October 28th, 2018. Only five years after the Boston Red Sox defeated the Cardinals to win their third championship in under ten years, the Red Sox once again found themselves as World Series Champions, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games, and cemented themselves as one of the greatest sports superpowers of the early 2000’s. A few months prior, Dave Dombrowski - then the President of Baseball Operations - and John Henry, owner of the Red Sox, agreed to terms with breakout star and free agent J.D. Martinez on a blockbuster five year, $110 million contract.

The end of the end

Martinez, along with many other additions to the squad - Chris Sale, Nathan Eovaldi, and star rookie Rafael Devers -, helped lead Boston to their fourth championship in under fifteen years. Together, a group of young, homegrown players combined with veteran additions to the squad to create an unforgettable season. But Today, less than four years later, it seems almost inevitable that we are nearing the end. The end of many key pieces of the 2018 roster’s tenure with the Red Sox. The end of Eovaldi, the end of Martinez, and the end of Xander Bogaerts, the longest tenured player on the Red Sox, and arguably the most well known player on the Red Sox today.

Steady decline

It would be a lie to say that this is the beginning of the end; the Red Sox have been on a slight decline ever since 2018, having gradually lost many key players from the championship season throughout the past few years. It started in the beginning of 2020, when ownership failed to negotiate and agree to a contract extension with superstar outfielder Mookie Betts. Betts, the 2018 American League MVP, had understandably been asking for a major extension, somewhere in the $400 million range. In what would be a sign of things to come from the organization, John Henry showed where his priorities were, trading Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers, valuing money over the team. Betts would yet again lead his team to a World Series win that same year.

saying goodbye

Later that year, Red Sox fans would say goodbye to a couple of franchise favorites from the championship season, Andrew Benintendi and Mitch Moreland. In what could simply be described as a forgettable season, new President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom was forced to sell. Moreland was traded to the San Diego Padres at the deadline, whilst Benintendi - amid a career worst season -, was traded to the Kansas City Royals prior in the season.

Since the 2020 season, players have come and gone, like Jackie Bradley Jr., and Brandon Workman. And whilst most of the core front from 2018 have not been shipped to another team yet, many players are counting their final days with the Red Sox. Vasquez, Bogaerts, Martinez, Sale, Eovaldi, maybe even Devers.

ups and downs

In a year which has been up and down for the Red Sox, the action itself has been somewhat overshadowed by the news behind the scenes about contract negotiations for Devers and Bogaerts. It's been made very clear that the asking prices of both of those players are nowhere near what John Henry has envisioned, and it’s looking more likely everyday that the team will sell during the deadline. While the Red Sox have Devers locked up for another year, the case is not the same with Bogaerts. Much to the dismay of Red Sox nation, it’s almost inevitable that Bogaerts will be traded, maybe even as soon as today. In one of the most complete divisions in baseball, it will take a miracle for the Red Sox to compete, let alone make the playoffs this year. The only feasible option would be to sell at the deadline.

This brings us back to the other man of the hour, JD Martinez. A fan favorite ever since he arrived in Boston in 2018, Red Sox fans would hate to see him go. What they would hate even more though, is to see him - a player on the last year of his contract - leave during the offseason, for nothing in return. It’s anything but exciting, and the epitome of bittersweet, but it’s likely for the better if he were to be traded. Martinez, already 35 years old, is a very high risk extension candidate, and it’s clear that the organization has no plans of bringing on the DH for another year.

Concluding thoughts

Ultimately, more than anything, baseball is all about strategy. If you play your cards right, you could win the World Series. If you don’t, you could be sitting at the bottom of your division for years and years. While the entirety of Red Sox nation would hate to see their fan favorites go as early as today, the reality is that it’s for the better. Why risk giving up your farm system for complete players, when you’re already sitting in fourth place in the most stacked division in baseball? Especially when your organization has shown their unwillingness to sign their players time and time again. Ultimately, it’s the end of the end. The team has been on a decline ever since 2018, but now it seems like the Red Sox have hit rock-bottom. But there is such a thing as new beginnings, and you never know what could happen in baseball. Maybe the next Betts, the next Bogaerts, or the next Sale will be traded to Boston, as early as today.