Red Sox’ return in Kyle Harrison trade with Brewers isn't getting any better

We've chronicled the downfall of the Boston Red Sox on this site quite a bit this year, which is only natural when they and the Milwaukee Brewers are such common bedfellows on the trade market. However, the longer this phenomenon goes on, the more likely it may be that Craig Breslow will need to ghost Matt Arnold and block his number.

Kyle Harrison has been, simply put, sensational for the Brewers this season. His 1.57 ERA and 1.7 fWAR would look utterly ridiculous if he weren't sharing the spotlight with Jacob Misiorowski (1.83 ERA, 2.6 fWAR). Calling him the best acquisition of the offseason would be the furthest thing from controversial.

It only helps that David Hamilton has provided his usual brand of steady infield defense to go along with an elite presence on the basepaths, even if he's fallen short of the "quantum leap" that Pat Murphy forecasted in spring training. Shane Drohan, meanwhile, is already impressing in his versatile role on the Brewers' pitching staff. The southpaw, who debuted earlier this year, has an elite 37% chase rate and a solid 108 pitching+.

Meanwhile, Caleb Durbin and Andruw Monasterio have both been below replacement level in Boston. It is difficult to imagine how a trade could get more lopsided.

Brewers' utter obliteration of Red Sox in Kyle Harrison-Caleb Durbin trade may remove a trade partner from their ledger

It's hard to overstate just how bad the Red Sox's return has been. Even in a vacuum, Durbin and Monasterio's -0.5 combined fWAR would make them brutal additions to the team. Compare them to what the Brewers got in that trade, and it's almost impossible to reconcile the deal from Boston's perspective.

Durbin, of course, has been the primary issue. He's already lost his starting job at third base and may be on the cusp of heading down to Triple-A. His 34 wRC+ is the worst among all hitters with 150+ plate appearances this year, and he's the only one at that threshold with an OPS below .500. Even when accounting for his relatively strong on-base skills and elite hot-corner defense, he's been practically unplayable all season long.

Compared to that, Monasterio has at least been passable, though his 85 wRC+ hardly looks appetizing in the context of a career-worst effort with his glove. Neither player is playing all that frequently right now, which is a damning indictment considering that Isiah Kiner-Falefa is starting and Trevor Story is injured at the moment.

While it's all fun and games to kick the horse while it's down, the sentiment I shared at the beginning of this piece may soon become a serious concern. Matt Arnold has taken Craig Breslow for a ride multiple times over the past year (see: Priester, Quinn). It's not unthinkable that someone in the Red Sox's front office is preaching a do-not-do-business-with slogan in regard to the Brewers.

This trade has merely pushed that narrative over the top. It's clear which front office is handling their business better right now. Hint: It's not the last place Red Sox.

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