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By Jimmy, 9/3/2010 9:16 am

As the major league team continues to twitch and convulse like a car-struck deer begging to be put out of its misery, it is becoming increasingly clear that our focus should turn to the future.

Now that the rosters have expanded and the minor league season is winding down, this is as good a time as any to rank our prospects.

My definition of prospect is the generally accepted rookie definition: fewer than 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues.  Under this criteria, most of the younger guys promoted throughout the year (Kalish, Doubront, Reddick, Bowden) still qualify at this point.  Daniel Nava is only 13 at-bats away from reaching non-rookie status, and he’ll probably hit that milestone next week, so I’ll leave him off the list.

Ryan Kalish came into 2010 as a bit of an afterthought after names like Casey Kelly, Lars Anderson, and Josh Reddick, but now he has a foothold in the crowded 2011 outfield picture after hitting .294/.382/.502 between AA and AAA and holding his own in a considerable MLB stint.  His presence may even allow the Sox to consider trade possibilities that would have been unheard of prior to this year.

I’m probably higher on Jose Iglesias than others, but there’s just something I find appealing about the prospect of stellar shortstop defense coupled with decent contact hitting.  Of course, the lack of power and plate discipline is a concern, and while the former will likely never fully develop, the latter could certainly be improved upon with another year of seasoning in the minors.  All in all, 2010 was a decent showing for a guy getting his first taste of professional baseball in America, and it appears as though he’s on track to take over for Marco Scutaro in 2012.

It’s really difficult to compare Anthony Rizzo and Lars Anderson at this point.  Both seem to have All-Star first baseman potential, but Rizzo has been rising quickly, while Anderson’s stock has been stagnant after he was a tad over-hyped in his first pro season.  Both players are young for their current levels, and both will likely repeat in AA and AAA next season, respectively.  While neither player’s overall numbers are eye-popping, it should be noted that Anderson hit .286./376./486 on the road in AAA, while RIzzo has his .268/.356/.497 after the All-Star break.

Casey Kelly came into the year as the consensus top pitching prospect in the organization, but he has been overmatching a bit in Portland this season after being aggressively promoted (like Anderson and Rizzo).  Right now, his fastball sits at around 91-92 MPH, so he’ll need to add some velocity if he is to reach his full potential.  Still, Kelly has shown excellent command of multiple pitches, and was one of the youngest starting pitchers in his league this season.  He has lots of time to develop.

With Iglesias receiving a lot of hype after his impressive debut, Yamaico Navarro is probably the most underrated prospect in the organization.  It appears that a lot of folks are fogetting that Iglesias isn’t the only decent SS prospect in the system.  Navarro, still only 22-years-old, has been very impressive since being promoted to Pawtucket, and even flashed competence during a brief trial in Boston.

Anthony Ranaudo is a 2010 bonus baby with a very high potential, albeit at a high risk.  He was the best pitcher in college baseball before suffering an elbow injury, and has yet to return to form.  Theo Epstein, as he is prone to do, shelled out top dollar for the high-upside arm in hopes that his potential will one day be realized.

Perhaps no other prospect saw his stock fall further (not including injured guys like Ryan Westmoreland and Junichi Tazawa) than Josh Reddick.  However, Reddick has been hitting very well lately, raking at a .363/.385/.643 clip since the All-Star break.  He still has the potential to be a decent starting outfielder at the Major League level, and his recent play has been very encouraging.

My favorite catcher in the system is the big-hitting Yalie, Ryan Lavarnway.  A lot of folks discount him due to his defensive shortcomings, but honestly, I cannot remember the last time the Red Sox employed the services of a strong throwing defensive catcher on a regular basis (as a starter).  The most recent guy I can think of would be Tony Pena, and I’d rather not see a return to those days.  It’s time to accept that a team can win with an all-bat/no-arm catcher.

The left-handed Felix Doubront (along with his RHP counterpart, Michael Bowden) has found a role on the major league staff by lending his arm to a decimated bullpen, and he has performed somewhat impressively there.  However, I think he still may have a career in the back-end of a major league rotation in his future, barring injury.  His potential is similar to the injured Junichi Tazawa.

