Red Sox Predicted To Send 23-Year-Old Fan Favorites To Triple-A

How soon will these two be in the rotation?

May 10, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view of a Boston Red Sox's cap and glove on the field before a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

Connelly Early and Payton Tolle were one of the most unexpected, yet exciting subplots of the Boston Red Sox's 2025 season.

Early, a 2023 draftee, began the year in Double-A. Tolle, who had yet to throw a professional pitch, started in High-A. But in September, both were making starts for the major league team, and Early even started the Red Sox's do-or-die Game 3 of the Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees.

However, as barren as the rotation was at the end of the year to facilitate the two 23-year-olds' major league debuts, it's now flush with options. This offseason brought the arrivals of Ranger Suárez, Sonny Gray, and Johan Oviedo, while Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval also project to return from the season-long injured list.

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Will Red Sox ship rookie lefties to Triple-A?

On Friday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic predicted that Early and Tolle would both start the year in Triple-A, assuming they aren't traded. That prediction even extended to a scenario in which the Red Sox would trade Brayan Bello, another starter ahead of both rookies on the current depth chart.

"If the Red Sox end up trading Bello or another starter and keeping Tolle and Early, I think, given the status of the rotation, both will start the year in the Triple-A rotation," McCaffrey wrote. "Even without Bello, the Red Sox could turn out Crochet, Suárez, Gray, Crawford and Sandoval.

"There will be an inevitable injury, and Tolle or Early is likely next in line to be called up when that happens. The Red Sox could slide either Tolle or Early into the bullpen, but I do think the club wants to keep them in the starting rotation for if/when it needs them."

When a top prospect reaches the majors and doesn't perform poorly enough to warrant a demotion, the news of having to start the year in Triple-A can be painful. But it's also a fate that befalls so many of the sport's future greats, including Mike Trout back in the day.

Tolle and Early might both be rotation locks on different teams. It's an indicator of how far the Red Sox's rotation has come that they appear to be the opposite -- and also a sign that the lineup needs to catch up.

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