Red Sox Teammate Backs Kenley Jansen’s Trade Deadline Stance

The Red Sox continue to establish their trade deadline stance in the locker room, hoping Boston’s front office shares a similar sentiment before Aug. 1.

Coming off their most recent series with the Cubs to begin the second half of the season, the Red Sox are tied with the Yankees, both sharing a 50-44 record, nine games back of the first-place Rays in the division. Boston, however, is also just two games behind in the American League wild-card race, prompting players such as Kenley Jansen to express their faith in making a late-season run to October.

“I think from what Kenley is saying, and I can attest to this from 2021 with the Braves, we went and got Joc Pederson before the deadline and were like, ‘OK,’ because we were on that edge like, ‘Are we gonna sell or are we gonna buy?'” Red Sox reliever Chris Martin told WEEI’s Rob Bradford on Audacy Sports’ “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast. “And when the front office goes and buys somebody, you’re like, ‘OK, they are serious about this.'”

Martin added on trade deadline additions: “It gives you a little spark.”

Unlike last season, in which Boston also sat in the lower half of the division standings in July, this go-around is different. Yes, the Red Sox are in last place and have been for the majority of the season, yet they’ve shown promise in several key areas that could convince the front office to invest in efforts to avoid replicating the team’s finish in 2022.

The voices in the clubhouse are spreading the right message, refusing to tap out with the window of postseason contention still open and over two months of games left scheduled before No. 162.

Like Jansen, Martin was also brought aboard this past offseason in order to address Boston’s need for bullpen depth, which hampered them heavily in 2022. And while that addition — also like Jansen’s — has paid off for the Red Sox through Martin’s 1.57 ERA in 30 relief appearances, Boston still has plenty of work to do in order to get over the hump, which could use a helping hand from the front office.

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