MLB Notebook: Red Sox prospect Jhostynxon Garcia plays in Futures Game; pitching prospect not available in a trade; drafts starts tonight; a look around the league

Red Sox prospect Jhostynxon Garcia was in Atlanta on Saturday, participating in the All-Star Futures Game representing the American League.

On Saturday, Major League Baseball showcased many of its brightest upcoming prospects, including Garcia. The 22-year-old is the only member of the Red Sox system who was named to the Futures Game.

Since he was called up from Double-A Portland, Garcia has slashed .292/.373/.532 line with nine homers, 25 RBI, and a .900 OPS in 40 games with the WooSox. His biggest game of the season came on June 22, when he crushed a two-run and a three-run homer as part of a 2-for-4 day, driving in five RBI. Garcia’s breakout performance this season punched his ticket to the Futures Game.

Garcia went from a little-known prospect in the Sox’ system to being protected from the Rule 5 draft last winter and being added to the 40-man roster. He’s cracked top 100 prospects lists in numerous publications, including MLB.com.

Garcia batted fourth and played right field for the American League, where he went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts in the game.

WooSox skipper Chad Tracy, who has been honored with telling numerous Red Sox players they’re heading to the Show, was able to tell Garcia he was an All-Star.

“As soon as I said that, you could see this big smile on his face,” Tracy said after telling Garcia he was going to represent the Red Sox organization in Atlanta. “I know he’s very excited about it, and he’s pumped about representing himself and the Red Sox.”

The Password has been impressive, and he offers the Red Sox a right-handed bat down the stretch if the club wants to promote the young prospect. He is also a prime trade candidate for the Red Sox, who are winners of nine straight games and are the second Wild Card team, two games behind the Yankees, and trail the Blue Jays by four games for first place in the American League East.

RED SOX TRADE CATCHER

The Red Sox traded catcher Blake Sabol to the White Sox on Saturday for cash considerations, according to the MiLB Transactions log.

The 27-year-old has spent the majority of the season with the WooSox, where he slashed .167/.281/.299 with three home runs and 17 RBI. 

He had a brief cup of coffee with the Red Sox earlier this season while Connor Wong was on the injured list. While in Boston, Sabol was 2-for-16 (.125) with one RBI and a .355 OPS. The Sox outrighted him off the 40-man roster, and he was sent back to Worcester.

Boston acquired Sabol from the Giants back in January for international signing bonus pool allocation money.

RED SOX PROSPECT UNAVAILABLE IN TRADE TALKS

We're a few weeks away from the MLB trade deadline, the Red Sox are actively seeking to enhance their roster and appear to be buyers, fueled by their recent nine-game winning streak.

The Sox are in the thick of the playoff hunt, holding the second Wild Card spot, and barring a second-half collapse, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is looking to make a strategic move or two to improve his club.

Boston is currently seven games above .500 and needs another starter after losing Hunter Dobbins to a season-ending ACL injury; they could also consider adding another reliever and a right-handed hitter.

"I think that’s still the clearest way to approach a deadline," Breslow said earlier this week. “I’ve obviously learned a lot over the last year. We’ll continue to learn. But we came into this season, and we’re approaching this deadline looking for opportunities to improve the club.

“We still have to understand what happens over the next three weeks, but that is how we’re approaching this deadline. We want to improve the team. We want to find ways to bolster the group. The play on the field exemplifies that. We’ve obviously put ourselves in a pretty good spot here with the way that we’ve been playing over the last few weeks and have reason to believe that we can continue that."

The Red Sox have been engaged in trade talks, and while nothing is imminent, the club has told teams that top pitching prospect Payton Tolle is unavailable, according to a league source.

Tolle, the Red Sox' second-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, has been excellent this season, soaring up SoxProspects.com’s July rankings as the No. 3 prospect in the system.

He is expected to take over as the No. 1 prospect in the system after Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer graduate off the list.

The 6-foot-7 left-hander has posted a 3.25 ERA in 14 games (12 starts) with 101 strikeouts to 17 walks in 63 2/3 innings of work.

Baseball America doesn’t list Tolle as a blue-chip prospect due to his secondary pitches being considered below average. Tolle has been working with the Red Sox pitching development team on all his pitches.

“If everything clicks, Tolle could be a midrotation starter,” BA wrote on Tolle’s potential future as a big leaguer. “Otherwise, he could be a swing-and-miss reliever. He should open 2025 in High-A Greenville’s rotation and could reach Double-A midway through the season. Tolle could emerge as a big league option by the middle of 2026.”

MLB DRAFT BEGINS ON SUNDAY NIGHT

The 2025 MLB Draft will begin on Sunday, and the Red Sox will pick No. 15 overall.

Here are what the experts are predicting for the Red Sox in their latest Mock Draft’s:

ESPN has the Red Sox selecting Great Oak High School third baseman Gavin Fien.

