Red Sox fans had reasons to panic about the Caleb Durbin-Kyle Harrison deal early, and plenty of them. For a stretch, it looked ugly in Boston’s direction: Harrison was looking like a real National League Cy Young contender for Milwaukee in the first half, while Durbin was sitting among the league’s worst qualified hitters through the beginning of June. Add in Shane Drohan turning into a valuable starter and Andruw Monasterio putting up negative fWAR, and the trade had all the ingredients of a disaster.
But the picture has changed since then. Durbin has caught fire since June 1, putting up an .812 OPS and a 129 wRC+. Harrison, meanwhile, has fallen off so hard that Milwaukee has now moved him out of the rotation entirely.
It’s still too soon to crown Boston the winner of the blockbuster, but the Red Sox clearly weren’t reckless to bet on Durbin. The early gap has shrunk, and the trade no longer looks like a one-sided blowout.
Harrison’s recent numbers tell the story. Since June 1, he has a 6.10 ERA and a 5.38 FIP, and he’s given up 17 home runs in just 59 innings.
A bout with forearm tightness near the All-Star break almost certainly played a part in the downturn, but the larger issue is that he hasn’t looked like an ace for a while. The fact that there have even been conversations about leaving him off the Brewers’ postseason roster says plenty about where things stand.
Durbin is heading the other way. He’s currently the seventh-most valuable third baseman in the league by fWAR at 2.9, and that value has come from a well-rounded game.
His baserunning and defense have been excellent, and being above average across the board is hardly a bad place to live. He’s also within striking distance of a 20-steal, Gold Glove kind of season in his Red Sox debut.
Boston’s return from Milwaukee goes beyond Durbin, too. Monasterio and Anthony Seigler haven’t exactly lit it up in limited time, but Monasterio has chipped in some timely hits while handling all four infield spots, and Seigler has posted a 102 wRC+ in just under 175 plate appearances this year.
Then there’s Owen Hull, the player the Red Sox took with the compensatory draft pick Milwaukee sent over in the deal. After being drafted, he went to High-A and hit .967 OPS in 24 games.
With Durbin under contract through 2031 and Hull already looking like a prospect who could rise quickly, Boston still has a real chance to come out ahead in the long run. For now, the safest read is simple: the Red Sox just need to keep holding serve.
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Red Sox Prospect Franklin Arias Is Giving Fans A Bigger Question
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Red Sox Face A Tough Garrett Whitlock Decision Again
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Red Sox Could Get Punished By MLBs Playoff Setup
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It is the sort of arrangement that can punish depth and consistency, especially if a high-level team is forced into an early matchup because the bracket leans on division standing instead of total record. The argument for changing the system is straightforward: a playoff field should more directly reflect what happened over the full season, rather than give an edge to a club that happened to win a weaker division. For the Red Sox, and for anyone else battling through the AL East, that debate is likely to keep hanging around until MLB decides to address it. [Read more 🡒]