Heading into the trade deadline, we knew the Red Sox would make some sort of deal, but that was about all we knew. Coming out of it, a much clearer picture emerges, not just for this year, obviously, but moving forward.
The trades Chaim Bloom made—for Kyle Schwarber and two relievers—were defined by their cost. Bloom plainly wanted to make relatively cheap trades, and he did precisely that, swooping into the Nationals’s DMs after their blockbuster Max Scherzer/Trea Turner deal and plucking Schwarbs for Aldo Ramirez. The two latter deals for relievers were so small they’re barely worth mentioning unless Hansel Robles can revert to some flashes of youre and make an impact, which would of course be nice.