Even though they weren't officially eliminated from the playoff race until last weekend, it's been glaringly obvious now for weeks, if not months, that the Red Sox wouldn't be going to the postseason in October.
A glance at the standings and the sizable deficit between the Sox and their wild-card competitors made that a harsh reality.
For some free-agents-to-be on the roster, that clarity is missing. Some will return for 2023 and beyond while others will move on -- either because of their own preferences, or that of the team.
Beyond the intrigue surrounding Xander Bogaerts -- technically, not a free agent, but a player who has the ability to opt-out of his current contract if he so chooses -- there's the cases of both J.D. Martinez and Nathan Eovaldi.
Both players first joined the Red Sox in 2018 -- Martinez as a late signing in the middle of spring training, and Eovaldi in a trade just before the July deadline. Both were part of the 2018 championship team and were part of the Sox when the team made a surprisingly deep run in the postseason last October.
Now, their futures in Boston are far from guaranteed. Martinez's production has dipped this season, and at 35, it's fair to wonder if he can continue to be a valued run producer. Eovaldi, who has battled injuries for much of his career, has had two IL stints this season -- one for his hip, and another for his shoulder. His 4.15 ERA entering Thursday's start is a reflection of a somewhat disappointing season.
At the start of the season, it seemed likely that the Sox would want to retain both, even if the club limited its potential liability by proposing short-term deals. Now, some six months later, their returns look more like longshots.
That's why Thursday's 5-3 win over the Orioles, closing out the second-to-last homestand of the season, was filled with intrigue. Was this the beginning of the end for the Red Sox careers of two recent stars?
If so, both played roles in the victory and added to their glut of Fenway memories.
Eovaldi, activated from the IL earlier in the day and making his first start since Aug. 12, was on a strict pitch limit. Before the game, Alex Cora said Eovaldi would be counted on for five innings or 75 pitches. With Eovaldi's pitch count at 72 and two outs in the fifth, Cora kept to his word and went to the mound for a pitching change.
"It felt really nice,'' said Eovaldi of his return to action. "That's why I was pushing to be back for two more starts and be able to time it up so that I'd be able to pitch at home. It means a lot to me to be able to come out here and pitch in front of our fans and of course be able to put on the Red Sox uniform and go out there and compete.
"I loved every minute of being over here and putting on the uniform and hopefully there's more to come.''
Eovaldi labeled this season "frustrating,'' from an individual standpoint, feeling that he starting to pitch some of his best ball when the hip injury sidelined him at the halfway point. He wonders, too, whether he might have returned to the mound prematurely.
The Red Sox have vacancies in their starting rotation and could use an experienced starter or two. Whether the team and Eovaldi can match up on his worth and length of a deal remains very much a question mark.
As for Martinez, the precipitous drop in power has to concern the Red Sox (and any other interested team). Martinez may be hard-pressed to finish with more than 60 RBI, an ominously low number for someone who hits in the middle of the lineup and plays half his games in a hitter's ballpark.
His two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning was only his 14th of the season, but it couldn't have been better timed, coming as it did with the teams tied 3-3.
"We're just trying to have fun right now,'' said Martinez, shifting the focus from his own situation to that of the team. "It's the end of the year. We know we're out of it. We're just trying to have a good time.''
Here, too, the Sox are unsettled at DH for 2023. If they could be assured of the kind of production that Martinez provided as recently as last year, they would surely sign up for that. But given his age and chronic issues with his lower back, a commitment -- even a short one -- may be risky.
There are no guarantees for either. They could get qualifying offers and face tough decisions about whether to take one-year deals. Or the Sox could move on altogether and wish them well.
But for one autumn afternoon, with little else on the line, both Eovaldi and Martinez managed to turn back the clock and enjoy the kind of games they used to experience on a far more regular basis.