Mahay Madness

Well, wouldn't it be nice to have Ron Mahay in a Red Sox uniform right now? The left-handed setup man came in during the 8th inning tonight and got the Royals out of a tight jam. With runners at the corners and a two-run lead, Mahay got Jason Varitek swinging on a full count to end the inning.

I know everyone is smitten over Jason Bay right now. I can't say I blame them because he's doing all the little things right now and helping the Sox win. But the biggest reason why this trade hurts the Red Sox is because they had to give up Craig Hansen and Brandon Moss to get Bay.

Now I'm not saying either Hansen or Moss would have helped the team down the stretch. Both very likely could've ended up back in the minors before the end of the season.

But consider this: the Red Sox had a deal in place with the Kansas City Royals on deadline day involving Brandon Moss for Ron Mahay. That move would have drastically improved their beleaguered bullpen, and it would have given Boston a better chance at making and succeeding in the playoffs.

The Manny trade really hurt the Sox because it diverted efforts and players away from the deals that really needed to take place. They didn't improve their bullpen at all at the deadline, and it may cost them in September and October.