Felger & Mazz On: Sox Not Making Deadline Moves
Felger & Massarotti discuss the Red Sox not adding a major player at the MLB trade deadline. Does the lack of a major move prove that the Red Sox front office gave up on this team?
Felger: "I agree in not reaching for deadline deals using prospects you believe in. I'm firmly a believer in that. I agree with that methodology. I'm for that. But maybe 1 player is the difference. They're 5, 6 back right now. And what if it comes down to a couple games? You're telling me 1 player doesn't make the difference? We've gotten to a stage where people just assume they're going to be there [playoffs] every year. That's a mistake. 5 games out of a wildcard spot in the first of August? You don't write that off. You just don't write that off. But have the Red Sox? Did the front office give up this weekend?"
Massarotti: "How do they go through and not do anything? I'm agitated by the response to their approach and their approach in general. I can't tell you how disturbed I am by the response when people say 'Well, they're not going to win anything this year anyway.' Based on what? On the fact that they had a bunch of injuries in the month of July and they went under .500 during that stretch? That's what we're basing it on? As opposed to that 68 game stretch earlier in the year when they went 45-23 and had the best record in baseball? Apparently the month of July counts more than those 68 games. There's more than a third of the season still to be played here! Apparently we're in the business of writing off seasons. That's okay to do now? They should have made a move back in June with regard to their bullpen. They didn't. They put it off. And the injuries are just a convenient excuse to sell to the fans. I'm not a huge Kerry Wood fan, I'm not. But for a couple million bucks you're telling me it wouldn't be worth it to throw him in? The worst case is you have another option. There's lots of reasons why they should have done something: First and foremost, I don't think this team's out of it like a lot of people do."
