The Boston Red Sox could sacrifice one of their top pitching prospects in a proposed trade designed to add more right-handed power to the lineup.
But the prospect Boston would have to surrender makes the potential price for that right-handed bat especially significant.
“Given their pitching depth throughout the majors and minors, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see the club trading one of their pitching prospects like Kyson Witherspoon or Anthony Eyanson in a package for a bigger-name bat,” The Athletic‘s Jen McCaffrey wrote Monday, in a roundup of MLB beat writers’ “bold” trade deadline predictions.
Eyanson is currently ranked No. 2 overall according to MLB Pipeline, the Red Sox organization’s highest-ranked pitching prospect, and No. 2 overall behind only shortstop Franklin Arias. The LSU product was a Red Sox third-round draft pick in 2025, and Pipeline projects that he reaches the major leagues in 2027, with a high ceiling.
Eyanson “turned pro with the ceiling of a No. 3 starter and now looks like he can exceed that,” according to the MLB Pipeline scouting report.
Witherspoon was the Red Sox’s first-round pick in that same draft and at No. 4 overall in the organization, ranks behind only Eyanson among pitching prospects. Pipeline also projects 2027 as Witherspoon’s arrival date at Fenway Park.
Boston’s rotation depth is what makes the conversation possible. It is also why a seller holding an impact right-handed bat would likely demand an arm of Witherspoon’s or Eyanson’s standing.
Boston Red Sox Lineup Need Survived Early Trade
GettyAnthony Eyanson #24 of the Boston Red Sox on the American League Team pitches during the 2026 MLB Futures Game.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has already moved once to add power from the right side in the Red Sox’s predominantly left-handed lineup. Boston sent southpaw starter Connelly Early to the Washington Nationals on July 25 for Curtis Mead, a 25-year-old infielder hitting .254/.352/.500 with 17 home runs and an .852 OPS in 87 games, according to trade terms confirmed by MLB.com. Mead is under club control through 2031.
McCaffrey wrote her prediction two days after that deal landed, so she did not treat the need as solved.
“The Red Sox put themselves in the buyer column with the longest winning streak in the majors this season, and while their pitching has been top-notch, adding another power bat to lengthen the lineup for Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu will be key,” she wrote.
Boston has stayed engaged with rival front offices with more than a week left before the August 3 deadline, according to a deadline rumor roundup at Boston.com.
Red Sox Right-Handed Power Deadline Targets
Impact right-handed hitters are among the scarcest commodities on this year’s market, and the Red Sox would be bidding against the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves for a short list of them, according to a “reality check” delivered by Sports Illustrated.
Hunter Goodman sits at the top of most lists. The Colorado Rockies catcher is on a 30-homer pace with multiple years of control remaining, which makes him expensive and makes Colorado reluctant to move him.
Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers would have been a prime target for Boston as well, but on Sunday the A’s announced that the 28-year-old would undergo season-ending surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee.
Then there is Zach Neto, the Los Angeles Angels shortstop whose 19-plus homers arrive alongside premium defense at a premium position. Boston has circled him before, as reported by NBC Sports Boston.
Ryan Jeffers, Luis Garcia Jr. and Taylor Ward fill out the second tier, rumors compiled by Bleacher Report indicate.
Jarren Duran has surfaced in speculative packages as well, though nothing has advanced past the level of supposition and guesswork.
Eight days remain. The market is thin, the price is high, and the Red Sox have already spent once.
Red Sox Predicted to Sacrifice Top Pitching Prospect in Trade for Righty Bat