The Red Sox continued to bolster their infield mix on Monday morning by swinging a six-player trade with the Brewers.
In exchange for left-handers Shane Drohan and Kyle Harrison and infielder David Hamilton, Boston acquired infielders Caleb Durbin and Andruw Monasterio and infielder/catcher Anthony Seigler from Milwaukee, the club announced.
Additionally, the Red Sox received a Competitive Balance Round B pick in the 2026 draft from the Brewers. That selection currently projects as the No. 67 overall pick in July’s draft. Boston had previously forfeited its second- and fifth-highest picks after signing Ranger Suarez, who declined a qualifying offer from the Phillies, last month. As a result, the club will now pick first at No. 20 overall, then again at No. 67 with the selection obtained from Milwaukee.
Of the six players — all of whom were on their previous clubs’ 40-man rosters — involved in this deal, Drohan is the only one without prior major league experience and is still considered a prospect. As such, this article will focus on him.
Drohan, who turned 27 last month, was ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 15 prospect before Monday’s trade. The Florida State product has yet to make his big league debut, but has nonetheless been on a unique path since being selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round (148th overall) of the COVID-shortened 2020 draft.
Signed for an above-slot $600,000, Drohan steadily climbed the organizational ladder upon entering the professional ranks. His stock rose significantly to start the 2023 season, as he received a promotion from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester in early May and was selected to the All-Star Futures Game in July. The lefty, however, struggled in his first stint with the WooSox and, as a first-time Rule 5-eligible prospect, was surprisingly left off the Red Sox’ 40-man roster that November.
That decision allowed the White Sox to pluck Drohan with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft. Drohan, unfortunately, required nerve decompression surgery to resolve a longstanding shoulder issue in February 2024. He began the year on the 60-day injured list as a result and was returned to the Red Sox after rehabbing and being designated for assignment that June. He spent the following two months working out in Fort Myers and made two August appearances for Worcester before a bout with left shoulder inflammation ended his season prematurely.
Drohan opened the 2025 campaign in Worcester and put himself back on the map by impressing out of the gate, but his progress stalled yet again when he landed on the injured list with left forearm inflammation in mid-May. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list and spent much of August rehabbing with High-A Greenville before returning to the WooSox in early September for four more starts.
Overall, Drohan forged a 3.00 ERA (3.11 FIP) with 77 strikeouts to 21 walks in 15 outings (14 starts) spanning 54 total innings between Greenville and Worcester last season. That includes a 2.27 ERA (2.85 FIP) with 67 strikeouts to 16 walks in 47 2/3 innings for the WooSox. Opposing hitters in the International League batted just .185 against the 6-foot-3, 195-pound southpaw, who flashed a 92-94 mph fastball that reached 96 mph as well as a cutter, slider, curveball, and changeup.
Alongside right-handers David Sandlin and Tyler Uberstine, Drohan was added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster for Rule 5 protection purposes in November. He was among those on hand in Fort Myers on the eve of the official start of spring training and was informed that he had been traded while taking his physical Monday morning.
As was the case with Sandlin, who was dealt to the White Sox with Jordan Hicks in a salary dump earlier this month, Drohan did not have a clear path to the majors and seemingly became expendable in the eyes of the Red Sox. Even with concerns surrounding his durability, the Brewers — on the other hand — appear ready to give Drohan a legitimate shot.
“He’s kind of flown under the radar, probably a little bit more than Harrison, but this guy dominated in Triple-A last year,” Brewers president of baseball operations and general manager Matt Arnold said of Drohan when speaking with reporters (including MLB.com’s David Adler). “He was very good. He strikes out a lot of guys and has really good stuff, and our scouts really, really like this guy. He was a very big part of this for us as well.”
(Picture of Shane Drohan: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
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