Prominent Evaluator Explains Why Nationals Fans Should Be Excited About Luis Perales
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On Monday night, some news broke that a trade had been made between the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox.
If that bit of information had come earlier in the offseason, everyone would have expected the two sides to have agreed to a deal featuring MacKenzie Gore. But after the Red Sox made trades elsewhere to supplement their starting rotation, the likelihood of putting together a package to acquire the Nationals' ace became slim.
So instead of the Washington-Boston blockbuster that many expected entering the winter, the trade that came through on Monday was one that featured a surprising one-for-one prospect trade.
Pitching-prospect trade: The Boston Red Sox are acquiring left-hander Jake Bennett from the Washington Nationals for right-hander Luis Perales, sources tell ESPN. A 1-for-1 deal.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 15, 2025
This was a bit surprising on the surface. Jake Bennett, who ranked 11th in the Nationals' farm system, per MLB Pipeline, was expected to play a part in the team's major league rotation this year at some point. After he returned from Tommy John surgery this past season and showed well during the 2025 minor league campaign, he had a good showing during the Arizona Fall League, too.
Luis Perales also came back from Tommy John surgery, but he got much less reps than Bennett. Ranked as the Red Sox's No. 7 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, the hard-throwing righty gives Washington another high-upside arm in their organization.
Keith Law Gives Scouting Report on Luis Perales
One of the game's most prominent talent evaluators -- Keith Law -- gave his thoughts on this trade for The Athletic (subscription required). He was quick to state that he is not giving out a winner when it comes to this deal, and instead, he focused on the strengths and weaknesses of these two arms.
Law has his reservations about Perales, especially when it comes to the youngster's lack of command. But Law also gave Nationals fans plenty to be excited about regarding the 22-year-old, especially if this new regime can help him reach his ceiling.
"Perales is the upside play here, as he's up to 100 mph and consistently sits 97+ with a solid-average changeup and two breaking balls that are works-in-progress. ... The Nats are years from contention, and while Bennett would probably have made 20 starts for them in 2026, he doesn't have the pure upside of a Perales — and upside is what Washington should be targeting in every deal," he stated.
Trade Breakdown
— Nats Of The Future (@NatsOfTheFuture) December 16, 2025
Luis Perales | RHP | 22 yo | AAA
Perales only logged 2.1 IP this year following his return from TJS he underwent in 2024.
Here’s a 2024 start👇
Strikeouts come easy for Luis with his excellent FB/SL/SPL combo, but command is an issue.pic.twitter.com/dJdxDs2LGr
This trade also comes with a risk. Law believes Bennett is the "floor guy" of this deal who will likely pitch in the majors in 2026 and be a back-end starting arm for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, it's not clear if Perales will become an effective sarting pitcher during his big league career.
"Perales is not super physical, and it's possible that his frame just can't handle that kind of stuff, so there is clear bullpen risk, although in that role, he'd probably miss a ton of bats even with the fastball/changeup. There is a path for him to become a starter, but given where the command sits, it's more likely he improves the changeup and one of the two breaking balls to get to the level where he can succeed in a rotation than that he can locate well enough to pitch primarily off his heater," added Law.
Listed at 6-foot-1 and 160 pounds, that is a slight frame. How he comes back from Tommy John surgery will also be something to keep an eye on. But while there is a risk in trading a high-floor back-end starting arm for someone who could eventually be a bullpen piece, taking swings like this is what Paul Toboni should be doing at this stage.
Because if Perales is able to reach his high ceiling, then the Nationals will have another talented arm to pair with the likes of Travis Sykora, Jarlin Susana and Landon Harmon for the future.
