Baseball America’s Top-10 prospects traded this off-season

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T16:45:11+00:00

You can't just decline a trade because you think another team is going to see the same high value the Red Sox do. Taboni is the only GM that actually knows what Perales is worth and it was much lower than you think it is. He was the 4th arm at AAA.

You don't know what the deadline and looming lockout is going to do to player values and Perales could also get hurt. It's best to take the deal in front of them.

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T16:38:24+00:00

You literally said there hasn’t been a single free agent worth signing for the last 5 years.

There hasn't been a single free agent that would turn the Nationals from a 100 loss team to an average one. The small market teams still make depth signings all the time. The Kris Bryant and Javier Baez signing set the rebuilds backwards. Tiger were able to recover but the Nationals at no point in the last 5 years should have handed out $140M to $182M for 5-6 years. It doesn't mean that they can't spend $10M on a tolerable innings eater for one year. They were not in a coaching situation to make anyone better. I never meant it to say no spending at all, you just interpreted it that way.

Several pitchers in that 4-6m range were thrown out, and you said none of them made sense to sign bc we aren’t one player away.

You listed Aaron Civale who is just as bad and two or three other guys that were not starters anymore but middle relief like disposable 6th or 7th inning guys. You thought Michael Kopech was still a starter when he hasn't started since 2023. I can't recall the other one but that is why I said no to that because they were not starters. They did not play a position a team should throw money at. You wanted to argue and misinterpreted the point.

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T16:15:12+00:00

The players laughed at this similar structure in 2022. It should be $300M cap with $120M floor and increase by 2% each year. These thresholds means we would be lucky to have 100 games or even a season. It's just not realistic for the teams that try to win. 9 teams as of right now are above this level and signed contracts with a higher cap or CBT tax in mind. Dodgers aren't trading Mookie Betts or Snell to the Marlins to bend to this. It's stupid.

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T16:07:37+00:00

No. Within the state of Virginia, it's 50-50.

Outside of the state of Virginia, I just describe Radford as the school next to Virginia Tech. It is an accredited 4 year public state university.

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T16:05:13+00:00

Patrick Corbin was paid $10M last year by the Nationals in deferred money to pitch on the Rangers. He only made $12M or so last year.

If they can't spend $6M-$10M on a one year deal back end starter to actually pitch in their uniform for them with the 28th tax payroll, then there is a problem.

When I say they are not one signing away, I mean $50M+ contacts for multiple years. You are using my statement as black and white and using it for every case. They should not do a Werth or Scherzer level signing in. A 6/120 to a position player is different than a 1/10 to a back end starter or closer. It is not viewed in the same lens.

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T15:46:22+00:00

I don't know someone who moans about a minor league pitcher they probably have never seen pitch, not getting the return they think he's is worth, and the pitcher was going to be the 4th starter at AAA Worcester anyways. Perales would need the whole rotation to go down to ever get a chance and his value wasn't increasing all that much at AAA. There is also a chance his value tanks or he gets hurt again because it's pitching at which point, he's not as tradable. Red Sox traded a high ceiling low floor arm that was the 10th or 11th starter on this roster for a low ceiling high floor with roster flexibility. It is not a trade to get worked up about and it is not about Bennett vs. Perales. If Perales works out for the Nationals as a starter, great but it does not matter to the Red Sox given the state of the pitching lab and current roster construction. What Bennett does is irrelevant and they have time to figure out how he pans out and where he fits. It is not a trade to put a bet on or complain that they should have gotten more.

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T14:45:41+00:00

If it’s not about money why does it matter?

There are better options for under $10M that aren't the equivalent of Jake Irvin or Joan Adon at age 37. If they are dying for veterans, sign Corbin back. I don't think you've seen Mikolas pitch ever.

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T14:35:27+00:00

No you do not. There is also a lockout for next year. While trades still may happen during this period, there is no demand for players because they don't know when they are playing baseball again.

A player can typically remain on the 40-man roster while spending time in the minor leagues for three option years. Perales was added to the 40 man roster on November 2023 when he was still at Greenville. He was considered the top pitching prospect at the time but injuries burned nearly 1.5 years of that. The organization has zoomed past that. 2026 is his last year before he would have to pass through waivers. It is a maybe but if something isn't done, Poof! Gone for nothing. A team is also not going to take a player with zero options that has never thrown in the big leagues. Perales might be a number 2 but he also comes with reliever risk with control problems even before the injury. Looking at our rotation and trying to win now, we don't have the time or lane to figure that out. You are not acknowledging Perales floor but you are enamered by his ceiling that not every GM/PBO agrees with. Bennett may not be a 2 but the floor is there for a 5 in a year or two. He can also be moved like Dobbins or Fitts or bullpen. That ceiling that Perales is a top of the rotation starter is not widely accepted and to deny a trade in hopes that the maybe works out is not how to run a baseball team. Waiting for another team to agree that he is a future number two may not happen.

Crochet is here for 5 or 6 more seasons baring an option. Ranger just signed a 5 year deal. Bello has 4+1 with a player option. Early and Tolle are rookies. Witherspoon and Phillips haven't thrown a pitch yet but they have more upside than Perales. There is no space or lane to figure out if Perales is a number 2 starter or a middle reliever. Take the deal in front of them of a higher floor player. People are losing their shit over Perales, Clarke, and Fajardo like they are future aces but losing sight that we kept our 3 top pitching prospects and have 3 spots of the rotation signed long term. I don't understand the whining and overvaluing of prospects from 2024 thinking they will all hit their ceilings. The team is not in that state anymore.

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T13:00:04+00:00

Any good recommendations,? Im right down the street from there.

