Red Sox Fan Favorite Tearing Up Triple-A, But Will He Ever Make It To Boston?

"The Password" is no longer a well-kept secret in the prospect world.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia, who owns the best nickname in the sport and some impressive tools, has torn up Triple-A in his short time since his most recent promotion. After his home run on Friday night, he owns a .983 OPS with nine long balls in 31 games with the Worcester Red Sox.

As Red Sox fans are plainly aware, though, their team's outfield is already stocked to the brim with talent. Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu have all been around since at least 2023 and can be stars on any given day. Baseball's number-one prospect Roman Anthony got to the big leagues earlier this month. And if a lefty is on the mound, Rob Refsnyder looks like Albert Pujols.

So the 22-year-old Garcia, who would probably be a candidate for a September call-up with most teams, definitely has an uncertain future ahead. Will he be a deadline trade chip? Or will Boston instead clear up the logjam at the big league level and buy him some time?

After months of debate, it seems as though Duran is probably the odd man out if the Red Sox wind up choosing to trade a major league outfielder. He's the oldest, the most expensive (which isn't saying much), and has done the most in the majors (All-Star in 2024).

If Duran is traded, there's reason to keep Garcia around and have him compete for playing time in 2026. If Duran stays, there's hardly any pathway for Garcia to make an impact.

But a lot also has to do with the Red Sox's approach to the deadline. If they're considering themselves "buyers" who are still going after a playoff spot, Garcia is probably their best prospect that could be considered expendable. He'd be the headliner in any deal for an established number-two starter, first baseman, etc.

If the Red Sox are selling, or doing some sort of buy/sell hybrid, there's still a chance Garcia could be included in a package alongside a veteran, like Refsnyder or Aroldis Chapman, to net the Red Sox a younger player with lots team control who better suits their needs (the Philadelphia Phillies' Mick Abel, to name one).

To some degree, it's a good problem to have Garcia tearing it up in Triple-A and juicing his trade value. But the Red Sox have turned "good problems" into bad ones at an alarming rate this year.

Whatever decision they make, there are huge risks involved.