The trade deadline is officially upon us, and it appears the Boston Red Sox will be buyers. They might not go all-in, but they will be moving some future assets to help the team now.
I'll reiterate that I don't believe anyone is ever 100% untouchable. If the Pittsburgh Pirates call tomorrow and offer up Paul Skenes, you make that deal. However, we're trying to be realistic and think about moves that might actually happen.
It should also be noted that I am going to be sad no matter what prospects they move, but that doesn't mean they are bad deals.
With that in mind, who should be kept beyond 2025, and who will likely be moved?
3 prospects who will likely be moved at the deadline
Jhostynxon Garcia (OF)
I wanted to put Jhostynxon Garcia in both categories here because I am desperate to see the Garcia brothers play at Fenway together. However, we need to look at this logically.
The Red Sox already have a logjam in the outfield. It's such a logjam that one of the big talking points of this deadline has been Boston trading one to clear up the issue. As of right now, Ceddanne Rafaela, Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, Masataka Yoshida, and Rob Refsnyder are all on the Major League roster. The most buzz has been around trading Duran.
It's really easy to see the Red Sox trading Garcia, too. He's a 22-year-old, top 100 prospect, slashing .300/.379/.553 with 11 home runs in Triple-A. That's a valuable asset that can headline a trade for a legitimate rotation arm.
It would hurt to see Garcia go, but if the Red Sox are serious about fixing the logjam in the outfield and using those pieces to help other areas, he's a prime candidate to be moved.
David Sandlin (RHP)
David Sandlin has been fantastic this year. It feels like things have clicked for him over the last few months. The right-handed pitcher has been a part of a no-hitter, thrown a complete game shutout, and even looked dominant as piggybacking out of the bullpen.
Sandlin can hit 100 MPH with his fastball, and has shown devastating breaking stuff at times. However, he's also going to need a 40-man roster spot this offseason. The Red Sox can use him as a decent-sized piece in a trade, and they can clear up a 40-man roster option for next year.
Mikey Romero (SS)
Mikey Romero is blocked in the majors by Trevor Story and Marcelo Mayer. Kristian Campbell is ahead of him in Triple-A.
Romero has turned into an elite prospect. He's mashing in Double-A and has looked great defensively at multiple positions. While he doesn't need to be placed on the 40-man roster until 2026, the Red Sox might want to sell now, considering it would give teams more time to work with him (and it might give him more value in their eyes).
Romero is slashing .265/.320/.462 with 17 doubles, four triples, and eight home runs in Double-A this season (as of July 23). That's phenomenal production from a middle infielder. Teams will covet him.
3 prospects who should be off limits at the deadline
Payton Tolle (LHP)
The Red Sox could get a lot for Payton Tolle. He quickly became a top 100 prospect and is going to keep rising. He has legitimate ace potential. However, he could also be plopped into the major league bullpen right now and likely make a positive impact.
Tolle has gone from a 91 MPH fastball when he was drafted to topping out at 99 MPH in one year. The sky feels like the limit for him.
With all that being said, Tolle is the prospect that the Red Sox could get the most for, and it's not particularly close. If the Twins end up actually parting ways with Joe Ryan, they're going to ask for Tolle.
Tolle can impact the Red Sox in 2025 and has the best chance of becoming a homegrown ace that Boston has seen in a long time. He should be as close to untouchable as you can get.
Justin Gonzales (OF/1B)
Justin Gonzales is a freak of nature. The right-handed hitting outfielder/first baseman is listed at 6'4", 210 lbs, but that genuinely feels like an undersell (it hasn't been updated since last year).
Gonzales is slashing .272/.368/.374 with 11 doubles, two triples, and two home runs in Single-A this season (as of July 23). Those numbers are wildly impressive for a few reasons. First, Salem's ballpark is notoriously pitcher-friendly. Go back and look at Roman Anthony's numbers in Single-A.
Second, Gonzales is 18. He's going to get bigger, and he's going to improve. The Dominican Republic native has ridiculous raw power, good athleticism for his size, and a phenomenal eye at the plate.
Boston shouldn't trade him due to his terrifying potential. However, the real reason not to trade him is because we're likely seeing the worst version of Gonzales that we'll ever see. If the Red Sox trade him now, it's as an add-on. He's not viewed as a prospect who makes a trade happen. Trading Gonzales as an enhancer in a deal feels like a massive insult and a waste of his potential and talent.
If you're going to trade Gonzales, do it in a year or two when he's likely viewed as a top-tier prospect who can get you a massive return.
Johanfran Garcia (C)
The reason for not trading Johanfran Garcia is simple. The Boston Red Sox have next to nothing going on when it comes to catcher depth in the minor leagues, and his value is at an all-time low.
Garcia is only 20 and already in High-A. He's even starting to put up better numbers. However, he's just returning from missing an entire year due to a knee injury. Teams are probably not knocking down doors trying to get Garcia as a big piece of a trade. Like Gonzales, it feels like Garcia would be more of a trade-enhancer.
Garcia is also Boston's best catching prospect. Before the injury, he was a fringe-top-10 prospect in the system. Trading him now feels like a massive missed opportunity. There's every chance Garcia is a long-term catching solution in the majors. At worst, his stock will improve over the next two seasons, and he'll be a much more valuable trade piece in the future.
Also, can we please keep the Garcia brothers together? Just for the content? Thanks.