All in all, it seems like a fairly deep minor league system, with a lot of new talent added via a strong draft and the Manny Delcarmen trade.  We’ll keep an eye on things as the Arizona Fall League and the winter leagues kick into gear.

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By Jimmy, 8/31/2010 4:07 pm

Amalie Benjamin reports that the Sox just went and traded the only member of the team who was actually raised in Boston, and thus ends one of the more frustrating tenures of a Red Sox reliever in recent memory.

In return for Manny Delcarmen and an undisclosed amount of cash, the Red Sox receive a 21-year-old A-ball pitcher by the name of Chris Balcom-Miller.

Just from eyeballing Balcom-Miller’s peripheral statistics this season (and not knowing anything about him from a scouting standpoint) I would guess that he might crack the bottom of the organization’s top 20 list.  His K/BB ratio certainly deserves some attention.

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By Jimmy, 6/16/2010 9:22 am

According to multiple sources, left-handed pitching prospect Felix Doubront (currently the #2 pitching prospect in the organization per soxprospects.com) will most likely make his MLB debut on the mound on Friday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Doubront is a 22-year-old who has been in the Red Sox organization ever since he was signed out of Venezuela at age 16.  He’s had consistent success throughout most of his minor league career, combining excellent control with decent (though not overpowering) stuff.  Here is what he’s done over the past 3 seasons:

Perhaps most impressive has been his ability to induce ground balls and keep the ball in the park at Pawtucket this year.

Unfortunately for “Prince Felix”, this will be a one-and-done situation, as Daisuke Matsuzaka is only expected to miss one start.

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By Jimmy, 6/8/2010 6:50 am

After two straight years of selecting a high school/prep player with their first pick in the amateur draft, the Red Sox took a different approach in 2010, selecting polished college players with their first three picks.

Pick #1 (#20 overall): Kolbrin Vitek
Ball State University
Projected Position: 3B

Vitek, who played 2B in college, was rumored to be a possible top 10 pick before the San Diego Padres passed on him for someone else.

He’s an advanced, well-rounded player who hits well and runs well, and could conceivably be the Red Sox starting third baseman in two years.  Reports indicate that the Sox have a verbal agreement in place with Vitek, who is anxious to start playing the in the minors.

Pick #2 (#36 overall):
Bryce Brentz
Middle Tennessee State
Projected Position: RF

With Brentz, the Sox are taking a chance on someone whose stock dropped a bit due to concerns over a fractured ankle.  Two years ago, Brentz hit an other-worldly .465/.535/.930 before his injury, and managed to hit “only” .348/.440/.636 in 2009.

Brentz could bloom into a decent power hitter at the MLB level, but from what I’ve read, he’s certainly less of a sure thing than someone like Vitek.  All indications are that Brentz will also sign quickly and begin his career in the low minor leagues relatively soon.

Pick #3 (#39 overall)
Anthony Ranaudo
LSU
Projected Position: SP

The main difference between Ranaudo and those two picks above is manifested in a loathsome balding fellow wearing an expensive suit (Scott Boras).  Ranaudo is begin advised by Boras, who will likely try to push the negotiation process out until the mid August deadline, in order to squeeze as much out of the deal as possible.

With all that being said, the Sox aren’t really prone to be scared off from Boras’ demands if they feel that the player is worth the trouble, so I don’t think there’s too much to worry about in that regard.

Ranaudo is another pick who fell in the draft due to injury concerns, in addition to his signability issues.  He’s had elbow problems, but is one of the best college power pitchers available in the draft, and could be a huge steal at #39.

Keep checking in as I’ll continue to monitor the remaining rounds, and report on some notable players drafted by the Sox.

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By Jimmy, 6/6/2010 1:31 pm

Isn’t it nice to live in an era where the term “draft” is typically associated with sports, video games, and beer?

Taking a page out of the NFL’s playbook, the first round of the MLB draft will be held in prime time on Monday night, and the entire event will be spread out over the course of three days.

