Trevor Story and Ceddanne Rafaela had consecutive RBI singles in a six-run fourth inning filled with five Houston mistakes, Lucas Giolito pitched a season-high eight stellar innings, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Astros 6-1 to complete a series sweep.

Boston also registered an interest in trading for Miami’s Sandy Alcantara, who, like Ryan, didn’t get moved before the trade deadline passed on July 31. In the end, the Red Sox weren’t able to bolster the top of their starting rotation, but they clearly tried to be aggressive, up to a certain point.

After a frenetic trade deadline came and went, let’s take stock of who maximized their World Series chances and who could have done more (or less).

Winners, Losers, Most Improved and Most Disappointing originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The 2025 MLB trade deadline has come and gone, with a flurry of moves after 5:30 which came as a massive surprise.