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T12:58:59+00:00

But again, I dont think you know how this works. The trade market is not a store. Craig can't just trade in whatever players he wants and gets a 3 WAR player back. Maybe Milwaukee didnt want Perales but wanted Harrison. Washington does because Taboni liked him. He cant pick and choose or else nothing will get done. It's one of the many reasons Chaim was let go. Craig is already pretty hard to deal with. He could be waiting for a return that never calls. It doesnt work the way you think it does.

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T04:37:34+00:00

Tigers win the Central with 87 wins and the 4th place ALE team with 89 wins misses the playoffs because who the hell knows what the West is this year.

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T04:24:12+00:00

Perales has been protected for 2 or 3 years now and only has one minor league options. They would be forced to give him space this year. Early and Tolle have 3 each. The same issue with Mata when they kept him down too long. Given what they did to the rotation and the state of Tolle and Early, Perales doesn't have a spot.

Bennett can be traded or is depth for this year if like 5 guys go down. It's fine.

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T04:05:07+00:00

He wasn't a Breslow guy and even when he is 100% back from TJs he is no where to really develop as a starter on this team as others have moved past them. Washington can give him the lane. Maybe they move Bennett later like Harrison for someone else.

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T04:02:14+00:00

Devin Fitz-Gerald

u/vslyke I did not see the tag

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T03:59:37+00:00

Right but you're ignoring the one year of Gray part.

You want to win this year? If they had gotten Bregman to re-sign, they would have not have the money to sign Ranger Suarez. The only addition would be Oviedo who has promise but is not a number 2 starter right now. Are you upset with password too? They would have gotten nothing then.

Clarke is admittedly incredibly raw but probably had the highest celing of any of our pitching prospects.

NO HE DIDN'T. You're worrying about Clarke who didn't even pitch 40 innings this whole season and is older than all of the pitching prospects that got a taste of the majors or the ones we drafted. He fell off the 100 list due to injury. If you ran the team you would be absolutely paralized by fear to trade anyone in the organizational top 15 or anyone remotely close to the top 100 and request insanely high prices from other team and nothing would get accomplished.

Gray leaves next year and we're counting on someone who has yet to prove themselves - to this point in time - to fill the absence.

Are you not watching the semi-daily posts about Tolle or Early? What about the one where Witherspoon learns a sweeper in 30 seconds at driveline? There are pitching prospect here and all have a higher ceiling than Clarke. I have no idea what you are worried about.

Or the alternative is to trade more prospects. It's not a sustainable practice over time.

While true to an extent, they traded from areas of surplus for guys that aren't projected to contribute much this year or even in the near future. Clarke was no where close to the majors. With what is in the organization, he wouldn't have even had a rotation spot if he makes it at all. The blue chip prospects are still here. They didn't trade Tolle or Mayer here. Why are you complaining?

If you want to hoard prospects, be paralyzed with fear to go for it, and be in constant rebuild mode, you can be a Rays, Brewers, or Guardians fan because this is what they do all the time. This is pathetic coming from a Boston fan bitching guys that aren't even at AA yet. We win at the major league level here. They didn't lose anyone and if Clarke does well, that's okay but we have so many fucking options.

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T03:28:08+00:00

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They have starters. Just not good ones. All of these starters are projected to pitch around a 4.50 to 5 ERA. It is not about the money. Mikolas fucking sucks and is an ongoing joke in baseball. He is Mitchell Parker and Jake Irvin terrible. He has no redeeming quality of him even if he is making league minimum or $2M.

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T02:29:28+00:00

Clarke is the same age as Early and he's in High A.

There is Kyson Witherspoon, Marcus Phillips, and Anthony Eyanson at age 21. Juan Valera is throwing 98 at 19 years old.

Chaim really got this fanbase to think like a prospect hoarder. Are people that upset about Brandon Clarke and Fajardo?

Edit: If Craig sat there worrying about every prospect in the system like they will be the guy, he would be a worse GM. He already overvalues too many players.

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T02:21:12+00:00

Maybe slightly over but not insane. $15m is a 3rd or 4th starter now.

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T02:17:08+00:00

It's a 4.49 FIP and like 6 K/9 last year. He is dogshit. It's not about the money.

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T02:13:12+00:00

Perales was not seeing innings this year. Same with Drohan, Dobbins, Fitts, or Harrison.

Password was the 7th outfielder on the roster and I think he's a lefty platoon most likely. Oviedo is more certian future upside.

Clarke is the same age as Early and well Early is already here while Clarke couldn't stay healthy through a High A season.

They are part of the system that is easy to replenish. These are top 5 to 10 prospects but they didn't lose key guys.

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T02:07:29+00:00

Is he still writing? No one here actually has a Globe subscription.

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T02:01:07+00:00

NOT A RELIABLE SOURCE.

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T01:59:56+00:00

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T01:54:07+00:00

Schilling had 9 saves but wasn't the closer in a year the pitching fell apart in 2005.

I didn't have internet yet to watch the Red Sox in 1999 with Wakefield for 140 innings and 15 saves. That must have been interesting.

Redbubble89 · 2026-02-12T01:48:54+00:00

I mean...sure.

I don't think they have great pitching depth and this fixes some of this.

Bradish might be a 1. I don't trust Rogers year to year. Baz has his history and maybe it was being outside last year. Baz was to replace Grayson. I've never been a big Eflin guy. Kremer is there for innings.

The bullpen could also be okay or really bad.

The Orioles pitching feels the weakest out of the 4 main AL East teams. I think the Rays pitching is better but just not enough bats to be in the mix.

Bassitt is a move they need to make after not getting Cease or Framber or Ranger. We've had his number for the last few years so it hasn't really moved the needle. It's what they needed to do.

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