While there isn’t much of a chance of Bryce Harper falling to #20 due to his “makeup issues”, we’ll be here to analyze each notable selection from the Sox.  Be sure to check here during the draft, as I’ll hopefully be posting in real time as the event goes down.

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By Jimmy, 5/12/2010 9:52 am

I’m going to try out a new regular feature here; a periodic (weekly?) report listing the top 5 minor league prospects in the organization, along with players who have seen their stock rise or fall recently.

Dewey’s House Top 5:

Anderson reclaims the top spot after a tough 2009 resulted in him being knocked down a few pegs on most lists.  He edges out Kelly here based on his ceiling; I think Anderson has better chance of becoming an “elite” MLB player than Kelly.  Both Kelly and Iglesias are drawing attention to themselves by excelling in a tough league at a very young age.  Kalish might be the best all-around player on this list.

The one guy here who has been trending downward is Pawtucket outfielder Josh Reddick.  Reddick stays on the top 5 primarily due to his track record (he played well in AAA last year), but his extremely slow start has been troubling.

I’ll begin the whole “rising/falling” feature next week.

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By Jimmy, 4/8/2010 10:49 am

Today is opening day for many of the full-season minor league affiliates throughout baseball.  Let’s take a quick look at each of the 4 full-season minor league teams in the Red Sox organization, highlighting some individual players to keep an eye on.

Names highlighted in red: these are players who I believe could have a career as a role-player in the major leagues, but probably will not become a long-term regular or a star.
Names highlighted in blue: these are players who I believe could have a career as a MLB regular, and in some cases, a MLB star.

Thanks to soxprospects.com for keeping on top of this stuff.

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By Jimmy, 4/6/2010 11:11 am

We've brought in a consultant to help us with the 2010 predictions.

Watching the least-likable college basketball program in the country win a national championship was rather tortuous, so if my 2010 MLB predictions turn out to be laughably wrong (like, for instance, last season), I’ll blame my lapse in judgment on post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by staring at Mike Krzyzewski’s smarmy face for too long.

Coach K is apparently going to turn down a $12-15 million per year salary offer from the NJ Nets, so he can stay at Duke and continue to breed his genetically engineered army of pseudo-Mormons.  Look, Durham is a nice place and New Jersey is an open sewer, but we’re talking about an 8 figure salary.  He could live in Ocean City and fly a helicopter to work every day,  if he wanted to.  Why can’t this guy just succumb to the natural greed inherent in all Americans?  It’s OK to display human flaws.  Take the money, you lipless ferret.

On to America’s pastime.

Projected 2010 Finishes:

AL Wildcard: Boston Red Sox

I know, I know.  Yankees winning the AL East and Red Sox winning the wild card, I’m not really breaking away from the herd on this one.  I’d have to guess that most people are banking on the same thing.  Do you know why that is?  It’s because the prediction makes sense.  On paper, these are clearly the two best teams in the American League.  They are too far ahead of any team in the Central or the West.  The only thing other teams can hope for is a cannibalization effect (Sox, Yanks, and Rays beating up on each other to the point that their win-loss records slip behind other wildcard contenders).

Look for the Royals to make gains, and the Tigers to disappoint.

NL Wildcard winner: Cincinnati Reds

My reach pick in the NL is the Reds, who I believe have enough starting pitching and offense to make noise in 2010.  Breakout performances from guys like Jay Bruce, Joey Votto, Johnny Cueto, and Homer Bailey could make baseball’s oldest franchise the story of the summer.

ALCS: Rangers over Yankees (5 games)
NLCS: Dodgers over Cardinals (7 games)

World Series: I predict that the Texas Rangers will win the first World Series championship in the history of their franchise, beating the Dodgers in a hotly contested 7 game series.

