Red Sox Swept the Yankees. That Still Might Not Stop a Fire Sale at the Deadline.

The Boston Red Sox just swept the New York Yankees. Three games, three wins, and for a weekend it almost felt like the old days. But here’s the thing: one good series doesn’t fix a season that’s been mostly brutal.

Boston sits at 37-46, dead last in the AL East. They’re 11 games back. And with the trade deadline about three weeks away, the front office has a real decision to make. Buy? Sell? A little of both?

The case for selling still looks strong

Ken Rosenthal wrote in The Athletic that this sweep doesn’t wipe out three months of bad baseball. He’s right. The Red Sox have been inconsistent, injured, and frustrating. Team CEO Sam Kennedy called the season “embarrassing” on WEEI less than three weeks ago. He also warned that if things didn’t turn around, the team could end up selling.

And when a CEO uses that word publicly, it’s not just talk. It’s a signal.

There have been whispers about the Red Sox moving pitcher Sonny Gray. Also closer Aroldis Chapman, who’s been solid but is 36 and on a one-year deal. Trading those guys would bring back young talent. It would also basically wave the white flag on 2025.

But what if they keep playing like this?

Rosenthal also floated the idea that Boston could become “outright buyers” if they keep winning and get healthier. That’s a big if. Garrett Crochet, their lefty ace, is working his way back. If he returns and looks like himself, maybe the rotation stabilizes enough to make a run.

Still, buying feels like a stretch. This team needs more than one piece. They need bullpen help. They need a right-handed bat — something Craig Breslow tried and failed to add last winter. Chasing that now, with this record, feels like punting future flexibility for a shot at .500.

Maybe the most realistic path is a split. Move Gray if Crochet comes back healthy. Keep some pieces. Sell others. That’s not the sexiest plan, but it might be the smartest one.

The Red Sox play the Nationals on Tuesday. Then the A’s. Then the Mariners. That stretch could tell us everything about which way this team is headed.

Or maybe it just confirms what we already know.