Each of the past three Red Sox championships were supplemented by trades, but a look back at the five most significant deadline deals of the past three title teams shows that the impact isn’t always momentous. Sometimes a trade looks big on paper — Eric Gagne — but doesn’t play out that way on the field. Other times, the trade looks small at first — Dave Roberts — but has a franchise-altering impact in the end.
July 12, 2013
• Acquired: Left-handed reliever Matt Thornton
• Traded: Outfield prospect Brandon Jacobs
• Why: To offset an injury to Andrew Miller, the Red Sox solidified the left side of their bullpen.