AL Cy Young Award: Felix Hernandez (SEA – SP)
AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez (NYY – 3B)
AL Rookie of the Year: Neftali Feliz (TEX – SP)

NL Cy Young Award: Tim Lincecum (SF – SP)
NL MVP: Albert Pujols (STL – 1B)
NL Rookie of the Year: Jason Heyward (ATL – OF)

My NL award predictions seem bland, but Occam’s Razor applies here.  Lincecum and Pujols are too far ahead of anyone else.  I feel a little slimy after picking Heyward, since the hype machine is in full force after his debut yesterday (an actual Peter Gammons tweet from this morning: “Every day Jason Heyward looks in the mirror and asks, ‘am I the person I want to be?’ great talent, greater family”…OY VEY, GAMMO), but there aren’t many other candidates for RoY in the NL.  I suppose Pittsburgh’s Pedro Alvarez could give him a run for his money.

Other predictions:

• Comeback players of the year:  Carlos Quentin (CHI, OF), Anibal Sanchez (FLA, SP)
• Managers of the year: Ron Washington (TEX), Dusty Baker (CIN)
• First managers fired: Bob Geren (OAK), Bud Black (SD)

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By Jimmy, 3/16/2010 9:53 am

A New First Baseman – Mike Lowell, having recently returned from an injury, was playing a position he has not one played in a MLB regular season game: 1B.  From what I could tell, there didn’t seem to be very much awkwardness for him at the position.

Big Day for DH – After going 1-21 in the first two weeks of spring training, David Ortiz had an impressive 2 for 2 game, including a bomb over the right field fence on a 3-1 pitch.  Ortiz is confident he’ll see an improvement over 2009.

WTF is That? – If you’ve never heard of a “cavernous malformation of the brain” before, chances are you expected the worst after reading that Red Sox top prospect Ryan Westmoreland was diagnosed with one.  Here’s a nice thorough write-up on the condition, including the risks and probable recovery period, from Ryan’s hometown paper.  The surgery will happen today in Phoenix.

No Gyroballs Yet – Daisuke Matsuzaka’s bullpen session was once again pushed back to today (tentatively).  It’s becoming increasingly more likely that you will see Tim Wakefield in the rotation to begin the year.

Travel Tip - If you’re in southwest Florida, do be sure to avoid any “Italian restaurants” they may have down there.  Especially if they plan on closing in 45 minutes.  One in particular basically incapacitated me for 24 hours.  Be smart…stick to grouper.

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By Jimmy, 2/1/2010 9:52 am

Top prospect Ryan Westmoreland has been in the news quite a bit recently, as fans and scouts alike have taken quite a shine to the local guy. However, the inevitable has finally happened: Westmoreland has been compared to Darin Erstad. Yes, Darin Erstad, the Sultan of Scrappiness. The General of Grit. The Duke of Dedication. I think this is a comparison that might stick to Ryan as he rises through the minor league ranks, for better or for worse.

I’m mostly being a ball-buster here, as there are some similarities between the two players, and it’s only natural that Gary DiSarcina (the guy who made the comparison) would liken Westmoreland to one of his old teammates. Both players are roughly the same size, and if you look at Erstad’s minor league numbers, they aren’t too different from what you might expect from Westmoreland. I just got a chuckle out of the fact that the kid was compared to a player who is most known for garnering the “gritty/scrappy” tag, something we elitist bloggers like to poke fun at every once in a while.

Anyway, I’ll just paste the key excerpts from the above Projo article here:

“makeup”
“play the game the right way”
“like a freight train”
“hard-nosed attitude”

Hey, it could be worse.  He could have been compared to Mark Kotsay.  (If that actually happens, I’ll probably quit following baseball and start a meth lab or hike the Appalachian Trail or something.  If your #1 prospect is the next Mark Kotsay…what’s the point? Of anything?)

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By Jimmy, 12/16/2009 7:52 am

Free agent Aroldis Champan, a 21-year-old left-hander from Cuba, showcased his arm in a workout for representatives from 15 teams yesterday.  Among the representatives was Boston’s Craig Shipley, as the Red Sox have been interested in Chapman for months.

Technically, Boston already offered Chapman a major league contract worth around $15 million dollars, but that was before he switched agents.  In accordance with the insane brand of logic used by bloodthirsty lawyers, it’s as if the offer never happened.  The Sox now start their negotiations from scratch, and will be competing with a bunch of other franchises, including the Yankees.

