Of note, Bowden identified the Red Sox as the team “that asked for too much in trades,” citing multiple MLB general managers. That led to another undesirable superlative for Boston: “The fan base that heard crickets.”

Boston also registered an interest in trading for Miami’s Sandy Alcantara, who, like Ryan, didn’t get moved before the trade deadline passed on July 31. In the end, the Red Sox weren’t able to bolster the top of their starting rotation, but they clearly tried to be aggressive, up to a certain point.