So who did the Sox give up? Perales was the number 7 ranked prospect in the system that can hit 100 on the gun. He was a 16 year old Venezuelan teenager signed back in 2019 and was having a hell of a 2024 season between the Greenville Drive and Portland Sea Dogs. He was 1-0 with 1.23 ERA when he had Tommy John surgery in June of 2024. He pitched in just 3 games and 2 1/3 innings at the end of the 2025 season. He was projected to be a serious rotation contender by 2027 but now he's off to Washington to be their number 11th ranked pitcher.
So who did they get? Jake Bennett was Washington's second round pick back in 2022 four picks after the Red Sox took Cutter Coffey. He was 10-4 for Oklahoma University in 2022 and had lit up the Fredricksburg Nationals in 2023. He was promoted to the Wilmington Blue Rocks but was 0-3 and had Tommy John surgery. He bounced back in 2025 going 1-2 with a 1.90 ERA in 7 starts for Wilmington before going 1-2 with a 2.56 ERA in 9 starts with the Harrisburg Senators. Allowing just 19 runs in 69 innings is pretty good.
So why make this trade? The overall consensus is Bennett is more close to the majors than Perales is. Perales is definitely an intriguing prospect since he can throw gas at 22 years old. Problem is will his arm hold up in the long run? Bennett tops out at 96 but has a devastating changeup. Not that Perales is short at 6 foot 1, but Bennett is 6 foot 6. Durability is the question, even Pedro Martinez broke down after years of throwing straight gas. Still, Bennett can start the year in Portland or Worcester and if he begins to dominate, he could be trade bait or might actually pitch in Boston. The Sox have too many number 3 starters, someone has to go. If Breslow is looking for his second straight winter blockbuster, Bennett could either be included in the deal or replace someone else who is. The Sox still haven't signed Alex Bregman or replaced Rafael Devers so it might not matter anyway.
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