In the workout, Chapman’s fastball ranged from 92-97 MPH, with some secondary pitches mixed in.  This is pretty impressive, considering it was done on a random day in December.  The velocity will likely increase during actual season, once Chapman has been throwing regularly in competition.  In the past (most notably, the World Baseball Classic), Chapman has been clocked in triple digits.  He’s very raw and will need some minor league seasoning, but will instantly become one of the top prospects in baseball as soon as he chooses a team.

Odd and Ends:

• Nothing new on the pending Lowell / Ramirez trade.  FOX’s Ken Rosenthal says the odds of the deal happening are greater than the odds of it falling through.
• Big Halladay trade yesterday, of course.  The spurned Yankees are claiming that the Blue Jays imposed a Yankee Tax on them during trade talks.  The persecution continues!  Cue the violin music!
• This new-look Red Sox team will not be cheap, and the luxury tax is a real possibility.  Actually, it could be the most expensive non-NY team in baseball history (they would likely still fall about $50 million short of the top MLB payroll, however).
• Two press conferences today, one for each new guy.  It would be great if Lackey threw a tantrum and trashed the media room for no reason whatsoever.

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By Jimmy, 12/15/2009 10:00 am

When taking a closer look at Mike Cameron’s profile as a player, it appears that there may be several reasons why the Red Sox front office decided to acquire this 37-year-old outfielder instead of shelling out top dollar to retain Jason Bay.

First, let’s look at the basics.  Cameron is known primarily for his glove, as he has been one of the best defensive center fielders in baseball over the past 10 years.  Although he is old, he is a tremendous athlete who has yet to experience much of a regression in his performance.  Offensively and defensively, he is a typical stat-head favorite.  His fairly low batting average and high strikeout totals might become a talking point for the uninformed barstool/WEEI types who dwell on such things, but Cameron has always produced where it counts: creating runs and preventing runs.

Now, let’s dig a little deeper.

Performance against left-handed pitching:
Last season, Cameron hit .271/.420/.534 in 150 plate appearances against lefties (147 OPS+).  With Jeremy Hermida’s 103 OPS+ in 370 plate appearances against right-handed pitching, this platoon (should the Sox decide to go that route) would give you a weighted average OPS+ of 116, a performance similar to Bobby Abreu and Nelson Cruz last season.

Targeting the Green Monster:
Cameron hits a lot of long fly balls to left field, and should benefit greatly from the shallow wall.  Here is a chart of the home runs he hit in 2009:

If you click on this link, you can see a chart of all of Cameron’s fly ball outs in Milwaukee’s Miller Park last season.  There are roughly a dozen outs that would have been doubles or home runs in Fenway.

As of right now, I think this is Boston’s best move of the offseason, in terms of value relative to dollars spent.  Cameron’s deal is for roughly $7.25 million per year over two years.  Two years seems like an appropriate amount of time to determine whether someone from the OF prospect group (Ryan Kalish, Josh Reddick, Ryan Westmoreland, etc.) will take that big step forward, or if the Sox need to outsource their corner outfield duties once again.

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By Jimmy, 12/7/2009 6:27 pm

Top Red Sox prospect Casey Kelly, a versatile player who has been both pitching and playing shortstop since his selection in the 1st round of the 2008 draft, has come to an agreement with the organization on his full-time role.

Are you ready? [drum roll................]

Casey is now exclusively a pitcher.

This is good news, albeit not very surprising.  As a pitcher, Kelly was one of the most promising arms in Low A ball last season.  As a hitter, the man couldn’t make solid contact with Kim Kardashian’s butt if he was swinging at it with an oversized red whiffleball bat.

Kelly as a pitcher: 95 innings, 65 hits, 74 Ks, 16 BBs, 2.08 ERA
Kelly as a hitter: 323 plate appearances, .219/.282/.336

Good choice, son.

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By Jimmy, 11/17/2009 1:14 pm

This may be a difficult notion to consider after witnessing a team who hastily signed three Type A free agents win the World Series, but given the superiority of the 2011 free agent class over this one, it may be wise for the Red Sox to exercise some fiscal responsibility in the coming winter months.