“Fien has a good chance to land here, as long rumored. I think he's underrated due to an uneven spring after he was one of the better hitters on the summer circuit. Xavier Neyens and Gavin Kilen (whom the Red Sox almost signed out of high school) have also been connected here.”

Baseball America has the Red Sox selecting second baseman Gavin Kilen out of the University of Tennessee.

“Kilen is a natural hitter who made an impressive adjustment this spring to unlock more power. While he’s more of a hit-over-power profile at the next level, he should maximize the juice he has and could become a fine defender at second.”

MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis has Boston picking right-handed pitcher Gage Wood out of the University of Arkansas.

“The Red Sox long have been linked to Fien, but they have a greater need for pitching and may not be able to resist Wood, who spun a 19-strikeout no-hitter at the Men's College World Series in his final start. Witherspoon and Bremner could be attractive as well, and they drafted Kilen out of high school three years ago.”

Jonathan Mayo has them taking shortstop Marek Houston out of Wake Forest.

“This is another team contemplating whether to go in the arm or bat direction, and they could tilt toward the mound if Witherspoon is around. If not, Houston might lead the way among the college hitters like Summerhill or Aloy, with Bremner in play should the desire for a pitcher win the day.”

BREWERS STAR ROOKIE JACOB MISIOROWSKI 'SPEECHLESS' AS HE'S NAMED TO NL ALL-STAR TEAM

Brewers star rookie starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski has captivated the baseball world. The hard-throwing righty, who began his MLB career throwing 100.5 mph over five-plus hitless frames and then took a perfect game into the seventh inning against the Twins, is now heading to the Mid-Summer Classic.

The 6-foot-7 hurler was named to the National League All-Star team on Friday as a replacement for Cubs left-hander Matthew Boyd. Misiorowski earns the honor of becoming an All-Star after making just five big league starts, where he’s dominated opposing lineups. In his first five starts, he has a record of 4-1, a 2.81 ERA, 33 strikeouts against 11 walks, an opponent batting average of .138, and an impressive WHIP of 0.90.

The Brewers second-round pick back in 2022 becomes the quickest player to make his MLB debut and then be named an All-Star. Pirates’ Paul Skenes made 11 starts before he was named an All-Star last season, according to Elias. Skenes had thrown 66 1/3 innings and recorded a 1.90 ERA to earn his first selection.

Misiorowski joins Skenes (2011), Mark Fidrych (1976), Hideo Nomo (1995), and Dontrelle Willis (2003) as pitchers to appear in the fewest games before being named an All-Star.

“He’s our Forrest Gump,” Brewers skipper Pat Murphy said. "He was moved, and he addressed the team, even. It was, like only he could be, tremendously genuine. He's very grateful and very thankful, and he understands this is the entertainment business.

"He's garnered so much attention that while he's made only five starts, he's going to the All-Star Game. This is a business, and he's done that for himself. It's not a matter of anything else other than people want to see him pitch."

The 23-year-old phenom found out he was going to be an All-Star prior to the Brewers' 8-3 win on Friday night over the Nationals at American Family Field. His skipper told him to keep it a secret until after the game. Murphy would later tell the entire team following the game. His coaches and teammates congratulated Misiorowski, who had tears in his eyes.

“I’m speechless,” Misiorowski said. “It’s very unexpected, and it’s an honor. It’s been a long time coming, and I just want to honor the guys around me and be a Brewer.”

“When he addressed the team, he was like only he could be, and that’s tremendously genuine,” Murphy said. “He was very grateful and very thankful, and he understands that this is the entertainment business, and he’s garnered so much attention that while only five starts [into his career], he’s going to the All-Star Game.”

Many will argue whether or not Misiorowski should have been named an All-Star after just five MLB appearances. Being named an All-Star is an honor, and it also has a financial impact on players around the league who are selected for the exhibition game. 

Phillies starter Cristopher Sanchez was an All-Star snub after recording a strong first half for Philadelphia. He went 7-2 with a 2.49 ERA over 107 2/3 innings. Despite an impressive showing, Sanchez's agent expressed his displeasure at his client's lack of recognition.

“Cristopher Sanchez @phillies, being left off the All-Star team is a travesty,” posted Gene Mato on his X account to defend Sanchez. “The numbers, cannot be ignored, even if he is scheduled to start on Sunday. Something has to change @MLB,” he wrote in his post.”

The New York Post’s Jon Heyman quote-tweeted Mato’s post with statistics to back up the claim of Sanchez being an All-Star snub.

“Sanchez has 4.2 WAR (3rd in NL for pitchers), 2.59 ERA (4th in NL), 7-2 record, and 116 K’s. Agreed, a Sunday start should not eliminate All-Star eligibility,” Heyman posted.

Misiorowski’s numbers are impressive, even if the sample size is incredibly small. MLB must have its best players in the All-Star Game, but it also needs to showcase its future stars. For Misiorowski, he had nothing going on during the break; his plans have now altered, and it’ll be even more exciting if he pitches in Atlanta.

