The Boston Red Sox made waves Wednesday night when they traded Hunter Renfroe to the Milwaukee Brewers for old friend Jackie Bradley Jr.
Bradley’s return to Boston, while fascinating, represents just part of the deal, however. The Red Sox also acquired two prospects, Alex Binelas and David Hamilton, whom they hope will help down the road.
So, who are Binelas and Hamilton, a couple of minor leaguers ranked 17th and 16th, respectively, on MLB.com’s Brewers prospect rankings prior to the trade?
Here’s a little background on each, along with the brief scouting reports Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom provided Wednesday night while speaking with reporters.
ALEX BINELAS
Age: 21
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 225 pounds
Position: 1B/3B
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Draft: Third round (2021)
2021 stats (Rookie + Single-A): 159 PA, .309/.390/.583, 9 HRs, 29 RBIs, 1 SB
Bloom’s take: “Left-handed hitter with power. Plays both infield corners, but the bat is really his calling card. A good hitter with really special power. Obviously, it’s just early in his professional journey, but he had a tremendous debut and really showed a lot in his acclimation to pro ball, and a really nice power left-handed bat to bring into the system.”
DAVID HAMILTON
Age: 24
Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 175 pounds
Position: SS/2B
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Draft: Eighth round (2019)
2021 stats (High-A + Double-A): 459 PA, .258/.341/.419, 8 HRs, 43 RBIs, 52 SBs
Bloom’s take: “Has premium speed. A really good middle infielder. Plays a good shortstop. Interesting trajectory. Highly touted high school player, went to the University of Texas, had a tough injury and recovered from it, and kept his speed, and has great speed and athleticism. Very exciting player to add to our system.”
The Red Sox added some defensive versatility by swapping Renfroe for Bradley, who spent eight seasons with Boston between 2013 and 2020. It could come at the expense of offense — Bradley had a tough 2021 at the plate while Renfroe swung a good bat in his lone season with the Red Sox — but clearly that’s a trade-off Bloom and Co. were willing to make.
It’ll be interesting to see what comes of the prospects involved, even if neither Binelas nor Hamilton factors into Boston’s plans in 2022. If nothing else, the Red Sox’s farm system, which has been on an upward trajectory since Bloom’s arrival, just got even deeper with Wednesday’s trade.