I’ll identify a couple of names that may be tantalizing, but aren’t worth the money they are seeking.

1) Marco Scutaro – SS

Yes, the Red Sox have a gaping, bleeding wound between second base and third base.  This wound is best treated with cheap gauze, not fool’s gold.

Scutaro had a pretty good season in 2009 while playing shortstop for the Blue Jays.  The problem is, Marco has a long track record of sub-par play before his one good year, and he turned 34 last month.  Scutaro is likely seeking a 3 year deal, which means the Sox would be paying him until his 37th birthday.  Not to mention, he’s a Type A free agent, so the Sox would lose their first round draft pick to division rival Toronto.

Well, you tell me. Which of the seasons below seems like an outlier?

Also, here’s some trivia.  Can you name the full-time 35-year-old shortstops in the majors last year?  There were 2.  Hint: one plays on the Yankees, and he should have been moved to left field 3 years ago. The other plays for the Astros, and has supplemented his durability with lots and lots of…er… “Vitamin b-12 shots”…cough cough.  Both are likely Hall of Famers.  Do we think Scutaro the type of player who will be joining this prestigious group?

Hey, I’ll propose another free agent idea for shortstop.

This guy has career averages of .277/.340/.402, similar to Scutaro’s. His career OPS+ is 92, exactly the same as Scutaro’s.  His UZR is about even, similar to Scutaro’s.  This guy even manages to steal bases, and is 3 years younger than Scutaro.  Sounds good right?  Sign him to a long-term deal, right?

Who is that player?  His name is Julio Lugo, circa December 2006.  No need to make the same mistake twice.

Throw a 1 year deal at Alex Gonzalez (the devil we know), and see what Jose Iglesias and Yamaico Navarro do in the minor leagues.  Iglesias is currently hitting .277/.329/.431 in the Arizona Fall League, and Navarro will be repeating AA Portland this season, and could be looking at a mid-season promotion to AAA if he storms out of the gate early.

To be continued…

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By Jimmy, 10/2/2009 1:38 pm

2009 American League Best Rookie:
Elvis Andrus, SS, Texas
Silver: Brett Anderson, P, Oakland
Bronze: Jeff Niemann, P, Tampa Bay

Andrus was one of the big surprises of 2009.  Most sensible people questioned the decision to jump him from Double-A to the majors at age 20, but the move seemed to work out, and nearly helped Texas grab a playoff spot.  He wins this award based mostly on the 8.5 UZR/150 he managed while starting at shortstop for the Rangers for the majority of the season.  He’s also an excellent base runner, and while he may never develop into the type of guy you want hitting at the top of a lineup, he’s proven that he can at least hang with the big boys at the plate.

Anderson and Niemann are among a very solid rookie class of pitchers in the American League,  a group that includes Rick “Ultimate Douchebag” Porcello, Trevor Cahill, Ricky Romero, and Boston’s own Daniel Bard.  I’m ranking Anderson above the rest due to his impressive peripherals (8 K/9, 2 BB/9, 50% GB rate).

2009 National League Best Rookie:
J.A. Happ, P, Philadelphia
Silver: Randy Wells, P, Chicago
Bronze: Chris Coghlan, LF, Florida

I’ll come out and say it here: I think Happ has enjoyed a bit of a fluke season.  He’s not a ground ball pitcher, and his 87 MPH fastball isn’t much more lively than Nick Green’s.  His minor league track record is decent, but nothing that would indicate he would have the fifth highest ERA+ in the league during his first full season.  Regardless of how he did it, the guy prevented the other team from scoring runs on a regular basis, and as a result, the Phillies have won their third straight NL East championship.

Randy Wells is the right-handed counterpart to Happ.  A 26-year-old rookie with a sub 90 MPH fastball who managed to surprise everyone in his first full MLB campaign.  The one main difference between the two (aside from the whole left-right thing) is that Wells is a ground ball pitcher, whereas Happ is not.  I’m going to predict that neither of the two pitchers above will win more than 100 games over the course of their respective careers.

