NEWSLETTER
As we discussed as far back as when the original Felix Doubront trade went down, the player to be named later the Chicago Cubs were to send to Boston would very likely be (1) after the Rule 5 Draft took place, and (2) a guy who was Rule 5 eligible, but not selected. This structure would allow the Red Sox to have the pick of the unprotected litter, so to speak, and wouldn’t cause either team any undue roster crunch issues.
Unfortunately, one of the best unprotected players for the Cubs was a High-A shortstop named Marco Hernandez, who has intermittently been a top 20/30 prospect for the Cubs over the past few years. And that’s the guy the Red Sox selected – he was just sent to Boston to complete the Doubront trade.
Hernandez, 22, hit .270/.315/.351 at High-A Daytona this year, embodying his offensive ability: can hit for a decent average, doesn’t take a ton of walks but doesn’t strike out a ton, either. Not gonna have much power, but a nice player.
Would you have traded him at the time of the Doubront deal for Doubront? Yes. So at least you don’t have to be too upset in that regard. This is a fair deal.
Mostly, Hernandez is a glove man, whom many think will reach the big leagues by way of a utility role. For now, he’ll probably head to AA in Boston’s system and try to establish himself as a guy the Red Sox will deem worth protecting on the 40-man roster for next year’s Rule 5 Draft.
The Cubs are still owed a PTBNL from the A’s, by the way, and I’d expect it to be a similar, non-40-man type.
