The Boston Red Sox are off to a rocky start, dropping four straight games and finding themselves at the bottom of the AL East. Their playoff hopes are already looking slim, and to add salt to the wound, former prospect James Tibbs III is tearing it up in Triple-A for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Let's rewind a bit. Boston snagged Tibbs from the San Francisco Giants last June as part of the Rafael Devers trade. His stint with Double-A Portland wasn't exactly memorable, and the Red Sox decided to trade him and Zack Ehrhard to the Dodgers for Dustin May, hoping to bolster their starting pitching.
Unfortunately, that gamble didn't pay off. May, who was already struggling, couldn't find his groove in Boston and eventually left for the St. Louis Cardinals in free agency after an injury-plagued season.
Meanwhile, Tibbs is making waves in the Dodgers' farm system. He rebounded quickly with their Double-A team last year and is now lighting up Triple-A. The 23-year-old first baseman/outfielder is showing serious promise, possibly setting the stage for his Major League debut later this year.
In just four games with the Oklahoma City Comets, Tibbs has smashed three home runs, four doubles, a triple, and driven in nine runs, boasting an eye-popping .556/.600/1.389 slash line.
While predicting a prospect's trajectory is never easy, it's becoming evident that the Red Sox might have let Tibbs slip through their fingers too soon. Especially considering he was a significant part of the Devers trade package, Boston might have needed more patience or a better return than a few starts from May.
Having already sent Mookie Betts to the Dodgers, Boston fans are surely hoping they haven't handed over another future star in Tibbs.