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Red Sox make unusual pitching prospect trade, ship Luis Perales to Washington for big LHP
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- Red Sox make unusual pitching prospect trade, ship Luis Perales to Washington for big LHP
As the Red Sox continue to search for a big bat to add to their lineup, they made an unusual trade Monday to shake up their pitching pipeline.
Boston made a 1-for-1 trade involving two pitching prospects, shipping righty Luis Perales to the Nationals for left-hander Jake Bennett. Both pitchers are 40-man roster players who have not yet pitched in the majors and come with considerable upisde.
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The swap, which was first reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan , is the first trade between Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and one of his former lieutenants, Paul Toboni, w ho took over as Washington's president of baseball operations in late October . It's effectively a "challenge" trade between two clubs who are swapping high-level pitching prospects with different profiles. Bennett, who has never pitched above Double-A, was just added to the 40-man roster in November, so he has three minor league options remaining; Perales has just one.
Bennett, 25, is the latest big-bodied pitching prospect to join the Red Sox. He stands 6-foot-6, weighs 245 lbs. and ranked as Washington's No. 6 prospect, according to Baseball America . A 2022 second-round pick out of Oklahoma, where he pitched alongside fellow Red Sox prospect David Sandlin, Bennett pitched across three levels in 2025, reaching Double-A. He logged a combined 2.27 ERA in 19 starts and struck out 64 batters in 75 ⅓ total innings. With Double-A Harrisburg, he had a 2.56 ERA and struck out 33 in 45 ⅔ innings.
Bennett then struck out 25 batters (and walked just five) in 20 innings in the Arizona Fall League. The Red Sox are intrigued by Bennett's extension and the fact he gets plenty of swings and misses. Though the Red Sox remain active on other fronts, there are no plans to immediately flip Bennett in another deal, a source said Monday. The club is said to "really like" the southpaw, though there's always a chance he could be moved in a later deal to add big league talent.
"We feel like Bennett is a high probability starter that excels in some things that are hard to teach," Breslow said in a text. "Fastball playability driven by above average extension and strike throwing ability. His whiff rates and ability to manage hard contact have us confident in his ability to be a major league starter."
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Baseball America , in its most recent ranking of Nationals prospects, characterized Bennett as a "no-doubt starter" that could be a No. 4 type in a rotation. Here's the site's scouting report:
"Bennett is a 6-foot-6 left-hander with a wide assortment of pitches that play up because he gets down the mound with plus extension. While he doesn't blow batters away with raw velocity, Bennett is around the zone with six different pitches he can use to attack both sides of the plate. His four-seam fastball velocity was a tick higher in 2025 than it had been during his pro debut and averaged 92-93 mph and topped out near 96. His low three-quarters arm slot adds deception. He mixes in sinkers and occasional cutters to vary his fastball looks. Bennett's carrying secondary pitch is his mid-80s changeup that fades to his arm side and flummoxes minor league right-handed batters, who hit .210 with no home runs against him in 2025. He has good touch on an average low-to-mid-80s slider and high-70s curveball, both of which he can spot for strikes and elicit some chases. He throws breaking pitches only about 20% of the time, opting for more of a fastball/changeup attack. Bennett has plus control of his entire arsenal.
Perales, who turns 23 in April, was one of Boston's top pitching prospects and recently ranked fifth in BA's rankings, behind only Payton Tolle , Franklin Arias, Connelly Early and Kyson Witherspoon. The Venezuela native excited at the low levels of the minors before injuring his elbow and undergoing Tommy John surgery in June 2024.
After rehabbing, Perales returned to action late in the 2025 season for three appearances and reached Triple-A Worcester before pitching in the Arizona Fall League. Control was an issue but Perales returned with a fastball that reached 101 mph . Before the trade, Perales was expected to factor into Boston's rotation mix in 2026 alongside the likes of young pitchers like Tolle, Early, Kyle Harrison and Hunter Dobbins . He'll now be in the mix to reach the majors with a rebuilding Nationals team.
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Breslow has now completed nine trades since the end of the season, with seven including pitching going in either direction. Sonny Gray , Johan Oviedo , Tristan Gray , Tyler Sanamiego, Ryan Watson and Bennett have all joined the 40-man roster via trade while Richard Fitts , Brennan Bernardino , Chris Murphy , Luis Guerrero , Vaughn Grissom , Jhostynxon Garcia and Perales have all been dealt. In Garcia (No. 5) and Perales (No. 6), the Red Sox have dealt two of the organization's top 10 prospects , plus another, Clarke, who was right outside that range.
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