The Washington Nationals are finally in a place as an organization where it feels like things are progressing in the right direction for the first time in a long time. Part of that was due to their new President of Baseball Operations, Paul Toboni, who has completely overhauled the way that the team did things for a long time throughout the organization.
Toboni came over from the Boston Red Sox organization, and while he has already made several moves that could be pointed to as victories for the Nationals, such as signing potential 2026 All-Star Foster Griffin to a deal and letting him start, there is one move he probably wishes he had back right now. The deal in itself was not an awful one, and there is still a lot of time before it's declared either way, but right now, the Nationals could sure use the guy they traded away.
Jake Bennett off to fast start in MLB career with Red Sox
The deal was a rare prospect for prospect swap, as Toboni called up his old colleagues in the Boston front office and made the swap, sending lefty Jake Bennett out and bringing in righty Luis Perales. On paper, the deal seemed like an interesting one, as Bennett seemed to be a higher floor arm while Perales securely had higher upside.
However, while that might still be the case, the fact that Bennett has now gotten off to a quick start at the big league level with the Red Sox while Perales has been inconsistent at AAA might have some Nationals fans wondering how the deal will end up panning out. Especially considering the current state of the Nationals' pitching staff, the team could certainly use a guy like Bennett right now.
So how good has the 25-year-old Bennett been? He has started 6 games for the Red Sox, and has a 3.27 ERA and 1.06 WHIP with a 25:7 K:BB ratio in 33.0 innings. Looking even beyond the surface numbers, his Baseball Savant page would indicate that he has pitched even better, as he has an expected ERA of 2.63, and his page features a lot more red than blue, always a great sign.
Perales has not been bad since being acquired by the Nationals, but he has slightly struggled in his first full season in AAA Rochester. Still just 23-years-old, we haven't really seen the elite swing-and-miss stuff we anticipated when he was acquired. He is pumping it still from a velocity standpoint, but needs to work on harnessing his control, which Bennett excels in by comparison.
The Nationals' #9 prospect has a 48:31 K:BB ratio in 59.0 innings, but hasn't really done much to deter any positive thoughts about his future potential and upside. However, given that he likely won't be fully ready to appear in the majors until next season, the Nationals might be kicking themselves a little bit right now for trading a guy who would certainly help them right now in their playoff chase in Bennett.
What do you make of Jake Bennett's start to his MLB career with the Boston Red Sox? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.
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