Red Sox add two intriguing prospects in trade with Brewers

The Red Sox strengthened their farm system in Brewers trade

Wednesday night’s trade between the Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers, just before the league and the Player’s Union came to an impasse in negotiations over a new CBA, grabbed headlines for the two players involved at the Major League level. However, the key to the trade for Boston was the two prospects coming back in the deal that sent Hunter Renfroe to Milwaukee for a package headlined by the return of outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr.

The trade on its surface was puzzling to Red Sox fans. Dealing away Renfroe, who hit 31 home runs with a .816 OPS, while leading the league with 16 outfield assists, and had two years of team control through the arbitration process, for old friend Jackie Bradly Jr, coming off a season where he hit .163, seems like a move in the wrong direction. However, the Sox were able to acquire two intriguing prospects to add to a farm system that’s already considered one of the best in the sport.

The Red Sox, with a farm system already top heavy with bats, added two more offensive prospects with considerable upside from the Brewers organization. Both David Hamilton and Alex Binelas are infield prospects with college pedigree that made their pro debut in 2021. Here, we’ll take a closer look at each.

Red Sox third base prospect Alex Binelas

Binelas played in the shadow of 2021 No. 1 overall pick, Henry Davis, at Louisville. His offensive game is centered around his plus power, and he generated some first-round buzz of his own coming into the 2021 season.

Binelas got off to a poor start, ultimately dropping his draft stock, but rebounded to hit .256 with 19 home runs, 63 RBI, and a .968 OPS in 50 games in his final season at Louisville.

The Brewers selected him in the third round of the 2021 draft. He carried the momentum he finished his college career with into his pro debut, where he hit .314 with a .973 OPS (9 home runs, 29 RBI) in 29 games at the Low-A level. Binelas, currently a third baseman, projects to profile at first base or designated hitter as his game develops.

Red Sox shortstop prospect David Hamilton

Hamilton burst onto the prospect scene with a fantastic sophomore season at the University of Texas, and some mock drafts had him with a first round grade ahead of the 2019 draft.

He ruptured his Achilles tendon and missed his entire junior season, and the Brewers took him in the 8th round in 2019. Because of the injury, plus the Coronavirus pandemic wiping out the 2020 minor league season, Hamilton made his pro debut in 2021.

Hamilton’s game is predicated on speed, and now fully healed from the Achilles injury, he doesn’t seem to have lost a step. He hit .258 with an .760 OPS between High-A and Double-A in 2021, and stole 52 bases in 61 attempts. His actions in the field are fluid, and he projects to play plus defense at either shortstop or second base.

Even having not played since his sophomore year at Texas in 2018, Baseball America rated Hamilton as the Brewers No. 16 prospect coming into 2021. Their updated ranking for Milwaukee’s farm system headed into 2022 have not yet been released. Hamilton is an older prospect, but having reached Double-A in his pro debut, it’s likely he’ll be ready for the big leagues by the end of the 2022 season, should he stay on his current developmental path. The floor for Hamilton is a solid utility player with plus speed and defense at the Major League level.

It’s hard to predict where Binelas and Hamilton will slot into the Red Sox prospect rankings, but both players project to be Major League players. The Red Sox farm system, already trending upward under the Chiam Bloom regime, got even stronger with this recent trade that sent Renfroe to the Brewers.