In a whirlwind of wheeling and dealing that had Fenway faithful buzzing, the Boston Red Sox lit up the transaction wire Tuesday night, shipping out a pair of reliable southpaws while bolstering their 40-man roster with some intriguing young guns—all in a savvy bid to outmaneuver the looming Rule 5 Draft next month.
First up, the Sox dealt lefty Chris Murphy to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for promising minor league catcher Ronny Hernandez, then flipped fellow southpaw Brennan Bernardino to the Colorado Rockies for versatile utility man Braiden Ward. To make room on the roster, Boston designated right-hander Josh Winckowski for assignment, clearing the decks for the future.
But the action didn’t stop there—the Red Sox kept the hot stove sizzling by trading minor league righty Alex Hoppe to the Seattle Mariners for catcher Luke Heyman, a power-hitting 14th-round pick from this summer’s draft who’s already turning heads.
These blockbuster moves, all verified by a Red Sox insider to the Herald, came on the heels of earlier fireworks: trading minor league right-hander Luis Guerrero to the Tampa Bay Rays for infielder Tristan Gray, and DFA’ing first baseman Nathaniel Lowe. Talk about a roster reset!
Both Bernardino and Murphy had been key cogs in Boston’s bullpen machine, grinding through up-and-down seasons between the bigs and Triple-A. Bernardino, the ultimate workhorse, logged a sparkling 3.14 ERA across 51.2 innings in 55 appearances, while Murphy bounced back strong from Tommy John surgery with a 3.12 ERA in 23 outings. Solid arms, but the Sox are playing chess, not checkers, eyeing bigger prizes.
On the flip side, the incoming talent brings fresh excitement. Ward, a speedy 26-year-old who patrols both infield and outfield, caught fire after his Triple-A call-up, slashing .331 with a .906 OPS in 44 games—hello, potential spark plug! Hernandez, just 21, held his own at Low-A with a .251 average and .679 OPS over 82 games for the White Sox affiliate.
And don’t sleep on the catching depth boost: Hernandez and Heyman, who mashed 41 homers in three college seasons at Florida but hasn’t debuted pro yet, could be the answer to Boston’s thin backstop ranks.
Now, the real headliners of this roster remix? The three pitchers added to the 40-man: David Sandlin, Shane Drohan, and Tyler Uberstine—each a tantalizing prospect primed to dodge the Rule 5 grab bag.
Sandlin, snagged back in spring 2024 for reliever John Schreiber, has rocketed up the charts as Boston’s No. 10 prospect per MLB Pipeline. This 6-foot-4, 215-pound flamethrower cranks his heater into the high-90s—topping out at a jaw-dropping 101 mph in offseason workouts. Sure, he posted a 4.50 ERA with 107 K’s in 106 innings across Double-A and Triple-A this year, and Triple-A brought some bumps, but the kid’s got MLB impact written all over him—maybe as a starter or high-leverage reliever as early as next season.
Drohan, a 26-year-old lefty, roared back from injury-plagued 2024 (just 16.1 innings after a Rule 5 detour) with a dominant 2.27 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 47.2 innings over 12 outings (11 starts) for Triple-A Worcester. Resilience personified!
Then there’s Uberstine, a 26-year-old righty who missed 2023 entirely and barely pitched in 2024 due to Tommy John, but exploded in 2025 with a 3.58 ERA and 137 whiffs in 120.2 innings across 25 outings (21 starts) between Double-A and Triple-A. From rehab to revelation—what a comeback story!
For the uninitiated, the Rule 5 Draft is MLB’s ultimate talent raid, giving blocked minor leaguers (after four or five years in an org) a shot at the majors. Snagged players hit the active roster immediately and must stick all season or get offered back. Boston’s own Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten turned Rule 5 gold into quick success, and last year’s top pick, Danvers native Shane Smith, even snagged All-Star honors as a White Sox rookie. This year’s draft drops Dec. 10 at the Winter Meetings in Orlando—mark your calendars!
Shifting gears to league-wide drama: A record four players accepted qualifying offers before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. buzzer, per the MLB Players Association. Brewers ace Brandon Woodruff, Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham, Cubs hurler Shota Imanaga, and Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres all inked one-year, $22.025 million pacts to stay put.
The other nine? They said “thanks, but no thanks” and hit free agency: shortstop Bo Bichette, outfielder Kyle Tucker, DH Kyle Schwarber, starters Dylan Cease, Ranger Suarez, Framber Valdez, Michael King, Zac Gallen, and closer Edwin Diaz.
Before this bonanza, only 14 players had ever taken the QO since 2012, with a previous high of three in 2015. Buckle up—this offseason’s just getting started!