brett Bateman (Toronto): 11-for-40, .651 OPS.
Brenton Doyle (White Sox): 7-for-29, .621 OPS.
Carlos Narvaez (Baltimore); 3-for-31, .265 OPS.
And if you thought it was simply of not prying away the right player, know this: Since the trade deadline, the Angels' Zach Neto is hitting .143 with a .437 OPS.
Any trade deadline momentum for teams can be found thanks to some pitching additions. The Red Sox, for example, have already reaped the benefits of the Erik Miller acquisition (5.1 IP, 0 runs, 9 K's and one walk), a revelation made even more important with both Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten now on the injured list.
Some other notable pitchers who have thrived since switching teams:
Tyler Mahle (Braves): 12 innings, one run.
Dustin May (Brewers): 13 innings, three runs.
Clay Holmes (Cubs): Last outing allowed one hit in six innings.
Luis Castillo (White Sox): Last outing allowed one hit in seven innings.
Casey Mize (Padres): Last outing allowed three hits in six innings.
Maybe for the Red Sox, the reality of getting back on the right track is the always-uncomfortable narrative that the returning injured players will be the problem-solvers. The good versions of Trevor Story (who played in his first rehab assignment game with Triple-A Worcester Sunday) and Roman Anthony (scheduled to begin his rehab assignment Tuesday in Portland) are undeniably feathers in the Red Sox collective cap.
There is also Tanner Houck, and maybe even Garrett Crochet.
But all we have is the here-and-now. And two weeks into this post-deadline world, the clouds were supposed be continuing to part for the Red Sox existence. Unfortunately for New England baseball fans, it's not always sunny in Boston ... quite yet.
