Red Sox Right To Deal Manuel Margot For Craig Kimbrel

The Boston Red Sox just hatched a big trade by adding reliever Craig Kimbrel from the San Diego Padres for four prospects, including outfielder Manuel Margot.

Many people in the Red Sox organization and in Red Sox Nation felt that Margot was a great talent; apparently, so did the Padres.

While Margot may have had a possible future in the Red Sox outfield, Boston’s president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski felt differently.

Margot’s value as an asset in the Kimbrel deal was worth more than he was going to be for the Red Sox in the long term.

Those numbers sound great, until you realize that Margot was not the only hot Red Sox prospect in the outfield.

Scouts have him hitting just as well as Margot, hitting harder than Margot, running almost as fast as Margot, with identical arms and range in the outfield.

With these similarities, and possibly a keener eye at the plate, Benintendi’s presence made Margot expendable, which explains Margot’s part in the packaged deal for Kimbrel.

If and when Boston’s regular ace closer Koji Uehara comes back from injury, the Red Sox will have two dominant arms in their bullpen for the price of four minor league prospects, one of whom was already replaced in this year’s draft.