Occasionally, a trade deadline blockbuster feeds into the larger narrative of a team’s season. That was certainly the case with Nomar Garciaparra in 2004, when the Red Sox shipped their dissatisfied shortstop to Chicago. The accepted story became that the gutsy trade rebalanced the roster, upgraded the defense, and put the Red Sox back on a path towards destiny. The trade made sense in the scope of a larger plot.
Conversely, that was definitely not the case with the 2007 Eric Gagne deal, which was bizarre, seemingly unnecessary, and ultimately detached from the team’s success. Acquired from the Rangers on July 31, 2007 for three prospects, Gagne was hailed as a prized addition.