The Boston Red Sox have been the subject of plenty of chatter, with much of it focused on their recent roster changes. Yet, amidst the noise, some of their moves over the past year are proving to be quite savvy.
Take the deal from December, for instance, when the Red Sox and Washington Nationals exchanged promising pitching prospects. The Sox sent Luis Perales packing to the Nationals and welcomed Jake Bennett into their fold.
Fast forward to Saturday, and Bennett delivered a standout performance, going 6 1/3 innings and allowing just three hits against their fierce rivals, the New York Yankees. This marked Bennett's second major league win, offering a glimpse of what could have been a more successful season for the Red Sox if everything had fallen into place.
While Bennett's major league experience is still in its infancy, with only 33 innings to his name and a 3.27 ERA that’s solid but not spectacular, his recent performances since being called back from Triple-A on June 10 tell a different story. Over four starts, he boasts a 2.78 ERA and a 2.36 FIP, with noticeable improvements in his whiff and strikeout rates. Bennett seems to have developed three above-average pitches, giving him a promising arsenal to work with.
On the offensive side, Anthony Seigler made headlines by hitting his first major league home run off Yankees ace Gerrit Cole. Seigler was part of the trade that sent Kyle Harrison to the Milwaukee Brewers. Initially criticized as a poor decision, this move is starting to look more defensible as Seigler shows his potential.
Meanwhile, Perales, now with the Nationals, has been less impressive, recording 44 strikeouts over 55 innings at Triple-A with an ERA of 4.42. The Red Sox had high hopes for Perales, but chief baseball officer Craig Breslow opted for Bennett, the bigger pitcher with more extension, over the smaller but harder-throwing Perales.
This season hasn’t gone entirely to plan for the Red Sox, and critiques of their roster construction are understandable. However, it’s curious, if not a bit uncanny, how several of their offseason moves, including the acquisitions of Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Ranger Suárez, are starting to pay dividends.
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