The Sacrifices I Make

Usually I'm thrilled when the Red Sox trade for a player already on my fantasy team. After all, I always prefer to have a Red Sox player over another player. If the Sox happen to trade for someone already on my team, I get to have that player without looking like too much of a homer. So, I should have been super-excited when the Red Sox traded for Addison Reed yesterday. 

But, Reed was one of my best closers. Now that he's on the Red Sox, he better not be getting more than a save or two the rest of the year. This move really hurts my team in the worst way.

I'm willing to make that sacrifice.

For one thing, I will always choose real life over the fantasy team. That's why I don't have any Yankees on the team. For another, my team is in ninth place...not sure how much those saves were helping.

Which is good, because this is a huge move. Oh, I know, not Chris Sale big. Or even, probably, Drew Pomeranz big. But, when you're adding a player and you add to the top, it's always so much better than adding at the bottom. 

The Red Sox bullpen was having trouble cobbling together stretches of quality innings. So, the team could have acquired a reasonable bullpen arm. That would have helped. But, it still would have left the cobbling together. Instead the Sox went to the top. The got a guy to try and lock down the eighth inning on the way to Kimbrel. That makes the entire bullpen better. Not just one slot.

Suddenly, the collection of players trying to get through 6-7-8 only need to get 6-7. Or, probably just 7. Getting one inning out of the rest of the pen would seem to be a much shorter task.

It has effects everywhere. The rest of the pen can get a little less work. They can all be a little more rested. They can all be a lot more efficient in holding onto leads. The starters just need to worry about starting. They don't need to be the middle relief too.

Reed isn't as sexy an acquisition as some others. But, sometimes the big splash isn't what you need. The Red Sox are a very good team. A few minor adjustments can go a long way.

It'll make the second half a lot more fun!