Blog 9

Craig Breslow Press Conference | Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/GettyImages 

Blog #9: 2025 Trade Deadline Recap: The Moves, The Misses, and What’s Next

By OwBroMedia

August 2, 2025 | Boston, MA

BOSTON- On June 16—just over 24 hours after the Boston Red Sox traded then-franchise icon and the last remaining piece of the 2018 World Series championship team, Rafael Devers, to the San Francisco Giants—Craig Breslow remarked:

“It’s important to point out that this is in no way signifying a waving of the white flag on 2025. We are as committed as we were six months ago to putting a winning team on the field, to competing for the division, and making a deep postseason run.”

His statement made it clear: the Red Sox were indeed buyers at this year’s trade deadline, which concluded on July 31. At the time of the Devers trade, Boston was amid an up-and-down stretch, holding a 37–36 record. Since then, however, the team has surged, going 17–7 in the month of July—highlighted by a 10-game winning streak leading into the All-Star break—finishing the month at 59–51.

This midseason surge has put Boston in a strong position. As of August 1, the Red Sox hold the second American League Wild Card spot by one game and sit in third place in the AL East, five games behind the first-place Toronto Blue Jays. 

The Needs:

Heading into the deadline, the front office made it known they were seeking frontline starting pitching, bullpen help, and a first baseman.

These needs made sense. Outside of breakout ace Garrett Crochet, the Red Sox rotation has been inconsistent, though Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito have shown signs of improvement lately. Injuries to Tanner Houck, Hunter Dobbins, and Patrick Sandoval—combined with the shaky performance of Walker Buehler—have left the back end of the rotation in a precarious state.

At first base, the season-ending injury to Triston Casas forced Boston into a platoon of Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro. While both have flashed potential, Gonzalez has struggled significantly against right-handed pitching, and Toro has posted a sub-.600 OPS over his last 30 games after a hot start.

With playoff aspirations for the first time since 2021, fans expected bold moves to strengthen the roster. Unfortunately, quite the opposite occurred.

Trade Deadline Deals

The two moves the Red Sox made before the 6:00 p.m. deadline were as follows:

LHP Steven Matz

On July 30, Boston and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed to a one-for-one deal, sending Matz to the Red Sox in exchange for their 19th-ranked prospect, 1B/3B Blaze Jordan.

Matz, acquired to bolster the bullpen, had been a longtime starter in the majors. He pitched for the New York Mets from 2015 to 2020—including a start in Game 5 of the 2015 World Series—then was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021. That offseason, he signed a four-year deal with the Cardinals. It had been reported at the time that Boston was highly interested and had been one of the finalists during his free agency.

After several rough years alternating between starter and reliever, Matz has found his permanent home in the bullpen. In 2025, he’s pitched 55 innings with a 5–2 record, a 3.44 ERA, and 47 strikeouts. He may have endured some bad luck though, as his 2.88 FIP suggests he’s been among the league’s unluckiest pitchers. With postseason experience and solid numbers, Boston is banking on Matz to be a reliable mid-inning reliever down the stretch as he heads into free agency at season’s end.

Jordan, Boston’s third-round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, had been slowly climbing the ranks. After beginning the year unranked on MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 list, he put together an impressive campaign: in 88 games between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester, Jordan hit .308/.377/.872 with 12 home runs and 62 RBIs, with 35 of his 99 hits going for extra bases.

Still, there was no clear long-term fit for Jordan on the Red Sox roster. With former Red Sox executive Chaim Bloom now in St. Louis and poised to take over as GM after 2025, he would reacquired the second ever draft pick he made.

RHP Dustin May

Just minutes before the deadline expired, Boston completed its second and final deal: acquiring Dustin May from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for the Red Sox’s 10th-ranked prospect, OF James Tibbs, and 30th-ranked prospect, OF Zach Ehrhard.

Once a top prospect in the Dodgers’ system, May has struggled to meet expectations due to inconsistency and injuries—including Tommy John surgery and esophageal surgery, which caused him to miss half of 2023 and all of 2024. Though healthy in 2025, his performance has lagged behind.

In 19 games (18 starts), May has thrown a career-high 104 innings, posting a 6–7 record, 4.85 ERA, and 97 strikeouts. Like Matz, May too will also be a free agent at the conclusion of this season. While many deadline sellers sought high returns, Boston aimed to buy low—though the price was still significant.

Tibbs, the Giants’ 2024 first-round pick, came to Boston as a key part of the Devers deal. In 30 games with Double-A Portland, he struggled, hitting just .207/.319/.267 with one home run and seven RBIs. Despite his upside, the Red Sox opted to move on quickly.

Ehrhard, Boston’s 2024 fourth-rounder, rapidly advanced to Double-A in his first full professional season. Across 89 games between Portland and High-A Greenville, he batted .267/.367/.796 with nine home runs and 45 RBIs. Unranked entering the season, he rose into Boston’s Top 30 prospects by the time of the trade.

What’s Next?

The Red Sox made moves—but compared to contenders like the Mariners, Astros, Yankees, Rangers, and Blue Jays, their deadline performance felt underwhelming. Reports indicated that Boston made a late push to acquire All-Star RHP Joe Ryan from the Minnesota Twins, but a deal couldn’t be reached. Discussions for Arizona’s Merrill Kelly and Miami’s Sandy Alcantara, and Edward Cabrera also fell short.

Plain and simple, there was no Plan B. It was an open secret that Boston was trying to acquire starting pitching that was controllable past the 2025 season, and once they failed at that option, they were unable to pivot to a new idea in time, much to the dismay of fans and media alike.

Nonetheless, this deadline indicates Breslow and the front office clearly believe in the current core. Dustin May is expected to debut on Wednesday, August 13, against the Kansas City Royals. Steven Matz will be activated from the bullpen, replacing Brennan Bernardino, who was optioned.

With first base not even addressed at the deadline, you can expect Kristian Campbell—who started hot but cooled off midseason—could be recalled soon to reinforce the position. Additionally, according to Jen McCaffrey, the Red Sox’s No. 2 prospect and consensus top 100 MLB prospect, OF Jhostynxon Garcia, will begin getting reps at first base in Triple-A Worcester. With the crowded outfield, this may be his ticket to a major league debut.

Over the past two seasons, Boston’s post-deadline performance has often led to a downward spiral. Will 2025 be different?

Only time will tell.