Red Sox send Yeison Coca to Milwaukee to complete Tyler Thornburg deal

The Tyler Thornburg trade has not gone well for the Red Sox to this point, to say the least. The reliever has yet to make an appearance for Boston in 2017, and the players the Red Sox dealt away have shone for Milwaukee this year. Travis Shaw has shown big power and has been a big part of the Brewer’s surprising start. Mauricio Dubon, meanwhile, has made the best of his hit tool as he typically does while already tallying 25 stolen bases in Double-A. Milwaukee also got pitcher Josh Pennington, although he has yet to pitch this year. Now, the Brewers have gotten a little more with the addition of Yeison Coca as the player to be named later in the deal.

Coca isn’t the highest-profile Red Sox prospect, although that has more to do with his age and lack of experience than his talent. The 18-year-old shortstop was signed out of the Dominican Republic last summer by Boston for $250,000 and put up a solid .779 OPS in the Dominican Summer League last year.

There’s not a ton of power in Coca’s game, but there is legitimate hope he can be a regular in the majors down the line. Unsurprisingly, given his age, he’s still a bit raw but he has the potential for a solid hit tool to go along with great athleticism and a potentially plus glove. With a strong performance stateside this year it wouldn’t have been surprising to see him surge up the organizational rankings heading into 2018.

Thornburg is under control for two more years after this so there is time for the trade to turn around for the Red Sox. The early returns, though, have not been good and the latest bit of news makes hit hurt that much more.