Ready to sell? Red Sox make first move, deal Shane Victorino to Angels

It's fair to say things haven't gone as planned for the Red Sox this season. After bringing in Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval through free agency, and picking up Rick Porcello in a trade, Boston was expected to make some noise in the American League East.

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That hasn't happened. Ramirez hit well early, but his numbers have fallen off recently, while Porcello and Sandoval haven't lived up to expectations. With the club sitting at 44-55, the offseason plan is starting to look like a huge failure.

The team pretty much acknowledged that fact Monday, sending outfielder Shane Victorino to the Los Angeles Angels.

Technically, the move doesn't do much for Boston. Victorino was in the final year of his contract, and was hitting just .245/.324/.298 over 106 plate appearances. He wasn't really helping the club, so it's tough to really look at this deal as the Red Sox waving the white flag.

At the same time, the move opens up a spot for Rusney Castillo. That may be the biggest sign that Boston is looking toward the future. Castillo presumably will be used as the starter for the rest of the season, so the Red Sox should get a good look at whether he's a useful part of their future. By trading Victorino, they get a chance to finally see what Castillo can do.

They also get Josh Rutledge. Rutledge is cheap, and under team control through 2018, but he's not very good. He's spent nearly all season in Triple-A, and has a career .259/.308/.403 slash line. Perhaps the Red Sox see something in Rutledge that they like, but he seems more like a throw in at this point.

For the Angels, the club gets a veteran outfielder who can hit lefties a bit. Victorino doesn't have much left in the tank, but he's still been useful against southpaws this season, albeit in just 44 plate appearances.

Still, if he's healthy, there's a chance he can be a useful platoon player. Considering the Angels didn't give up a ton to get him, that's a fine gamble.

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On the surface, the deal seems minor. Victorino is no longer the player he used to be, and the Red Sox didn't get much in return.

It does signal that Boston has basically admitted this season is done. Victorino wasn't going to suddenly put everything together and lead this team to the top of the division, but he would have taken playing time away from Castillo. Since Castillo will actually be a member of the Red Sox next winning club, it makes sense for Boston to see what he can do now.

Boston doesn't really have a ton of useful pieces to sell off this season. Mike Napoli is also in the final year of his deal, but his numbers are awful. The club was able to find a taker for Victorino, though, so it's possible they'll deal Napoli if it frees up a spot for someone more promising. Koji Uehara could also be an interesting piece, but his age makes him risky.

Basically, Boston isn't going to make any big splashes, but it looks like they are willing to get anything they can for expiring contracts. That might not be sexy or exciting for fans, but it's the right move for a franchise that's probably going to try and compete again next season.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik