The Major League Baseball trade deadline has come and gone, with teams making last minute moves to bolster their hopeful playoff runs.

The struggling Boston Red Sox, one year removed from a World Series title, were sellers on Thursday, sending lefty ace Jon Lester and outfielder Jonny Gomes to the Oakland Athletics for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to start the day.

Soon, pitcher John Lackey, shortstop Stephen Drew and reliever Andrew Miller were heading out of town as well.

So, how did these moves in Boston change the landscape for Maine’s professional baseball team, the Portland Sea Dogs, who entered Thursday’s home contest against the Trenton Thunder 30 games above .500 (71- 41) and six games ahead of the Binghamton Mets in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League?

The Sea Dogs have the best record in the league, and have already seen standouts Mookie Betts, Travis Shaw and Deven Marrero promoted to AAA Pawtucket, and the Pawsox roster is loaded with players that Sea Dog fans recognize from their days patrolling Hadlock Field. Names like Garin Cecchini, Matt Barnes, Drake Britton, Chris Hernandez, Anthony Ranaudo, Matt Spring and Christian Vazquez (now catching for the Red Sox) played key roles in Portland last season, but have since moved south to Pawtucket, R.I.

Figure, lefty ace Henry Owens has compiled a 14-4 mark this season pitching in Portland, while fellow lefty Brian Johnson is 9-2 and has a 2.05 earned-run average. Could they be the next to leave town?

Last season, the Red Sox received a shot of adrenaline when shortstop/third baseman Xander Bogaerts and pitcher Brandon Workman joined the team in September, helping Boston in its surprising World Series title run of 2013.

Bogaerts was in the starting lineup when the Sea Dogs opened their 2013 season, and Workman was 5-1 before his promotion to Pawtucket and eventual rise to quality reliever last year.

After the dust had settled Thursday evening, the Sea Dogs’ roster had remained the same, for now. As the calendar shifts into August, fans will most likely see several Portland standouts heading out of town, possibly as the Sea Dogs begin a planned successful playoff run. In September, MLB rosters expand, and with the Red Sox seemingly playing for 2015, a large influx of players, including current Sea Dogs, may be playing for the big club.

First-year Sea Dogs coach Billy McMillon has seen players move up and down during his years in the Red Sox minor league system. He coached in both Greenville and Salem, winning two league championships as his players went through the revolving door that is minor league baseball.

“It (a trade) could affect us if they are involved in a trade, and a move could come,” said McMillon after his team’s 2-1 win over the Reading Fightin’ Phils on Wednesday at Hadlock Field. “Right now, I don’t want to speculate, but obviously it is on all of our minds. A move could mean we lose players, they are called up, or maybe even traded away.

“When Boston makes a trade, it does have a ripple effect all the way through the organization.”