A big reason for Red Sox’ early playoff exit? Craig Breslow’s trade deadline

BOSTON — Baseball executives often caution against judging a team’s trade deadline in the immediate aftermath of it passing. Deadlines, they say, should wait to be adjudicated until after the season.

For the Red Sox, that time is now. Exactly nine weeks after a disappointing July 31 came and went with nothing more than the underwhelming additions of rental pitchers Dustin May and Steven Matz , the Sox found themselves packing their bags to head home after an early postseason exit and loss to the Yankees.

Approaching the deadline with the Red Sox squarely in contention after a torrid start to July, Breslow aimed for impact acquisitions — does the name Joe Ryan ring a bell? — but fell short, then readily admitted so in his public comments in the aftermath. Instead of adding a game-change