The Red Sox have acquired 22-year-old catching prospect Luke Heyman from the Mariners for minor-league pitcher Alex Hoppe, according to a source.
It was one of four trades that Boston made Tuesday. The Sox dealt lefty Chris Murphy to the White Sox for minor-league catcher Ronny Hernandez and righty Luis Guerrero to the Rays for infielder Tristan Gray. They also sent left-handed reliever Brennan Bernardino to the Rockies for 26-year-old infielder/outfielder Braiden Ward.
The Red Sox’ busy Tuesday also included them designating both first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and pitcher Josh Winckowski for assignment as well as selecting pitching prospects David Sandlin, Shane Drohan and Tyler Uberstine to the 40-man roster. Neither Hoppe or Heyman was on a 40-man roster at the time of the trade, so it’s considered a minor league deal. Seattle did add Hoppe to its roster after the deal, protecting him from Rule 5 consideration.
Seattle selected Heyman, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound right-handed hitter, in the 14th round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of the University of Florida. He did not appear in any professional games in ‘25 because he was recovering from a fractured forearm that shortened his final season with the Gators.
He batted .301 with a .397 on-base percentage, .578 slugging percentage, .975 OPS, 13 homers, seven doubles, one triple, 44 RBIs, 37 runs, 22 walks and 38 strikeouts in 49 games (204 plate appearances) this past spring for Florida before the injury.
Baseball America ranked him the No. 127 prospect in the 2025 Draft but he dropped to 422nd overall and signed a $230,000 bonus, which about what an eighth-round pick would make.
His Baseball America pre-draft scouting report noted, “Heyman offers plus raw power and improving swing decisions. He generates carry and lift to the pull side, even on pitches thrown in the outer half of the zone. While Heyman struggled somewhat with offspeed pitches, particularly changeups, he crushed velocity, a byproduct of solid bat speed and rhythm. He stays balanced through his swing and can punish mistakes over the plate.”
Baseball America graded his power and arm both 55 (above average) on its 20-80 grading scale.
The site added about his defense, “Scouts believe he has a chance to stick behind the plate thanks to above-average arm strength and improved receiving and blocking. He presented pitches more cleanly than in years past and showed a feel for handling a staff.”
Hoppe, a 26-year-old righty with big fastball velocity, posted a 4.55 ERA in 44 outings (61 ⅓ innings) between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester in 2025. He has never pitched in the majors but has been in big league spring training in recent years. The Red Sox picked him in the sixth round of the 2022 draft from UNC Greensboro. Trading Hoppe for Heyman at this point prevents the Red Sox from potentially losing him for nothing in the Rule 5 draft.
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