Brock Beauchamp

Alex and Maddie sit down to discuss what the Red Sox did during the trade deadline! They talk through what kind of impact Adley Rutschman can bring to the organization, what the future for Carlos Narvaez looks like now that he's in Baltimore, why the team may have brought in Eli White, and finally what Erik Miller brings to the team as a high-leverage lefty out of the bullpen. They end the episode by discussing Marcelo Mayer's fall from grace with the organization and how that could potentially impact Roman Anthony. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-talk-sox-podcast/id1783204104 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qPrPXEngu0CxgTmlf0ynm Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-talk-sox-podcast-244591331/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/4tmd121v Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talksox

Schaffner is an infielder who played shortstop for North Carolina in 2026 after spending his first two collegiate seasons at NDSU. He's carried over an impressively similar level of production in 2026 against much stiffer opposition. Schaffner hits from the left side. It's an offensive profile predicated on exceptional bat-to-ball skills. His overall contact rate in 2026 sits at ~88%, with a 94% rate in zone. There's some pop in the profile, with six home runs, and 42 extra-base hits. All of this is backed up by a strong approach, as Schaffner doesn't chase much and has walked over 13% of the time in 2026. He is a good up-the-middle defender. There's an average arm in there, and while he may move off shortstop eventually, he should be able to stick on the dirt, most likely at second base. Throw in above-average speed and savvy as a baserunner (25 stolen bases in 2026 at 89%), and there's a promising infield utility profile.

Cespedes was signed as an international free agent in 2023 to the largest bonus of the entire IFA class. He was technically promoted to Salem last year but failed to see any game action as he was scratched from his debut with hand soreness; eventually, he would be placed on the injured list with a broken hamate bone that ended his season. Cespedes is a bat-first shortstop who may not stick there as he climbs up the system, as his defense isn’t up to par with guys ahead of him at the higher levels. He may end up sliding over to second base, which would help extend his time in Boston’s system, but he’s eligible for the Rule 5 draft in 2027. Thus, it wouldn’t come as a shock to see him included in a trade package at some point over the next year unless he has a breakout year in Salem, where he should begin the season.

Selected in the third round of the 2025 draft out of Louisiana State University, Anthony Eyanson may end up being one of the biggest steals for the Boston Red Sox in recent years. Eyanson completed his junior season at LSU by winning the national championship, ultimately garnering attention as a top-50 draft prospect. As the Saturday starter for LSU, Eyanson made 20 appearances, 18 of them starts, and went 12-2 with two saves across 108 innings. He was dominant on the mound, allowing just 36 earned runs. Things would not work out perfectly for Eyanson, however, as the right-hander slid to the third round, where the Red Sox selected him at the 87th pick. Eyanson is a very intriguing pitching prospect, one who continues to fit in with Craig Breslow’s desire to acquire pitchers who are big (he stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 210 pounds) and have good extension (6.41 feet). The right-hander has a polished arsenal made up of a fastball, slider, curveball and changeup, and he's got strong control of each of those offerings. His fastball routinely sat between 92 and 94 mph in college, occasionally topping out at around 97 mph. However, in his first week of spring training, the right-hander managed to get it up to 98 mph. His slider has more vertical break to it instead of horizontal (i.e., more traditional power slider than a modern sweeper) and despite a lower spin rate, it can miss bats. It also manages to generate a high chase rate despite not landing in the zone all that often. In college, the slider managed to produce a 52% whiff rate and could become his main "out pitch" in professional baseball. Eyanson’s curveball is thrown competitively, but despite a good amount of vertical depth, it fails to miss as many bats as would be expected. It is used more often against left-handed batters. Finally, his changeup may be his weakest pitch, as he fails to consistently land it in the strike zone, and he may need to adjust the low-80s offering as he graduates various levels in the system. In college, Eyanson showed an ability to rack up strikeouts, finishing the 2025 season with 152 in just 108 innings. There is no reason to believe that should change once he gets his first taste of minor league baseball thanks to his fastball, slider and curveball. Early on in spring training, he has looked good on the backfields while throwing live at-bats. One of Eyanson’s best traits is his ability to limit free passes. While his strikeouts were well documented (33.9% rate), he managed to walk just 36 batters with LSU, good for an 8.0% walk rate. Thanks to this, Eyanson already has a high floor and comes with little reliever risk. Should he manage to maintain the increased velocity he’s showing with his fastball across the entire season, he would project as a mid-rotation arm. Eyanson is likely to open the year in High-A Greenville, but thanks to his strike-throwing ability along with his already-polished arsenal of pitches, he could be promoted to the upper levels of the organization quickly. The right-hander is confident in his own abilities and is entering 2026 with a determination to prove he should have been taken within the first two rounds of the draft. He’ll be an interesting pitcher to watch, especially if he can find an arm-side pitch to throw to left-handed hitters.