For a team to go from World Series to 10th in their league within 5 seasons is not rare by any means. For a team to underperform after high pre-season expectations is even more common.

For a team like the Boston Red Sox to be fifth in the American League East, however, is incredibly shocking.

The Red Sox went about the 2021-2022 off-season in a very strange way, signing a handful of risky veteran pitchers, while trading away star outfielder Hunter Renfroe for a relatively low-value return.

It wasn’t until the surprise agreement with All-Star shortstop Trevor Story on March 20, 2022 that the Red Sox hit the spotlight.

Story, infamous for above-average defense and a powerful bat, became a free agent after a strong 2021 season with the Colorado Rockies, in which he hit 24 home runs while stealing 20 bases. 

Buzz surrounded the player throughout the entire off-season, with many expecting either the New York Yankees or Houston Astros to sign the middle infielder.

When news broke on March 20 of the reported 6-year, $140 million deal, many eyes shifted towards the Red Sox having a competitive regular season run.

ESPN’s preseason rankings set the Red Sox at a strong 87-75 record entering the season, which ranked them above the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles in the AL East, and placed them in prime position to fight for a playoff spot.

As it turns out, not all expectations may be achieved.

Early into the season, it was clear injuries would be the primary narrative. The Red Sox lost starting pitchers Chris Sale and James Paxton – as well as infielder/outfielder Kiké Hernández – very early in the season. These pieces were expected to be large factors, meaning that production would have to come from other sources.

After the month of April, the Red Sox had a 9-13 record. Yet, by the end of June, the Red Sox were 43-33. Things were looking up for the team, and it seemed as though their production could only increase.

Though by the beginning of August, the Red Sox were 51-52. July proved to be a brutal month for the team, and effectively killed their momentum for the rest of the season.

Then things got weird.

The Aug. 2 trade deadline was definitely a strange one in Boston, with the Red Sox seemingly selling contending pieces for prospects as expected. However, the team also acquired strong pieces, including first baseman Eric Hosmer and outfielder Tommy Pham. It seemed as though the plan was simply to make trades without a plan.

Following the deadline, the Red Sox minor league system ranked 11th, showing promise for contention sooner rather than later.

Ever since the 2000 season, the Red Sox have been known to do damage in the regular season at a pretty consistent rate. However, between an injury-plagued season and a very confounding deadline, the Boston Red Sox have left to hope for through the remainder of this season.