Payton Tolle Trade Would Be Massive Mistake For Red Sox
Sep 21, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Payton Tolle (70) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays during the eighth inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dave Nelson-Imagn Images Dave Nelson-Imagn Images
The Boston Red Sox have swung one major trade this offseason and have the means to get more done if the front office sees fit.
Boston sent Richard Fitts and Brandon Clarke to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for Sonny Gray and $20 million. The Red Sox have plenty of ammo left if they want to make another big trade this offseason. One guy who would surely bring a pretty penny back to Boston if the organization decides to make him available is No. 2 prospect, Payton Tolle. Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter even listed Toll among 10 prospects that could be "potential centerpieces" in a deal this offseason.
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"B/R Prospect Rank: No. 1 BOS, No. 32 MLB," Reuter wrote. "Stats (A /AA/AAA): 18 GS, 3.04 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 23 BB, 133 K, 91.2 IP. Scouting Report: With a big 6'6", 250-pound frame and elite extension, Tolle has a fastball that plays up considerably relative to his velocity, and he leans heavily on that pitch, throwing it 64.1 percent of the time in the majors.
"The utilization of his secondary stuff remains a question mark, and he struggled to a 6.06 ERA in 16.1 innings after making his MLB debut, though he did have 22 strikeouts. Why He Could Be Traded: Left-hander Connelly Early outperformed Tolle down the stretch, and if the Red Sox do kick the tires on a blockbuster deal for someone like MacKenzie Gore or Joe Ryan, Tolle could be the first name opposing teams are asking for in trades."
Reuter isn't wrong. A massive 23-year-old prospect with ace upside would surely get some sort of blockbuster trade talks going. But the team arguably shouldn't consider trading him. Even if he could be a centerpiece of an offseason swap, this is a guy who is the team's No. 2 prospect and who has already made his big league debut after being selected in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft.
If he can develop his secondary pitches around his already high-octane fastball, this could be a guy who can be a part of the rotation for years to come. The Red Sox got a lot of flak for a lack of spending over the last few years before last offseason. Boston spent years building up the farm system to get to the point it is at now. Why take all of the time the Red Sox did just to trade all of their cost-controlled pieces away?
Tolle has the upside to be the type of hurler Boston would want to bring to town and it already has him.
Reuter isn't wrong that Tolle would be a guy who can bring back a massive package. But Boston shouldn't trade him.
Yankees Legend Calls Out Hall of Fame Hypocrisy
May 24, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves co-owner Alex Rodriguez reacts against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half in game three of the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Alex Rodriguez is in a better place than he was when his world collapsed around him while he served a PED suspension in 2014. He appears like a more healed version of himself in his "Alex vs. A-Rod" documentary on HBO. However, there is still a bit of resentment toward the former commissioner, Bud Selig, whom he once sarcastically referred to as the "Man from Milwaukee" to Mike Francesa on WFAN.
Alex vs. Selig
According to Chris Franklin of NJ.com, Rodriguez aired his grievances on Selig to Stephan A. Smith. Rodriguez still finds it peculiar that Selig is in the Hall of Fame while PED users have been refused entry.
"All of this stuff you're talking about was under Bud Selig's watch," Rodriguez said. "And the fact that those two guys are not in, but somehow, Bud Selig is in the Hall of Fame, that to me feels like there's a little bit, some hypocrisy around that."
Rodriguez then cited the merits of Barry Bonds' Hall of Fame candidacy.
"Barry Bonds was basically a Hall of Famer the minute he came out of Mrs. Bonds' stomach," Rodriguez said. "He's that good. He was a Hall of Famer at Arizona State. He was a Hall of Famer for the Pittsburgh Pirates. If you take a 50% tax on PED for those two guys, they are still Hall of Famers. If you take 50% of their home runs and RBIs or do whatever tax you do like in the U.S. government, I still think they are first-ballot Hall of Famers."
Hall of Fame Case
Rodriguez himself has a strong case for the Hall of Fame. Between 1994 and 2016, Rodriguez hit .295/.380/.550 with 696 home runs, 3,115 hits, and a 141 wRC+. He accumulated a 113.6 WAR according to Fangraphs as a shortstop and third baseman.
Rodriguez played in 1509 games with the Yankees. It's close to 300 more than his combined total with the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers. However, his time with those two teams was still Hall of Fame-worthy.
Rodriguez had the rare career in which an elite level of defense matches the power. He had three MVPs and two Gold Glove Awards.
