Let's be honest. The Boston Red Sox trading superstar Rafael Devers on Sunday was shocking to just about everyone. Even if you thought it was going to happen at some point, the middle of a season following a sweep of the Yankees to get back over .500 in June didn't seem like the right time.
On top of that, the return was underwhelming, to say the least.
Pitcher Kyle Harrison isn't far removed from being a top prospect in baseball. However, the 23-year-old lefty hasn't impressed much in the majors. He could be a great arm, but asking Andrew Bailey to fix him seems like a big ask, considering how the pitching rotation has performed since Bailey arrived.
Jordan Hicks, another pitcher, throws incredibly hard, which is fun. However, he wasn't great last season and has been dreadful in 2025. It's not impossible to envision him putting up good numbers. Hicks hasn't been truly dominant since 2019, though. Oh, and he's currently on the IL.
That leaves the two prospects, Jose Bello and James Tibbs III. How do they fit in? Where do they land in the prospect rankings?
Here was my initial list at the end of the 2024 season. Let's start by giving you a quick reminder of my personal rules. Players who have appeared in the big leagues do not qualify for the list. That means Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer aren't eligible, for example. A player also needs to appear in Single-A or higher before making the rankings.
It should also be mentioned that we are now over two months into the 2025 season. Therefore, we've had a lot of movement on the list that hasn't been mentioned. Without getting into too much detail, let me give you a quick rundown.
Re-ranking the Red Sox farm system following the Rafael Devers trade
30. Brooks Brannon (C/1B) (A+)
29. Freili Encarnacion (INF) (A+)
28. Noah Dean (LHP) (A+)
27. Allan Castro (OF) (AA)
26. Enddy Azocar (OF) (A)
25. Blake Wehunt (RHP) (AA)
24. Starlyn Nunez (INF) (A)
23. Jedixson Paez (RHP) (A+)
22. Hayden Mullins (LHP) (AA)
21. Zach Ehrhard (OF) (AA)
20. Eduardo Rivera (LHP) (A+)
19. Antonio Anderson (3B/1B) (A+)
18. Blaze Jordan (1B/3B) (AAA)
17. Nelly Taylor (OF) (A+)
16. Yophery Rodriguez (OF) (A+)
15. Johanfran Garcia (C) (A+)
14. David Sandlin (RHP) (AA)
13. Yoeilin Cespedes (INF) (A)
12. Justin Gonzales (OF/1B) (A)
11. Miguel Bleis (OF) (A+)
10. Connelly Early (LHP) (AA)
09. Yordanny Monegro (RHP) (AA)
08. James Tibbs III (OF) (AA)
07. Mikey Romero (INF) (AA)
06. Jhostynxon Garcia (OF) (AAA)
05. Juan Valera (RHP) (A+)
04. Brandon Clarke (LHP) (A+)
03. Payton Tolle (LHP) (A+)
02. Luis Perales (RHP) (AA)
01. Franklin Arias (SS) (A+)
There are two things you notice immediately. First, there is no Jose Bello. Yes, the 20-year-old right-handed pitcher does not qualify because he has yet to pitch in Single-A or higher. However, he would not crack the list even if he had. Maybe once he establishes himself at the level, he will. The Boston farm system is far too talented to justify Bello in the top 30 just to make anyone feel better about the trade, though. There's intrigue there, and he's been great in the ACL (Arizona Complex League).
However, you can't get too excited about stats at a level that far down. If we were counting the levels before Single-A, multiple prospects already in the system would be ranked above Bello as it is. Meanwhile, there are a handful of players above Single-A that are next on the list before Bello. It's not like he just missed it by one.
Ian Cundall of SoxProspects.com gave a great insight on Bello. He appears to be more of a lottery ticket than an established prospect at the moment.
Tibbs comes in at No. 7. Franklin Arias, Luis Perales, Payton Tolle, Brandon Clarke, Juan Valera, and Jhostynxon Garcia all felt like no-brainers. Those are all names that have been top 100 prospects (or very much in the discussion for those rankings). Perales fell out after his injury but was highly regarded before that. Valera isn't on the list but has been floated around quite often.
The one guy ahead of Tibbs you could make an argument about is Mikey Romero. Romero gets the nod thanks to his improved swing decisions, power potential at shortstop, and his premium position.
Tibbs is slashing .246/.379/.478 with 10 doubles, one triple, and 12 home runs in 57 games in High-A this season. He's driven in 32 runs, scored 41 more, and stolen three bases. The left-handed hitter has 42 walks compared to 45 strikeouts.
Those are positive numbers. You have to love the high OBP and the 12 home runs. However, he's a 22-year-old prospect out of college in High-A. You expect them to mash. Zach Ehrhard slashed .342/.471/.459 with 26 walks compared to 27 strikeouts in 31 games in High-A before being promoted to Double-A, and he's a few months younger than Tibbs, playing the same position.
Tibbs appears to have legitimate power, his best tool. However, there isn't a ton after that. He should get on base well and won't be a liability in the field. He possesses a good arm but not the speed for right field at Fenway Park. Maybe the Red Sox put him back at first base (a position he played in college).
It doesn't hurt his ranking, but it doesn't help the outlook of the trade that Tibbs is primarily an outfielder. Boston is already overcrowded in the majors. Meanwhile, they have one prospect (Jhostynxon Garcia) ranked above him at the position. Garcia's a much better fielder and has similar power potential.
A few of the outfielders after him (especially Miguel Bleis) have a lower floor, but a much higher ceiling. That also leaves a bad taste in your mouth for the trade.
Tibbs could show up to Double-A on Tuesday and start mashing. That's a very real possibility. He was a first-round pick (13th overall) in 2024 for a reason.
It sucks to feel like you're putting pressure on these young kids. They certainly have a lot of potential, and it's not their fault they were traded for Devers in what felt like a rushed and unnecessary move. But, right now, they don't exactly shake up the Red Sox's top 30 rankings too much.