2023 Prospects

[mvp 78]

@BenBadler

Boston Red Sox sign RHP Wuilliams Rodríguez from Venezuela

[mvp 78]

A listing of projected signings:

 

https://www.soxprospects.com/international.htm

[moonslav59]

@BenBadler

Boston Red Sox sign RHP Wuilliams Rodríguez from Venezuela

 

Is he better than the top 2-3 we had signed before him?

[mvp 78]

Is he better than the top 2-3 we had signed before him?

 

Ask harmony. Ben Badler's tweet may be a misspelling or he may share the same name as the prospect in the Mariners system.

 

https://www.milb.com/player/wuilliams-rodriguez-805777

[Hugh2]

Is he better than the top 2-3 we had signed before him?

 

A lot of these kids agree to terms with teams when they're 13-14 before they officially sign and are taking off of showcases. The scouting is messy, it's not the like the MLB draft. The fluidity between the #1 ranked guy and the #30th ranked guy in the IFA class is ten times messier than in the mlb player draft.

[moonslav59]

A lot of these kids agree to terms with teams when they're 13-14 before they officially sign and are taking off of showcases. The scouting is messy, it's not the like the MLB draft. The fluidity between the #1 ranked guy and the #30th ranked guy in the IFA class is ten times messier than in the mlb player draft.

 

I get that, but I do feel better knowing we got more well-regarded IFSs than most other teams.

 

We've done pretty well, recently, after dipping a little bit and suffering through the penalties we incurred under Ben's regime.

 

2004: Doubront

2005: Y Navarro

2006: Dice-K, Okajima

2007: Roman Mendez

2008: Tazawa, W Cuevas

2009: Bogaerts, Montas, Iggy

2010: J Aro

2011: Margot, T-W Lin

2012: Basabe, J Guerra, G Bautista

2013: Devers, DHern

2014: Moncada, Espinoza, R Castillo, Ed Bazardo

2015: B Mata

2016: H Velazquez (Penalty Phase)

2017: Bello, Rafaela, E Quiroz, G Jimenez

2018: Wikelman, Paulino, Bonaci, J Encarnacion, A Bastardo, M Mejicano

2019: L Perales, J Salazar, J Garcia, J Chacon

2021: Bleis, J Paez, L Ravelo, Sawamura, E Polanco, A Mejias

2022: F De Leon, F Encarnacion, J Garcia

 

 

[mvp 78]

Eddie Romero has definitely done a good job.

[mvp 78]

@BeyondtheMnstr

The Red Sox have FIVE of the 2023 Top 100 Prospects according to Baseball America.

 

Marcel Mayer No. 10

Triston Casas No. 29

Ceddanne Rafaela No. 71

Masataka Yoshida No. 87

Miguel Bleis No. 88

 

Last year:

Mayer 15

Casas 19

Yorke 31

Duran 91

[Bellhorn04]

@BeyondtheMnstr

The Red Sox have FIVE of the 2023 Top 100 Prospects according to Baseball America.

 

Marcel Mayer No. 10

Triston Casas No. 29

Ceddanne Rafaela No. 71

Masataka Yoshida No. 87

Miguel Bleis No. 88

 

Last year:

Mayer 15

Casas 19

Yorke 31

Duran 91

 

Classing Yoshida as a prospect is questionable, I guess.

[moonslav59]

Classing Yoshida as a prospect is questionable, I guess.

 

They listed Dice-K as a prospects, way back when, too.

[Bellhorn04]

They listed Dice-K as a prospects, way back when, too.

 

Doesn't seem right. Yoshida is 29 and costing us $105 mill.

[moonslav59]

Doesn't seem right. Yoshida is 29 and costing us $105 mill.

 

Rusney Castillo cost us over $70M and Moncada's fee and 100% tax cost us a ton, too, but they were both younger than Yoshida and Dice-K.

 

I get why they consider them "prospects," and they did not play MLB, so that's why they call them that.

[Bellhorn04]

Rusney Castillo cost us over $70M and Moncada's fee and 100% tax cost us a ton, too, but they were both younger than Yoshida and Dice-K.

 

I get why they consider them "prospects," and they did not play MLB, so that's why they call them that.

 

Yeah, not a big deal one way or the other.

[moonslav59]

Yeah, not a big deal one way or the other.

 

It just further reinforces the idea that Bloom is a great farm builder!

[notin]

Doesn't seem right. Yoshida is 29 and costing us $105 mill.

 

BA has a long history of considering Japanese free agents as prospects. They also put 31yo Kosuke Fukudome on their list at one point…

[Bellhorn04]

BA has a long history of considering Japanese free agents as prospects. They also put 31yo Kosuke Fukudome on their list at one point…

 

Did they do the same with Cuban signees like Jose Abreu?

[mvp 78]

Did they do the same with Cuban signees like Jose Abreu?

 

Yes, BA ranked Abreu 29th prior to the 2014 season. It's just a quirk of the system.

[notin]

Yes, BA ranked Abreu 29th prior to the 2014 season. It's just a quirk of the system.

