The Red Sox Aren't Trading Moncada Or Benintendi So You Can Forget About Any Big Trades
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- When the Red Sox shipped Anderson Espinoza to the San Diego Padres for Drew Pomeranz, I figured that was going to be their last big move. People didn't want to believe Pomeranz was going to be their "big" acquisition for the rotation, but new reports suggest that is indeed the case.
Peter Gammons reported on his blog Wednesday that the Red Sox have informed other teams that they will "not discuss" four of their top prospects in potential trade offers: second baseman Yoan Moncada, outfielder Andrew Benintendi, third baseman Rafael Devers, and pitcher Michael Kopech.
Those are arguably the top four prospects in the Red Sox organization and, realistically, at least two of them would have had to be included in any significant trade offer for a high-end talent. Gammons also reported that the Red Sox checked with the Kansas City Royals on All-Star reliever Wade Davis, but in this year's market it may take someone like Kopech or Devers in a deal for him.
I'd rather Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski holds on to those prospects like he apparently plans on doing, if the best they can do is Davis. Unless there's a Chris Sale on the table, and it does not sound like there is, the team is better off not cashing in their biggest chips for rentals or pieces that won't necessarily put them over the top as contenders. It would go against the idea that no one is untouchable as long as Dombrowski is in charge, which I still believe. But it sounds like the potential return for the team's top prospects is not strong enough and, thankfully, has given Dombrowski pause.
Moncada has shot to the top of Baseball America's midseason prospect rankings and looks like a stud with five-tool superstar potential, perhaps immediately upon arrival to the major leagues, so I'm glad the team isn't moving him. Benintendi (No. 9 on Baseball America) is also raking at Double-A and has a chance to make his major league debut in September. Kopech's profile continues to rise after hitting 105 mph on the radar gun and Devers continues to fly under the radar as the team's potential third baseman of the future.
The Red Sox still have a major long-term need to add high-end pitching at the front of the rotation, but such an addition won't come within the next week - it appears that Dombrowski will not make any drastic moves before the August 1 deadline. It was still a question whether the Red Sox would make any more notable trades, but taking the team's top four prospects off the table pretty much answers that.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
