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.”

In the immediate aftermath of the deadline, it doesn't feel like the Red Sox did much of anything, let alone enough to solidify them as a serious playoff team.

Baseball chief Craig Breslow said the failure to land any big names wasn't for lack of trying: 'We pursued a number of impact opportunities.'