Red Sox assets that should be off limits in trade talks

The Red Sox had a pair of exciting young rookies flash tremendous potential in 2017. Andrew Benintendi and Rafael Devers are two of the pillars of the team’s young core and aren’t going anywhere.

Benintendi may have been overshadowed in the Rookie of the Year race by Aaron Judge but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t impressive. His .271 batting average was lower than expected from a hitter with such a smooth swing but Benintendi’s keen eye drew a healthy number of walks, resulting in a solid .352 OBP that ranked 25th in the league. He was also one of only six AL hitters to reach 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. He’s only 23 years old, so his rookie numbers should be considered his floor looking ahead at the next several years as he approaches his prime.

The Red Sox need more home runs and they’ll improve in that area by virtue of having Devers in the lineup for a full season. The 21-year old posted a .819 OPS that led all Red Sox hitters who appeared in at least 50 games with the team. He blasted 10 home runs after getting called up to the majors in late July, eight of which came within his first 20 career games. Devers hit a bit of a slump late in the summer before picking it back up again down the stretch and into the postseason.

Both of these rookies have the upside to make multiple All-Star appearances in their career. The Red Sox want to add that type of player now but why sacrifice assets who they expect to become that in the near future to solve a short-term problem?