What Might James Tibbs III And Jose Bello, The Trade Return For Rafael Devers, Turn Out To Be?

With the trade of Rafael Devers to San Francisco, the Red Sox brought back four players in a combination of major league ready pieces and prospects that were still making their climb through the minor leagues. And while James Tibbs III and Jose Bello are both some time away from contributing at the major league level, the two of them are rather interesting prospects.

Entering the 2021 draft, Tibbs was viewed as the third-best offensive prospect from Georgia, but he instead chose to attend Florida State rather than pursue professional baseball. There, he managed to hit .363/.488/.777 in 2024 and was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year. Entering the 2024 draft, Tibbs was viewed as offering one of the best combinations of swing decision and hard contact, as he has a smooth left-handed swing that exhibits plenty of bat speed and strength. This combination helps to supply him with solid contact to all parts of the field.

Tibbs is in his first full season as a professional, having been drafted 13th overall last year by the San Francisco Giants, one pick after the Red Sox took Braden Montgomery. Unlike Montgomery, Tibbs did play a few games in 2024, as he played 26 games split between Low A and High A, where he hit .241/.293/.343 with five doubles, two home runs, and six RBIs, along with eight walks in 108 at-bats. He did strike out 36 times, however.

While batting, Tibbs tends to start with his hands high, utilizing a leg kick to help with his timing as well. With quick hands, solid bat speed, a patient approach, and good swing decision-making, he has a low chase rate and consistently makes contact with pitches in the zone. He also isn’t against taking pitches and walking. Power-wise, he has shown above-average raw power that is best utilized with pitches middle-in.

Defensively, he moved around the field in college as he played left field in his freshman season before moving to first base in his sophomore season. In his junior year, he was moved again to right field and has stayed there to begin his professional career. While the Red Sox plan to have him continue to play the corner outfield, Sea Dogs manager Chad Epperson has said that he will take grounders at first base and will eventually see game time at the position down the line, unlike when he was with the Giants.

Prior to his trade to the Red Sox, the outfielder had played in 57 games with High-A Eugene, where he hit .246/.379/.478 with 10 doubles, a triple, 12 home runs, and 32 RBIs. He also walked 42 times while striking out 45 times in 207 at-bats. So far this season, he has a 16.3% walk rate, an increase from 6.9% last season, while he has managed to cut back on his strikeouts. In 2024, he struck out at a 31% rate; so far in 2025, that rate has been lowered to 18.9%.

Tibbs has been hitting the ball on the ground quite frequently this season, hitting ground balls at a 50.6% rate while hitting fly balls at a 29.9% rate. He also likes to pull the ball, as he’s been doing that at a 49.1% rate this season, something that, if he plays in Fenway, could be an advantage for him with his raw power.

Currently, he’s viewed as potentially being a bat-first platoon outfielder, as he lacks a standout tool; however, that could change if he shows more consistency against off-speed pitches and makes better contact against velocity. He could also be viewed as a future platoon first baseman should he adapt to the position well enough that the Red Sox don't abandon the idea of teaching him. 

Bello, the second prospect in the trade, seems to be more of a wild card, as he’s 20 years old and has yet to play above Rookie ball, having only played in the Arizona Complex League since coming stateside. In two seasons there, Bello has appeared in nine games (eight of them this season) and has thrown 20 1/3 innings, allowing six earned runs on 13 hits and four walks. He’s also managed to strike out 30 batters in that span.

Bello relies on four pitches: a fastball that ranges from 92-94 mph and can top out at 96 mph, a cutter that ranges from 90-92 mph, a slider that ranges from 83-86 mph, and a changeup that has rarely been thrown in 2025.

Bello throws from a three-quarters arm slot and has a short stride with long arm action. Unfortunately, his release point can be inconsistent. He does, however, have a bat-missing ability, as showcased by his 30 strikeouts in only 20 1/3 innings in the Arizona Complex League. His fastball, right now, may be his best pitch, as he can throw it for strikes and has solid command of it. Despite that, his slider tends to be his go-to out pitch, as it has bat-missing ability and can get batters to chase it.

Should Bello pan out, the Red Sox may have found themselves an intriguing bullpen arm to add to their ranks. Still, Bello is a lottery to take as there’s no guarantee he pans out to be anything more than organizational depth.

Regardless, the Red Sox may have done better on the prospect front than people first thought. Between Tibbs and Bello, they have two players with potential to either help them down the road or be traded in a package for a star player. Losing Devers hurts, but these two may help mitigate the pain somewhat, depending on their development.