The February trade between the Red Sox and Brewers has spent the better part of seven months getting picked apart, reevaluated, and debated from every angle. Kyle Harrison looked like the early winner when he was dealing Cy Young-level stuff in Milwaukee.
Caleb Durbin then had his summer surge. Now, as of early September, both have cooled off, and the other two big-league pieces from the deal have also chipped in value for their new clubs.
But Boston may still have the most interesting return sitting in the system.
The hidden prize from that swap is Owen Hull, the outfielder the Red Sox drafted in July with the second-round compensation pick they got from Milwaukee. He arrived with a strong reputation already attached to him after a standout run at North Carolina, where he showed off a well-rounded offensive game in the biggest moments. The Red Sox also brought him in alongside college road trip roommate and first-round pick Jake Schaffner, adding another layer to the connection.
So far, Hull has backed up the hype in a small sample at High-A. In 24 games, he’s hit .337/.436/.531 with a 17:16 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 117 plate appearances. That line points to a player who can get on base, add some pop, and maybe develop into a table-setter with a little thump - the kind of profile that invites Roman Anthony-lite or peak Trot Nixon comparisons.
The numbers are one thing. The feedback from inside the organization is another.
Red Sox area scout Spencer Brown, who handled UNC for Boston this year, offered a blunt read on Hull and Schaffner this week. “They know how to be baseball players, not just showcase ponies,” said Brown, per Alex Speier of The Boston Globe.
“Those kids know how to compete. We are, and the Red Sox fans are, going to be proud of the way they do it every single day.
Whether it’s in Greenville or Boston, they’re going to bring it.”
That’s a lot to put on a 21-year-old who hasn’t reached Double-A yet. But with the way Hull has performed so far - and with the kind of makeup the Red Sox believe he brings - it’s not hard to see why he’s becoming the most intriguing piece in a trade that still has plenty of time to be judged.
In Other News...
Red Sox Suddenly Have A Curtis Mead Decision They Didn't Expect
Curtis Mead has turned a quiet midseason acquisition into a real roster consideration for Boston. After arriving from the Washington Nationals, the infielder made swing adjustments and has looked better in 2026, enough to put himself back in the conversation for a club that has been sorting through a crowded infield picture all year. The Red Sox now have a player whose bat is trending in the right direction at exactly the moment they need to decide how much runway remains for him.
The problem is Mead is stuck on the 10-day injured list with a left wrist injury and has not yet resumed hitting, which slows everything down for both him and the team. Boston has other infield prospects in the mix, plus players who have taken advantage of his absence, so this is no longer just about upside and projection. It has become a real decision about where Mead fits, when he can get back on the field, and whether the Red Sox can afford to keep waiting on the version of him they were starting to see. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Could Soon Get A Forgotten Pitching Option Back
Johan Oviedo is about to take a meaningful next step in his comeback, with a rehab assignment at Triple-A Worcester as he continues to work back from a flexor strain in his pitching elbow. It has been a mostly forgotten season for the right-hander, who has made only one regular-season appearance, but the Red Sox still have a chance to get another arm in the mix before the year is over.
What Oviedo can offer once he returns is still part of the conversation, especially with Boston weighing possible bullpen roles if he shows he is ready. Middle relief would make sense as a way to ease him back into the majors, though his limited recent workload and looming free agency add another layer to the decision. The next few outings in Worcester should help clarify whether he can become more than just a late-season afterthought. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Top Prospect Is Making Boston's Infield Future Hard To Ignore
Franklin Arias has spent the first month of his Triple-A Worcester stint making a strong case that Bostons infield future is already taking shape. The Red Soxs top prospect has hit .341 with four home runs and 31 RBIs in 35 games at the level, and the production fits with the broader pattern he has shown all season: steady contact, consistent damage, and a bat that has kept forcing its way into the conversation.
Arias still appears headed for a wait rather than an immediate Fenway arrival, with Trevor Storys return clouding any realistic 2026 opening at shortstop. Even so, his rise has made him an easy name to circle for 2027, when Boston could have a much different infield picture and a prospect who has already done plenty to earn a longer look. [Read more 🡒]