At the deadline, the Red Sox caught plenty of heat for standing pat. Critics claimed the team’s management did not do enough, and some questioned whether chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was being too cautious. Fans wanted a splash and an elite star, something that screamed urgency. But Boston has quietly gone 15-6 since the deadline, climbing back into the Wild Card picture with a +93 run differential in that span. Sometimes, the biggest win comes from the deal you don’t make.

One star that had the fans of the Red Sox buzzing was Sandy Alcantara. The former Cy Young winner looked like a classic “change of scenery” candidate. Alcantara had flashed back-to-back scoreless outings right before the deadline, just enough to spark rumors that the Red Sox could roll the dice. However, Breslo

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