Not that long ago -- just a few weeks really -- Red Sox fans had good reason to view the Aug. 2 trade deadline with anticipation and optimism.
The Red Sox had the third-best record in the American League. They weren't going to catch the runaway train that is 2022 New York Yankees, but they were in good position to snag the top wild card spot and hope that, like last year, they could find some momentum in October and go on a deep postseason run.
Good times never felt so good, so good.
And now? Now, existential dread hangs over the franchise. The Monday night win over Cleveland now looks like an aberration. After a more typical thrashing Tuesday, an 8-3 setback to the Guardians, the Red Sox have lost six of seven, 10 of 12 and 14 in their last 18.
Yet somehow, that doesn't fully convey the misery that has befallen them. So how about this? The Red Sox now sit in the American League East cellar, a half-game behind the resurgent Baltimore Orioles. As closely aligned as the two clubs are in the standings, they also are headed in the opposite directions, with the Orioles young and building toward contention, and the Red Sox, depleted by injuries, beset with some tough decisions to make, and in danger of losing more franchise players in the next calendar year.
In the month of July, the Red Sox have been outscored by nearly a two-to-one margin -- 157-82 -- and have allowed an average of just over seven runs per game. Far more often than not, their starting pitching is not giving them a chance to be competitive. That was the case again Tuesday when Josh Winckowski spotted the Guardians a 5-0 lead by the top of the third inning.
And as beleaguered manager Alex Cora noted, it's hard enough to play from behind when you're healthy. The Red Sox are nowhere near that right now, evidenced by a lineup that saw them start Jaylin Davis in center, Bobby Dalbec at third and Christian Vazquez at first base.
The cavalry is not arriving anytime soon. Their best hitter, Rafael Devers, is out for a while with a hamstring. Their top starter Chris Sale could perhaps return in September, but to what end? Rich Hill could return next week, along with Trevor Story. Michael Wacha will need more time. There's no timetable at all for Kike Hernandez.
Suddenly, the Red Sox are starring in their own production of Waiting for Godot, hoping that someone or something is going to come along and rescue their season. But that optimism feels more and more misplaced.
Certainly, the deadline will offer little of immediate value.
Around the game, opposing teams are sensing that the Sox may try to play this halfway -- acquiring a couple of spare parts to address more pressing needs (Bullpen? First base?) while subtracting a few veteran pieces that don't have a future with the organization (J.D. Martinez?).
That may be the most logical way to attack the deadline, hoping against hope that the Sox can find themselves as this year's version of the 2021 Atlanta Braves or the 2019 Washington Nationals -- both patient clubs that refused to cash out on their rosters and were rewarded with an inspiring sprint to the finish that carried them all the way to a World Series.
Hey, if it's happened in each of the last two full-length seasons, why can't it happen this season to the Red Sox?
It can, of course. But with each passing day, that seems more and more unlikely.
It was bad enough when the Red Sox were looking up at both Toronto and Tampa Bay in their own division. They were supposed to be good. Then came the mid-season turnaround that is the Seattle Mariners. And even in the underwhelming AL Central, two teams (Cleveland and Chicago) are near even with the Sox in the standings.
Ask yourself this: what's going to be different next Wednesday, the day after the deadline? Let's assume the Sox pick up a few complimentary pieces, while also shedding some salary. Those acquisitions are likely to help them tread water and avoid the ignominious distinction of following up a season that saw them go to the ALCS with another in which they finish with a losing record. But not much else.
Sure, the minor league system is significantly improved. But other than the potential for a late-season promotion for Triston Casas, what else is there to look forward to? Most of the intriguing names in the system aren't close to being ready to contribute at the big league level. That's not anyone's fault; it's just fact.
There's only so many times the Red Sox can honor David Ortiz and have it serve as a distraction from the team's current travails. The era of good feeling from Tuesday night's pre-game celebration lasted about two innings.
In the meantime, it's incumbent upon Cora to make sure the team doesn't mail it in for the final two months. There have been too many mental miscues or displays of poor fundamentals in the last few weeks that have made the losses even more sour than they should be.
A team that doesn't embarrass itself further in August and September isn't anything to which the 2022 Red Sox aspired. But sadly, that may be all they have.