"I was going to do nothing. Now I'm doing something," he said, grinning from ear to ear. "It's going to be fun."

PHILLIES PLAYERS SLAM MLB OVER TEAMMATES ALL-STAR SNUBS

The Phillies expected to have multiple players head to Atlanta for the All-Star festivities next week. They went as far as chartering a plane for the players to fly to the Mid-Summer Classic.

Instead, Kyle Schwarber was named the only All-Star representative for the team, with other players like Sanchez, Ranger Suárez, and Trea Turner all not selected for the game.

The Phillies thought their teammates were snubbed, especially after Misiorowski was named after just a cup of coffee in the bigs.

“What a joke,” Turner said. “That’s f— terrible. I mean, that’s terrible, dude.”

“That’s just how MLB does it now,” J.T. Realmuto said. “Nothing against the Misiorowski kid. But those two (Sánchez and Suárez) are deserving of being on the team in the first place. There’s no doubt.”

Nick Castellanos expressed his disapproval, asserting that the event is becoming synonymous with the Savannah Bananas.

That comment by Castellanos is pretty disingenuous; whether you love or hate what the Bananas are doing, they’re selling out ballparks and stadiums all over the country with their engaging product, captivating fans of all ages.

Understandably, veteran Phillies players are upset because, statistically, several of them had a strong case to be named All-Stars. Turner believes that Misiorowski's inclusion in the NL squad diminishes the significance of his selection due to his minimal time in the majors. 

“Yeah, 100 percent,” Turner said. “I mean, it’s not the All-Star Game in the sense that the best players go there, or people who have had the best season. It’s whoever sells the most tickets or has been put on social media the most. That’s essentially what it’s turned into.”

According to The Athletic, Major League Baseball offered Sanchez an opportunity to be on the NL roster if he agreed to waive the restrictions and make himself available for an inning two days after his start. The Phillies and Sanchez both declined.

“If he’s not an All-Star,” Turner said, “then no one is.”

MLB ALL-STAR GAME STARTING PITCHERS ANNOUNCED

As Major League Baseball wraps up the first half of the season Sunday, the league announced the starting pitchers for the All-Star Game on Tuesday in Atlanta.

Tigers ace Tarik Skubal will start for the American League, which is the first of his career. He is the first Tigers pitcher to start the game since Max Scherzer did it back in 2013.

The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner is 10-3 with a 2.23 ERA in 19 starts after winning his first AL Cy Young Award last season when he went 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA in 31 starts.

For Skenes, he will be making his second start for the National League in his first two major league seasons. The 23-year-old walked one in a scoreless first inning of the game last year.

The Pirates' ace is just 4-8 this season but has a major league-leading 2.01 ERA over 20 starts with 131 strikeouts over 121 innings. Skenes has a 1.49 ERA over his past 12 starts.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

- On Saturday, Twins outfielder Byron Buxton hit for a cycle. 

It was Buxton's own Bobblehead Day at the ballpark. The first 10,000 fans to walk through the gates at Target Field would receive a replica of Buxton doing his "Buck Truck" home run celebration. He became the Twins 12th player of all time to hit for the cycle and the first since Jorge Polanco, who did it back in 2019.

- The Yankees' Aaron Judge became the fastest player to hit 350 home runs. He hit a two-run homer off former Red Sox righty Brad Keller on Saturday. It was his 35th blast of the season.

- Dodgers prospect Josue De Paula blasted a three-run homer during the Futures Game to lead the National League to a 4-2 win over the American League and won the Larry Doby Award as the exhibition's MVP.

- The Chicago White Sox honored the 2005 World Series championship team on Saturday. Paul Konerko received a signed jersey from Chicago fan Pope Leo XIV.

- ESPN handed out their mid-season awards, grading teams for their first-half performance, and the Red Sox received a C-, citing “more soap opera than baseball season in Boston.”

- MLB announced the full field for Monday night’s Home Run Derby in Atlanta. Matt Olson (Braves), Cal Raleigh (Mariners), James Wood (Nationals), Buxton (Twins), Oneil Cruz (Pirates), Junior Caminero (Rays), Brent Rooker (A’s), and Jazz Chisholm (Yankees).

Olson is a late replacement for Ronald Acuña Jr., who has been dealing with back tightness.

- The Cubs will host the 2027 All-Star Game. Wrigley Field will host the game for the first time since 1990. The Phillies will host the game in 2026, with the Blue Jays and Orioles being the frontrunners in 2028.

- The Phillies are actively looking to improve their bullpen and want one of the two Twins relievers, Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax.

- Braves reliever Raisel Iglesias is available on the trade market.

- Yankees starter Max Fried left his start after three innings on Saturday because of a blister on his left index finger. Fried has a history of getting blisters, which have sidelined him on the IL in the past.