If we're being honest, nobody really expected the Boston Red Sox to be here. Nearly every projection model had the Red Sox coming in last in the American League East, especially after they had done so two seasons in a row.
However, the Red Sox clearly believed in themselves. Every quote coming out of Fort Myers in spring training indicated that the Sox felt like they had something special, and clearly, that's manifested itself.
Now, though, the Red Sox have to validate their early success. The first half went better than expected, especially in June and July, when Boston went from a .500 team to 53-42 by the All-Stark break. But the starting pitching depth is wearing thin, and that's a familiar story for a team that fell apart in August and September of 2023.
The trade deadline is rapidly approaching, and the Red Sox are solidly in a Wild Card spot. To make it to the dance, they'll have to improve their roster, which means some of their top prospects have to be on the trade block. Which prospects, you ask? Keep reading and you'll soon find out.
Red Sox prospects firmly on the trade block
First of all, there's no such thing as a truly untouchable prospect. Acquiring the right player should mean any and all farmhands are on the table. But with that said, it's understandable that all organizations have future plans for some of their prospects that make them hard to let go.
If the Red Sox front office has any intention of helping this team make the playoffs in 2024, these prospects have to at least be included in trade talks:
OF Miguel Bleis (Red Sox No. 4 prospect)
2B Nick Yorke (Red Sox No. 6 prospect)
SS Yoeilin Cespedes (Red Sox No. 7 prospect)
SS Nazzan Zanetello (Red Sox No. 8 prospect)
If the Red Sox want to get the reliable starting pitcher they need, one of these four prospects likely will have to be included. Bleis is the name that stands out because of his immense tools, but he also might be the most likely to be moved, because the Sox are loaded with outfielders already.
Yorke is the closest to big-league ready, and he's been mashing in Triple-A. Cespedes and Zanetello are both still teenagers, so they might have the highest upside, but simultaneously the lowest floor.
If none of these four get moved at the deadline, it's reasonable to be upset as a Red Sox fan. This is a team with real potential to make a playoff run, but only if reinforcements come. And you've got to give up something to get something in this game, so moving top prospects will be essential.
The “probably nots”
These are the players that could get moved in a surprise blockbuster, but if there were Vegas odds on prospects being dealt, would probably still be listed at least four to one.
2B/OF Kristian Campbell (Red Sox No. 30 prospect, Baseball America organizational midseason player of the year)
OF Braden Montgomery (Not yet ranked, Red Sox 2024 first-round pick)
Maybe it's overly cautious to hang onto Campbell at the moment, since his value will probably never be higher. The 2023 fourth-rounder, chosen with the compensation pick the Sox earned for losing Xander Bogaerts to free agency, has been a revelation this season, posting an absurd 1.047 OPS with tons of loud contact.
Montgomery, meanwhile, is recovering from a broken ankle, which is the only reason he fell to Boston at pick 12 this past weekend. A power-hitting outfielder with a cannon for an arm, Montgomery is sure to be a Top 100 prospect when the rankings are updated, but he won't be traded while he's still recovering from his injury.
The untouchables
Finally, we come to the players that could only be dealt under extreme circumstances And based on how the Red Sox have marketed some of their prospects, it seems extremely unlikely that those specific players would get shipped out of Boston.
These are the five prospects it would be borderline shocking to see traded unless the Red Sox were pulling off a surprise acquisition for Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, who still feels like a longshot to be moved:
SS Marcelo Mayer (Red Sox No. 1 prospect and No. 7 overall, per MLB Pipeline)
OF Roman Anthony (Red Sox No. 2 prospect, No. 14 overall)
C Kyle Teel (Red Sox No. 3 prospect, No. 24 overall)
Mayer, Anthony and Teel have traveled around New England together for over a year now. They've been teammates in Double-A Portland all season, and they've constantly been shuttled around to games and fan fests as promotional material for the Red Sox's future.
Skubal is the only player in MLB who could conceivably be traded that it would make any sense to move one of these three for. And again, that's extremely unlikely on both ends.
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