Prospect reacts to departing Red Sox as PTBNL from Tommy Pham trade

On Wednesday, the Boston Red Sox quietly sent one of their biggest power-hitting prospects to the Cincinnati Reds to complete the Tommy Pham trade.

Cincinnati native Nick Northcut, who was one of only eight minor leaguers to hit 30+ home runs this year, is going home.

When the Reds announced the trade, they highlighted Northcut’s Ohio upbringing:

Northcut was quick to react to the news on Twitter, and got a retweet from his new organization, too:

The 23-year-old infielder had committed to Vanderbilt before Boston selected him in the 11th round selection of the 2018 draft. In order to convince him to forgo his college commitment, the Sox gave him a $565K signing bonus, a sum more in line with the slot value for a third-rounder that year.

Over 103 games this season between High- and Double-A, he hit .219/.276/.491 with 18 doubles and the aforementioned 30 homers.

However, he also walked significantly less and struck out way more this year than he did in fewer games last season when he was in Low-A Salem. SoxProspect’s scouting report noted that while he has obvious plus raw power, he also has a stiffer swing, a “very rudimentary approach,” and “a lot of swing-and-miss in his game.” They describe both his speed on the basepaths and his defense as below average, ultimately dubbing him a “high-risk” prospect with a long way to go if he wants to reach the majors.

At the outset, giving up a 30-homer prospect felt like an unbalanced return, but beyond the power, it’s unclear if Northcut would have been able to develop into a big-leaguer in Boston. The Sox have a solid hitter and defender in Pham, and with a mutual option for 2023, giving up Northcut is a loss they can stomach.