Coghlan had a very good year at the plate, but that .318/.387/.454 line is a little less impressive when it comes from a left fielder as opposed to a second baseman.  Still he’s giving the Marlins fans (both of them) a reason to keep hope alive for next season.

NEXT: Previewing Sox vs. Halos

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By Jimmy, 9/22/2009 1:10 pm

Now that the minor league season has come to an end, it’s time to take a look at where the top prospects of the Boston Red Sox stand.

The Sox engaged in a handful of mid-season trades this year, and amazingly only managed to part with one upper-echelon prospect: pitcher Nick Hagadone.  Hagadone, while impressive, is a guy who will be 24-years-old in January and has yet to pitch above A ball.  His loss is acceptable considering the addition Victor Martinez brings to the team.  The other key names in the farm system are, for now, still Red Sox property.

1. Josh Reddick (OF, 22)
Reddick rises to the top of the list of the strength of his power potential, something we’ve seen on display at times during his 2009 stint with the big team.  As skinny as he is, he’s able to drive the ball fairly well, and is probably a 25 HR guy in the majors right now.   If the 22-year-old adds some muscle to his 6′2″, 185 pound frame, he could become a legitimate middle-of-the-order power threat.  He’s probably 1 year away from becoming starting RF material.  If the Sox decide to move J.D. Drew before his 2011 contract year, Reddick is a logical replacement.

2. Ryan Kalish (OF, 21)
Probably the closest thing to a “5 tool player” in the upper levels of this farm system.  Kalish does everything well enough (hitting, fielding, running) but nothing really extraordinarily.  His .271/.341/.440 line is extremely impressive for the Eastern League considering his age.  Power hitting and plate discipline are two areas where he could improve.  He has plenty of time to do just that.

3. Lars Anderson (1B, 21)
Easily the biggest disappointment in the farm system this season.  I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt and keep him relatively high.  He’s still very young, and has all the physical attributes of a premier hitter (and his track record prior to this year indicate that the scouts aren’t just blowing smoke).  He turns 22 on Friday, and will likely repeat the Eastern League in 2010.

4. Casey Kelly (SS/P, 19)
To a non-scout who hasn’t seen him play the field, it’s easy to glance at the 2009 results and dismiss his potential as a SS/3B in light of his huge successes on the pitcher’s mound.  I did see him throw an inning in the Futures Game, and he looked extremely polished for a guy his age.  Kelly is at or near the top of most lists right now, but I can’t help but assume that his infield pursuits are hindering his development as a pitcher.

5. Luis Exposito (C, 22)
Suddenly, catchers who can hit are all the rage in Beantown.  Expo is not the greatest at throwing out runners (26.7% in 2009), but can you honestly remember the last time the Red Sox had a starting catcher with a good arm?  I think it was Tony Pena, and I’m not exactly pining for a return to those days.  As long as the guy isn’t a complete Mackey Sasser level dolt behind the plate, I’ll take a pure hitter over a banjo-hitting “gritty leader who handles pitchers well and is good in the clubhouse” any day.

6. Ryan Westmoreland (OF, 19)
Probably the fastest rising player in the organization.  His terrific season ended on a sour note when he crashed into an outfield wall a la Michael Madson in The Natural.  I’d love to put the RI native higher on this list, but his stellar performance needs to be taken in context; a lot of also-rans have put up gaudy numbers in Lowell over the years.  Still, Ryan is a 5-tool player, and maybe the one guy on this entire list who has the potential to become a true superstar.

7. Yamaico Navarro (SS, 21)
Another guy who the Sox promoted aggressively to Portland before his 22nd birthday, only to see him struggle.  I’m not going to discount what he did in Salem after returning from injury.  Navarro is still the best SS prospect in the organization.

8. Michael Bowden (SP, 22)
Bowden quietly had an excellent year in AAA Pawtucket.  In his professional career, Bowden has never really had a disappointing season.  He may not light up the radar gun, but he could have a long career as a serviceable starter in the major leagues.

9. Che-Hsuan Lin (OF, 21)
A personal favorite of mine who started the year out very slowly before finishing up strong.  Lin is reportedly amazing in center field, with great speed, range, and a cannon for an arm.  Offensively, he’s very patient at the plate, and makes the opposition pay with the occasional SB.  He’s still young enough to add some pop.

