Seven months of second-guessing

Boston's February blockbuster with Milwaukee has been re-litigated since the day it happened. Baseball trades rarely settle their own argument that fast.

“But the best things in Major League Baseball take time to blossom.”

The verdict kept flipping

Kyle Harrison opened with Cy Young numbers in Milwaukee and the deal looked like a disaster. Then Caleb Durbin got hot for Boston, and by early September both had gone cold.

Both sides got something

Beyond the headline names, each team landed a second big leaguer who has contributed. On the major league ledger, it is closer to even than the early panic suggested.

The piece nobody counted

The trade also sent Boston a draft pick, and that pick became outfielder Owen Hull. He has been tearing up High-A since joining the organization.

A compensation pick, well spent

Boston used the second-round compensation pick from Milwaukee on Hull in July. He had already shown all-around offensive ability in North Carolina's biggest games.

He brought a roommate

Hull arrived alongside Jake Schaffner, Boston's first-round pick and his college road trip roommate at UNC. Two Tar Heels, same draft class, same system.

The numbers are loud

In 24 games and 117 plate appearances at High-A, Hull is hitting .337/.436/.531 with a 17:16 strikeout-to-walk ratio. A table-setter with some thump.

Scouts love the makeup

Area scout Spencer Brown, who covered UNC for Boston, praised how both players compete rather than perform. The intangibles excite the front office as much as the slash line.

“They know how to be baseball players, not just showcase ponies.”

Still only 21

Hull has not seen Double-A yet, so the expectations are getting ahead of the resume. The tools and the makeup still make him a real candidate to be the trade's best piece.