The Red Sox traded the top prospect in baseball yesterday in Yoan Moncada, acquiring Chris Sale in the process from the Chicago White Sox. It’s close to the ultimate “win-now” move as Sale has three years left on his contract and Moncada figures to be a star for years to come.
For those people that wonder if the Red Sox gave up too much to acquire Sale, Baseball America compiled a list of other Top Prospects to be traded and how they ended up:
In honor of Yoan Moncada, @jjcoop36 looks at previous Top 10 prospects who were traded and how they panned out https://t.co/bFW4Fd7p4K
— Kyle Glaser (@KyleAGlaser) December 7, 2016
Brandon Phillips became a multiple gold-glove winner and a multiple time all-star while Wil Myers won a Rookie of the Year and Scott Kazmir has been a serviceable starter for a long time.
Only Jesus Montero (Yankees/Mariners) has really flamed out. If Moncada turned out to have the career of Myers, Kazmir, Carlos Pena, Phillips, Cameron Maybin or Addison Russell, you’d call him a good player, but that wouldn’t equal the career of Chris Sale in all likelihood.
Bottom line is this: If the Sox win in the next three years then it doesn’t matter what Moncada becomes, but if they don’t, you’ll be left wondering what could have been.