The modern Red Sox are known to be stingy about trading prospects, sometimes to a fault.
In 2023, 28-year-old Bobby Dalbec raked for the WooSox — he played 113 games and blasted 33 homers, one of which sailed an astonishing 515 feet. Dalbec could find his place at Fenway Park this year, but that hope seems to decrease in likelihood with each passing season because he's failed to prove himself. His peak value as a trade piece has also likely passed.
Holding onto prospects may pan out in other instances, such as with Triston Casas and Jarren Duran. Their spots on the roster seemed uncertain after a few major league appearances, but both found their footing in the Sox's lineup and they showed out offensively and defensively in 2023.
The Red Sox front office and its newest addition, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow, may be looking to change the narrative about Boston and its prospects. Maybe somewhere in between Dave Dombrowski and Chaim Bloom?
Twenty-one-year-old Nick Yorke could be among the prospects the Sox would be willing to spin for pitching, per Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. Boston drafted Yorke, an infielder, in the first round back in 2020, and he just put forth his best campaign.
For those who have been hyping Nick Yorke, the Red Sox just traded for a 23-year-old they claim can play second base. So does that mean Yorke is going in an upcoming deal for pitching? Or does it mean they have written him off? Or both?
— Tony Massarotti (@TonyMassarotti) December 31, 2023
Nick Yorke's breakout season with Salem could make him a valuable Red Sox trade asset
Yorke spent his 2022 slate with the Red Sox's high-A affiliate, the Salem Red Sox, where he struggled a bit. He appeared in 80 games, during which he recorded 78 hits, 48 runs, 13 homers and 45 RBI.
In 2023, his offensive production increased significantly. He logged 110 games and registered 119 hits, 74 runs and 61 RBI. Though Yorke's homer rate didn't increase quite so dramatically -- rising from 11 in 2022 to 13 in 2023 -- his consistency is showing.
Breslow said Sox need to be ready to deal young prospects to trade for quality, controllable starting pitching.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) December 31, 2023
Yorke's bounce-back year could make him a valuable addition to many teams' prospect pools. He could even be a candidate for big-league play later in the season.
Trading Yorke could bring the Sox some necessary pitching depth that they may be unable to secure in free agency. Dealing the 21-year-old second baseman, along with other prospects, to the White Sox for Dylan Cease or the Guardians for Shane Bieber would bring Boston the quality pitching it so desperately needs. With Vaughn Grissom on the Sox's roster, the need for Yorke at Fenway is perhaps redundant.
Better get moving, though, because it's time Sox fans felt an impact move before this turns out to be another wildly underwhelming offseason.