The Boston Red Sox's roster is beginning to take shape as less than three weeks remain before Opening Day 2025. Spring training has seen Red Sox veterans and prospects do whatever it takes to prove they deserve to be a part of manager Alex Cora's plans; however, not everyone's efforts have been successful.
On Friday, a handful of Red Sox players' Opening Day dreams ended — including those of two top prospects.
Red Sox Spring Training News: Boston Sends Luis Perales, Jhostynxon Garcia to Minors
Less than 24 hours after Thursday's loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, the Red Sox have sent six players to the minors — including top prospects Luis Perales and Jhostynxon Garcia, according to MassLive's Chris Cotillo.
Red Sox with first cuts of camp as six guys are sent to minor league camp: Luis Perales, Jhostynxon Garcia, Jovani Moran, Robert Stock, Brian Van Belle and Jacob Webb.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) March 7, 2025
According to MLB.com's rankings, Perales and Garcia are the Red Sox's No. 5 and 6 prospects, respectively, ahead of the 2025 campaign. Although the dynamic duo boasts a fair amount of potential, it looks like fans will have to wait at least another season to see how they perform on the big-league stage.
Perales, 21, is being demoted without having made a spring training appearance. The Venezuelan right-handed hurler made nine starts across two minor-league levels last season, going 2-2 with a 2.94 ERA while averaging a whopping 15.0 strikeouts per nine innings.
Meanwhile, Garcia's demotion isn't too surprising based on how he's performed this spring. The 6-foot-tall, 163-pound outfielder went an abysmal 1-for-21 in the batter's box this spring, recording 10 strikeouts along the way. If he wants to sniff Cora's lineup again, he must show better discipline at the plate.
Time will tell if Garcia can build off a 2024 performance that saw him crank out 23 home runs, 66 RBIs, 33 walks, 17 stolen bases, and a .286/.356/.536 slash line in 107 minor-league appearances across three levels.
Perales and Garcia's futures are still bright, but it's clear the Red Sox have too much talent for the pair to be playing in the Majors this season. Having said that, strong performances could position them to be potential call-ups closer to September.
In the meantime, Cora must focus on the next wave of cuts. Fans should have a better idea of who's getting the axe next after the Red Sox take on the Miami Marlins in spring training action on Friday at 1:05 p.m. ET.