10. Junichi Tazawa (SP, 23)
His fastball seemed a bit too meaty for my tastes.  However, that 12-6 curve he flashed was impressive, and apparently he’s working on a forkball similar to the one employed by teammate Hideki Okajima.  He might eventually become a decent back-end starter.  I’d peg his potential as similar to Bowden’s.  He’s never going to be a guy that you’re afraid to face in a short playoff series.

Next: Our 2009 Awards (League MVP, etc.)

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By Jimmy, 7/13/2009 4:23 pm

Join me, friends, as we travel back in time to the distant past.

The month was June 2009.    The nation was mired in a financial crisis, but bound together by our collective love of talking cats on YouTube.  Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Billy Mays, and Ed McMahon were all breathing the same air as you and me.  The immortal song “LoveGame” by Lady Gaga was at the top of the charts.  Yes, those were crazy, tumultuous times.  I lived it…I was there, man.  And on top of all of this hoopla, we had the 2009 MLB amateur draft.

How have the Red Sox draftees fared since?  Let’s take a look:
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By Jimmy, 7/6/2009 4:23 pm

The Red Sox are being forced to dig deep into their 1B depth chart, much deeper than they anticipated this season.  With injuries to Mike Lowell, Mark Kotsay, and Jeff Bailey, 25-year-old Pawtucket first baseman Aaron Bates has been summoned to make his MLB debut tonight.

In a nutshell: he’s a big, slow-footed first baseman.  A RHH with good plate discipline.  Some power, but nothing great by 1B standards.   Will be able to pull a fly ball or two over the monster.  High K rates.  He might be overmatched by strong right-handed pitching.

Here are his career minor league numbers:

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By Jimmy, 7/2/2009 9:26 am

The Red Sox have signed their first round pick, center fielder Reymond Fuentes, with a bonus of a little over $1 million dollars.  Keep an eye on those Gulf Coast League box scores for his professional debut this weekend.

Former Red Sox infielder Alex Cora describes Fuentes as “Jacoby’s clone”.  Since those are Cora’s words, and Cora is basically the Yoda of baseball, there is now a 100% chance of that comparison being accurate.

Check out our draft day report on Fuentes here.

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By Jeff, 6/11/2009 2:19 pm

Day 3.

Round 31 Pick 948 - Shaughn Webb lhp Palm Beach CC FL
Round 32 Pick 978 - Michael Clark lhp American Heritage HS FL
Round 33 Pick 1008 - Blaze Tart rhp Pendleton School HS NC
Round 34 Pick 1038 - James Patterson lhp Central Arizona College AZ
Round 35 Pick 1068 - Matthew Milroy rhp Marmion Acadamy HS IL
Round 36 Pick 1098 - Michael Yastrzemski rf St John’s MA
Round 37 Pick 1128 - Matthew Koch rhp Washington HS IA
Round 38 Pick 1158 - Ezekiel Devoss cf Astronaut HS FL
Round 39 Pick 1188 - Gavin McCourt of Harvard-Westlake HS CA
Round 40 Pick 1218 - James Dykstra rhp Rancho Bernardo HS CA
Round 41 Pick 1248 - Kyle Rutter rhp North Carolina St NC
Round 42 Pick 1278 - Gera Sanchez rhp New Mexico JC MN
Round 43 Pick 1308 - Luke Maile c Covington Catholic HS KY
Round 44 Pick 1338 - Derrick Thomas rf Roswell HS GA
Round 45 Pick 1368 - Kyle Arnsberg c Arlington Lamar HS TX
Round 46 Pick 1398 - John Pivach rhp U of New Orleans LA
Round 47 Pick 1428 - Jordan Sallis 2b Arkansas- Ft Worth AR
Round 48 Pick 1458 - Brian Heere rf Kansas KS
Round 49 Pick 1488 - Chris Constantino 3b Bishop Hendricken HS RI
Round 50 Pick 1518 - Andrew Hedman 1b Ponoma-Pitzer College CA