The Boston Red Sox can still make the playoffs, but they certainly did not do enough to help themselves at the trade deadline.

Major League Baseball's trade deadline passed at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday, meaning it was only a matter of time before some executives had to explain themselves -- and their lack of activity -- to their fans.

Despite a dramatic slump over the past month that’s taken them out of the American League East race and out to the periphery of the AL Wild Card race, Rays officials insisted they did not want to produce a repeat of last year’s Trade Deadline.