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Did Red Sox Actually Win Caleb Durbin Trade?
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- Did Red Sox Actually Win Caleb Durbin Trade?
Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin
The Boston Red Sox acquired Caleb Durbin in the offseason to replace Alex Bregman, and now that the season is over, it may be easier to evaluate whether the Red Sox won the deal.
The Red Sox gave up David Hamilton, Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan for Andruw Monasterio, Anthony Seigler and Durbin. While Monasterio and Seigler had their moments for the Red Sox, Durbin was the headliner coming back. He was a National League Rookie of the Year finalist last year and filled a hole at third base for Boston.
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Early in the year, it looked like the Red Sox made a terrible move. Durbin was awful at the plate, and Kyle Harrison was pitching like an All-Star. In his first 48 games, Durbin had a .479 OPS. Harrison had a 3.01 ERA in his first 17 starts before he went on the injured list with a flexor strain in July.
However, Durbin's turnaround and Harrison's falloff suddenly changed the outlook of the trade. Harrison posted a 7.31 ERA after coming off the injured list and lost his spot in the Milwaukee Brewers' rotation. Durbin had a .283/.368/.435 slash line with 12 home runs in his final 105 games, while playing amazing defense at third base.
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Both are under contract for years to come, and both had solid seasons. Long-term, both figure to be key pieces for their new teams. Durbin will enter next season as the clear every-day third baseman, and Harrison should reclaim his spot in the rotation after a healthy offseason. He pitched a career high in innings this year, and he was too good in the first half to simply fall off a cliff.
The real winner of this trade will come down to the other pieces involved. Seigler and Monasterio are career utilitymen, but Drohan and Hamilton have already established themselves as important pieces for the Brewers. Hamilton led the league in bunt hits and played in 121 games for the Brewers. Drohan has served as both a starter and reliever for Pat Murphy and, outside of a few blowup outings, has been very valuable. He has a 1.47 ERA in his 14 relief outings and can give the team length.
Drohan could develop into a starter and become a key part of the Brewers rotation down the line. Hamilton likely won't be an everyday player, but is a solid platoon bat who fits the Brewers' play style. In the end, the Red Sox got a good player in Durbin, but may have given up too much. Drohan, Hamilton and Harrison helped the Brewers to the best record in baseball, and Drohan and Harrison look to be key parts of the future in Milwaukee as well.
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