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The trade of Rafael Devers is not exactly well-received in Boston, and now the Red Sox will have to hope the prospects they got back from the Giants can ease some of the sting.
The question now is, how good are the newest Red Sox players?
Boston received one major league starter and three younger players in the deal. Hurler Jordan Hicks, 28, is the most established piece of the return with seven years of major league ball under his belt — a 16-33 career mark with 4.23 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 1.7 WAR with the Cardinals, Blue Jays and Giants.
After Hicks, the Red Sox now have a few potential diamonds in the rough.
Kyle Harrison, 23, pitcher
Harrison was selected in the third round of the 2020 MLB Draft out of high school by the Giants. He rose through the minors and in 2023, was the Giants’ top prospect and the 18th-best prospect in Major League Baseball.
Per MLB’s prospect rankings, scouts evaluated his fastball and slider as the primary weapons in his arsenal. Although his numbers in the minor leagues were not exceptional, he made his major league debut on Aug. 22, 2023.
This season, through eight games — four starts — he is 1-1 with a 4.56 ERA and 1.27 WHIP.
James Tibbs III, 22, outfielder
Tibbs came to the Giants in the 2024 draft, taken with the 13th pick out of Florida State.
He was the Giants’ fourth-best prospect at the time of the deal, per MLB rankings. Scouts point to his power at the plate and arm in the outfield as his best traits.
Tibbs is still in High-A ball, where he put together a .245 batting average with 12 home runs and 32 RBIs to go with an OPS of .857 with the Eugene Emeralds.
If he continues to mash in the lower leagues, he could start moving up reasonably quickly, with MLB.com predicting he might make the majors as early as 2026.
Jose Bello, 20, pitcher
Bello, a starter turned reliever, finds himself in rookie ball at this point after he was signed as an international free agent for $47,500 out of the Dominican Republic in 2023.
He put up good numbers in the Arizona Complex League, posting a 2.00 ERA in the 18 innings, but he has a long way to go to reach the major leagues.
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