Could the Boston Red Sox Really Part With One of Their Sparkling Young Prospects?

A report throws out the possibility of a huge trade with the Miami Marlins that could yield a top pitcher for a top prospect.

Marcelo Mayer takes a swing during a Red Sox spring training game on March 11, 2025, at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Florida. | WooSox Photo/Ashley Green / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox dipped into their deep farm system in a big way over the winter, sending four top prospects to the Chicago White Sox for starting pitcher Garrett Crochet.

Could they do it again this season, before the trade deadline, to land another top-line starter?

In an article published Tuesday on the ESPN+ platform, writer David Schoenfield analyzes moves that teams around the majors could make, and it includes several possible landing spots for former National League Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara.

(E+) Early MLB 2025 trade deadline preview: Player most likely to be traded for all 30 teams

From major league stars like Sandy Alcantara to up-and-coming prospects, here's who could be on the trade block come July.https://t.co/a8Wbvp9PP0

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) April 22, 2025

With the Miami Marlins unlikely to make a run toward the playoffs in the National League, it is expected Alcantara will be traded.

One of Schoenfield’s scenarios involves the Red Sox and shortstop Marcelo Mayer.

Heading into the 2025 season, the Red Sox had three of the top 12 prospects in baseball, as ranked by MLB Pipeline: Roman Anthony at No. 2, Kristian Campbell at No. 7 and Mayer at No. 12.

Campbell made the team out of spring training, starting at second base, and is on his way to becoming a star, hitting .316. Anthony is averaging .273 at Triple-A Worcester and is just a strained hamstring or a sore shoulder in the outfield away from a call up.

And then there is Mayer, who is batting only .233 at Worcester but has driven in 22 runs in 17 games.

Schoenfield posed this scenario:

“Roman Anthony is a nonstarter, but maybe Marcelo Mayer? Trevor Story is still under contract for two more years after all. With Mayer, the Marlins could shift Xavier Edwards to second base. If not Mayer, (Franklin) Arias and (Yoelin) Cespedes are high-upside young infielders in Single-A ball (Arias is off to a terrific start).”

Arias and Cespedes both are middle infielders. Arias is ranked No. 4 in the Red Sox farm system, with Cespedes No. 8. Boston has a glut of young players who can play second base and shortstop, making a trade of one of them not out of the question.

Related MiLB Stories

POWER SURGE: Triple-A Affiliates of Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago White Sox slug their way into record books. CLICK HERE:

BEDNAR IS BACK: The Pittsburgh Pirates recalled dethroned closer David Bednar from Triple-A Indianapolis. CLICK HERE:

DOING BIG THINGS: Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Hyesong Kim, a star in his native Korea, is making a name for himself stateside at Triple-A Oklahoma City. CLICK HERE