 

And Moncada was #3 in 2016 and #2 in 2017…

[moonslav59]

And Moncada was #3 in 2016 and #2 in 2017…

 

The two situations were a little different, but yes, not just Japanese players are ranked as prospects.

 

Mocada was 18 when he left the Cuban league. Abreu played until age 25.

[mvp 78]

And Moncada was #3 in 2016 and #2 in 2017…

 

Probably due to their respective ages? Get dinged if you're on the older side?

[moonslav59]

Sox Prospects, recent grads and players under 28 and with 3+ years of team control by position:

 

Pitchers

19 Perales, Rodriguez-Cruz, Paez

20 Wikelman

22 L Guerrero

23 Bello, Mata, Uberstine

24 German, Winckowski, Murphy

26 Whitlock, Houck, Walter, Crawford

27 Kelly

 

C

18 Brannon

23 Hickey

25 RHern

26 Wong

27 McGuire

 

1B

20 Jordan

22 Casas

24 Kavadas

27 Dalbec

 

2B

18 Coffey

20 Yorke, Paulino (OF), Bonaci

24 EValdez

25 Hamilton

27 Arroyo

 

SS

16 L Arredondo

17 Y Cespedes, F Arias, Y Ruiz

19 Mayer

19 Romero

 

3B

21 Lugo

24 Koss

26 Devers

 

OF

18 Bleis, Anthony

22 Rafaela

23 WAbreu

25 Duran

26 Verdugo

[notin]

Probably due to their respective ages? Get dinged if you're on the older side?

 

Assuming so…

[mvp 78]

https://www.mlb.com/news/bryan-mata-could-be-nearing-mlb-debut-with-red-sox?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage

 

At Red Sox Winter Weekend a few days ago, Sale was asked which of the team’s prospects excited him the most.

 

“I'm biased, because I'm a pitcher, but I love watching Mata throw,” Sale said. “I was there with him [in Fort Myers, Fla.] during his rehab process during Tommy John. We rehabbed together, and I saw him really turn a corner. The power he possesses, the ease that it looks like he's throwing with. Not for nothing, man, that dude's smile can light up a room. He's a fun guy to be around. He's a good teammate. You can tell, just how he operates, he really wants it.”

 

Mata, in Boston this week for the Rookie Development Program the Red Sox are holding, lit up when Sale’s praise was relayed back to him.

 

“I'm really grateful for it to have spent that time with him,” said Mata. “You know, he attended some of my bullpens. I attended some of his. He had a lot of great advice, and to have a pitcher of his stature be there advising you is a big deal for me, and I don’t take it lightly.”

 

[moonslav59]

https://www.mlb.com/news/bryan-mata-could-be-nearing-mlb-debut-with-red-sox?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage

 

At Red Sox Winter Weekend a few days ago, Sale was asked which of the team’s prospects excited him the most.

 

“I'm biased, because I'm a pitcher, but I love watching Mata throw,” Sale said. “I was there with him [in Fort Myers, Fla.] during his rehab process during Tommy John. We rehabbed together, and I saw him really turn a corner. The power he possesses, the ease that it looks like he's throwing with. Not for nothing, man, that dude's smile can light up a room. He's a fun guy to be around. He's a good teammate. You can tell, just how he operates, he really wants it.”

 

Mata, in Boston this week for the Rookie Development Program the Red Sox are holding, lit up when Sale’s praise was relayed back to him.

 

“I'm really grateful for it to have spent that time with him,” said Mata. “You know, he attended some of my bullpens. I attended some of his. He had a lot of great advice, and to have a pitcher of his stature be there advising you is a big deal for me, and I don’t take it lightly.”

 

 

What are the chances Mata turns into something very useful?

 

I'm not expecting anything great in 2023, although something could happen, but he seems like he could a plus, very soon.

[mvp 78]

Late inning arm this year? I can see it.

[moonslav59]

Late inning arm this year? I can see it.

 

Do you see him staying a RP'er?

[mvp 78]

Do you see him staying a RP'er?

 

It's the best fit for him IMO.

[moonslav59]

It's the best fit for him IMO.

 

What is his biggest drawback from being a capable SP'er?

[mvp 78]

What is his biggest drawback from being a capable SP'er?

 

Health, he's a post-TJS guy. You can manage his innings better in the pen. His stuff can play up out there. His last fully healthy season was 2017.

[moonslav59]

soxprospects.com reports:

 

http://news.soxprospects.com/2023/01/fallwinter-league-roundup-players.html

 

 

Matthew Lugo was one of two players named the LBPRC Rookie of the Year, and recent signing Edwin Diaz was named the LBPRC MVP. Lugo hit .275/.360/.450 with six home runs in 120 at-bats, while Diaz hit .229/.375/.418 with eight home runs in 153 at-bats. Both players helped lead Caguas to a first-place regular season finish.

 

Jorge Alfaro, signed as a minor league free agent on January 16, led his team to a title. He only had 21 regular season at-bats for Licey but was ultimately named MVP of the LIDOM championship series. In the round-robin portion of the playoffs, he hit .383/.471/.633 with two home runs in 60 at-bats. He turned it up another notch in the championship series, hitting .417/.417/.667 with another home run.