Red Sox, Nationals Swap Arms in Rare One-for-One Prospect Deal
In a move that feels like a throwback to a different era of baseball trading, the Boston Red Sox and Washington Nationals pulled off a straight-up, one-for-one prospect swap: left-hander Jake Bennett heads to Boston, while right-hander Luis Perales joins Washington. It’s a classic challenge trade - two pitchers, both coming off Tommy John surgery, both with very different profiles, and both offering something the other club believes it can develop.
Let’s break it down.
Luis Perales: High-Octane Arm with Big-League Stuff - and Big Questions
For the Nationals, this deal is all about upside. Luis Perales brings the kind of velocity that turns heads - he touches 100 mph and sits comfortably in the 97+ range.
He pairs that heat with a solid changeup and two breaking balls that are still in the developmental phase. He’s not polished yet, but the tools are loud.
Perales pitches from a high arm slot, though it’s not quite as steep as when he first entered pro ball. That gives him a north-south attack angle, which works well with his fastball. In the Arizona Fall League this year, he experimented with dropping his arm slot slightly on the slider to add more horizontal movement - a sign he’s working to refine his arsenal.
The big question with Perales has always been command. Even when he’s in the zone, he’s not exactly painting corners - more like scattering pitches around and hoping the stuff wins out.
That’s part of why there’s real bullpen risk here. He’s not a big-bodied pitcher, and there are concerns about whether his frame can handle a full starter’s workload with that kind of velocity.
That said, if he ends up in a relief role, he could be electric. The fastball-changeup combo alone could rack up strikeouts in short bursts. But there’s still a path for him to start - it’ll just take improvement in one of the breaking balls and continued development of the changeup, because relying on command to carry him isn’t the likely route.
For Washington, a team still deep in its rebuild, this is the kind of swing you take. They’re betting on raw stuff and hoping their development system can turn it into something more.
If it clicks, they’ve got a potential rotation piece with real upside. If not, they might still end up with a high-leverage bullpen arm.
Jake Bennett: High-Floor Lefty with Room to Grow
On the flip side, Boston picks up Jake Bennett, a command-first lefty who’s closer to big-league ready. Bennett isn’t overpowering, but he’s steady.
He’s been up to 96 mph in the past, and this fall in the AFL he was sitting 92-95 with both a four-seamer and a two-seamer in his mix. His changeup is the standout secondary - a legitimate plus pitch - while his two breaking balls are more fringy at this point.
What separates Bennett is his ability to throw strikes. That’s been a constant throughout his career.
He walked just 6.4% of batters in 2025, 6.2% in 2023 before his elbow injury, and just 4.5% in his final year at Oklahoma. He knows how to pitch, and that’s a trait the Red Sox have consistently shown they can build on.
At 6-foot-6 and around 240 pounds, Bennett has the frame you want in a starter. But interestingly, he’s never really chased velocity gains, and no one’s done much to overhaul his breaking stuff - at least not in the modern, pitch-design sense.
That could change now that he’s in Boston. The Sox have had success taking pitchers who throw strikes and helping them level up their stuff, especially with lefties.
Payton Tolle and Connelly Early are two recent examples in the system who’ve benefited from that approach.
Bennett hasn’t pitched in Triple-A yet, but that’s likely where he’ll open the 2026 season. With the Red Sox eyeing a return to contention, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him make his big-league debut this summer. And if the organization can help him add a tick or two of velocity or sharpen one of those breaking balls, he could end up being more than just a back-end starter.
Why the Trade Works for Both Clubs
This isn’t a deal where one team clearly “won.” It’s a move that fits the needs and timelines of both organizations.
The Red Sox are trying to win now. They need depth, and they have a track record of turning strike-throwers into more complete pitchers.
Bennett gives them a near-ready arm with a high floor and some untapped potential. He may not be flashy, but he’s the kind of pitcher who can help stabilize a rotation - and maybe more if Boston works its development magic.
For the Nationals, this is about taking a shot on ceiling. They’re not close to contention, and while Bennett could’ve made 20 starts for them in 2026, he doesn’t have the same upside as Perales.
Washington’s new president of baseball ops, Paul Toboni, is clearly looking to reshape the system with more high-upside arms, and Perales fits that mold. If he hits, he could be a foundational piece for the next competitive Nationals team.
In the end, it’s a rare trade that feels like a true baseball move - two teams betting on their development philosophies, each acquiring a pitcher who fits what they’re trying to build. No filler, no throw-ins. Just two arms, two paths, and two organizations trying to play to their strengths.