Good morning! Jake Roy makes a strong case today that the 2026 Red are better today than they were yesterday, and that that should be the key takeaway from the trade deadline. Yesterday, I argued (as I have, many, many times before) that there is far too much emphasis put on future production from prospects, and not enough attention paid to the here and now. And while I stand by that, I do want to talk about the future a bit: How will yesterday’s trade deadline be viewed in five years?
This is an
interesting question for a number of reasons. It isn’t hard at all to imagine that yesterday could be viewed as the day the Sox acquired a foundational team cornerstone in Adley Rutschman. This is assuming a lot — including that he’d be extended, of course. But, ultimately, I would not be remotely surprised if Rutschman is one of the very best catchers in baseball over the next five years. That’s how much talent he has. On the flip side, I wouldn’t be all that surprised if Marcelo Mayer finds his footing in San Francisco and becomes a cornerstone on the opposite coast. The tools that made him such a highly sought prospect are still there and, despite all the whispers, I don’t look at him and see a lazy player who is destined to fall short of his potential.
As for Eyanson and Witherspoon, who the hell knows. Anyone who tells you they can predict the future of pitching prospects is lying to you. They could be the next Quinn Priester and Kyle Harrison, or they could be the next Anderson Espinosa and Michael Kopech. We’ll see.
Use this space to talk about the future, the present, or whatever else you want and, as always, be good to one another.
