Boston Red Sox fans had high expectations for the 2025 trade deadline, as they were led to believe they should.
After the Rafael Devers trade and before the 10-game winning streak that sent the Red Sox into the All-Star break riding high, Boston's front office planned to buy at the deadline. The Devers trade was supposed to make the Red Sox more financially flexible, and there was more than enough pitching and first base talent to choose from.
But as the Red Sox's targets began to fly off the board, such as Eugenio Suárez, Ryan O'Hearn and Merrill Kelly, it felt more and more like the big trade they needed to remain competitive would never come.