Colin Cowherd Makes Unflattering Comparison For Red Sox’s Shocking Decline originally appeared on NESN.
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For the first two decades of the 21st century, the Boston Red Sox were the dominant team in baseball. They won four World Series and consistently made the playoffs with loaded rosters, establishing themselves as a bona fide dynasty and perennial juggernaut.
Since trading Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers to kick off the 2020s, however, not much has gone right for the Red Sox. In six full seasons this decade, they have more last-place finishes (three) than postseason appearances (two) and haven’t reached a World Series, let alone won one. They have just one 90-win season during that time and have won only one playoff series that involved multiple games.
Given Boston’s recent history, its 2-7 start to the 2026 season isn’t a fluke: it’s just more of the same.
“They can’t hit. They have no bats,” Colin Cowherd said on Monday’s episode of “The Herd.” “So basically, they’re Tampa Bay with a really cool, big, green wall. That’s what they are. Theo Epstein to a middle-of-the-pack front office.”
“They’re Tampa Bay with a really cool, big, green wall. That’s what they are.”@colincowherd talks about the decline of the Boston Red Sox pic.twitter.com/gpFPavujp1
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) April 6, 2026
As if the Rays comparison wasn’t bad enough, Cowherd also compared the Betts trade to the Dallas Mavericks’ disastrous Luka Doncic trade last year.
“It is amazing. If you guys think the Luka trade was bad, at least in Dallas, they got Anthony Davis, who did age quickly,” Cowherd continued. “But Boston just got nothing in return that worked in their favor, and it completely flipped two organizations.”
In return for Betts and David Price, the Red Sox got Alex Verdugo, Connor Wong and Jeter Downs, none of whom ever made an All-Star team. Of those three, only Wong is still with the organization.
Meanwhile, the Betts trade kick-started the Dodgers’ dynasty, helping them finally get over the hump after years of postseason failures. Los Angeles has won three championships since trading for Betts, supplanting Boston as MLB’s preeminent franchise.
The Red Sox are hopeful that Roman Anthony and their other young stars can lead them to another title in the near future, but they’re already facing an uphill battle this season after their historically bad start.
More MLB: Recent History Suggests Red Sox Fans Should Take Poor Start Seriously
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