Over the course of history, when the Red Sox and Yankees exchange players, the deals have traditionally favored the Yankees.
There was the sale of Babe Ruth, of course, for which the less said, the better for Red Sox fans. And some 50 or so years ago, when the Sox swapped reliever Sparky Lyle for Danny Cater, the winner was, again, plainly -- and painfully -- obvious.
There have been a handful of others, too. Some inconsequential -- Stephen Drew anyone? And others could properly be called the sort of deals that proverbially helped both (see: Mike Easler for Don Baylor).
Historically, however, the Red Sox have more than a little making up to do. When it comes to Ruth, his arrival in the Bronx ushered in the Yanks' first era of dominance. As for Lyle, that lopsided trade helped pave the way for Yanks' return to glory in the 1970s.
That's a lot of making up to do.
Still, based on a few deals last winter, the Red Sox can at least say the momentum on the transactions meter is finally tilting their way. One could say it's more than past time.
First, the Red Sox selected Garrett Whitlock from the Yankees in the Rule 5 draft. Then, a month later, the Red Sox took Adam Ottavino off the Yankees' hands -- and got pitching prospect Frank German for their troubles, too.
Nearly halfway through the 2021 season, both deals are looking like winners for the Red Sox, a judgment that was all the more evident Friday night when the Yankees came to Fenway for the first time this season.
After starter Martin Perez short-circuited after just 3.2 innings, the Red Sox knew they would have to lean heavily on their bullpen -- the better to maximize some right-on-right matchups.
Carrying the bulk of the load was Whitlock, who turned in two strong innings in which he fanned two and got four groundouts. Whitlock, as he has done often this season for the Red Sox, served as a bridge between the team's starter and their high-leverage weapons at the back end of the bullpen. He became the first Red Sox pitcher since 2012 to amass 10 appearances of two or more scoreless innings in a season. Talk about value.
And talk about irony: Whitlock has now pitched twice against his former team this season. In those outings, he's 2-0 with 3.2 innings of scoreless ball, with one hit and four strikeouts.
If Whitlock was a bargain -- claimed for $50,000 -- then Ottavino has become the linchpin of the Boston bullpen, nailing down the eighth inning prior to closer Matt Barnes. On Friday night, Ottavino was a strike-throwing machine, needing just 11 pitches to retire his former teammates in order in the eighth, two by strikeout.
Following a somewhat shaky first few weeks, Ottavino has a 1.08 ERA over his last 18 appearances.
It's worth remembering the Yankees were intent on shaving some payroll when they sold off Ottavino to the Sox. Trades between the rivals are hardly commonplace, but in this instance, Yankees GM Brian Cashman discovered the Sox were the only team interested in making the deal. And they got German, too, to make it all work.
(In fairness, German has struggled at Double A Portland with a 2-4, 5.85 mark in nine starts. But the Sox are still impressed with his potential and are willing to be patient).
Even if German never develops into a major league option for the Sox, it's hard to dispute what Ottavino has meant to their bullpen. The Sox have, other than Barnes, a mostly young bullpen and Ottavino carries with him a presence and calmness that can't help but be infectious for more inexperienced relievers.
It speaks volumes that he's stranded 16 of 17 inherited runners -- Ottavino seemingly never flinches, a good quality to have for a late-inning reliever.
It's doubtful that the Ottavino deal in and of itself will a long-lasting impact on the rivalry. At 35, Ottavino is a free agent after this season and who knows if he'll return past this season. But in a 2021 season in which the Red Sox are rapidly proving themselves contenders before most expected them to be, he can still make a lot of contributions between now and October.
It's Whitlock who has the potential to make Cashman sleep uneasily. He's young and shows the potential to be a quality starter, once he gains some distance from the Tommy John surgery he had two years ago. For now, his multi-inning contributions are plenty valuable.
Meanwhile, Chaim Bloom's shrewd deals with his rivals aren't about to make up for the missteps of Harry Frazee or Dick O'Connell. But it's a start.