2025 Prospects

[Larry Cook]

12 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Grissom would have fit in well with some of my 10U softball players at last night's practice. 🙃

He should be included in part of trade package so we do not lose him to free agency 

[Soxlover]

2 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

Nate plays better defense too! 

True, but be honest: Nate is a typical journeyman utility guy.

[Larry Cook]

14 minutes ago, Soxlover said:

True, but be honest: Nate is a typical journeyman utility guy.

No doubt about that. Simply a depth piece. 
but the Sox did recall him over Grissom 

[Larry Cook]

At Worcester: Jordan with a tater and Garcia went 1 for 3! 
at Portland: Romero and ehrhard with a hit each. 
 

[moonslav59]

On 7/8/2025 at 4:31 PM, Larry Cook said:

As starters??  1 maybe  
as relievers ???  2 or 3 maybe 

Starters: Tolle, Perales, Clarke and maybe Valera/Early

Pen: Early. Valera, Sandlin and maybe Paez, Monegro, Mullins

Maybe Delzine, Cason & Rivera move up.

[moonslav59]

SP's moved Tolle to #3.

Jh Garcia, my man, up to #6 from 14.

They got Tibbs at #7 and jumped Clarke from 18 to 8.

Sandlin & Romero slipped down a bit. Bleis, Soto, Gonzales all moved up, some.

Azocar from 51 to 20. Jordan from 32 to 19 and Nelly Taylor from 26 to 18. Other big jumps: Uberstine 54 to 21, Fajardo 40 to 22 & Ehrhard 47 to 28.

Big falls: 9 to 16 Cespedes, D Reyes 21 to 43, Nunez from 33 to 48 & Tygart from 31 to 49. Zanetello 37 to 53

6 pitchers in top 11. 16 in top 31.

Other than Tibbs at #7, here are the other newbies to top 50:

33. Holobetz & 42. Y Rod (Preister trade)

45. J Bello (Devers trade)

(NR) 35. McShane , 39 Travieso , 44 Jorge Rodriguez, 46 Anderson, 47 Encarnacion

[mvp 78]

16 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

He should be included in part of trade package so we do not lose him to free agency 

They won't lose him to free agency, he's just out of options after this season. They could just keep him on the MLB roster, but it doesn't make much sense at this point.

[mvp 78]

5 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 5 K

ERA is 1.93 for Tolle in AA

[Larry Cook]

14 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Starters: Tolle, Perales, Clarke and maybe Valera/Early

Pen: Early. Valera, Sandlin and maybe Paez, Monegro, Mullins

Maybe Delzine, Cason & Rivera move up.

Wow !!!  You are very optimistic 

I agree that Tolle or Valera could be major league starters, Valera has amazing stuff!!  I am still not convinced about Tolle!!!  (Maybe I am being too pessimistic??) 

I think Sandlin does better from the bullpen. It’s like if he has too much time to think about a start, he starts serving up meatballs!!! When you throw him in after he has been caught up watching the game, he tends to locate better!!!

I honestly do not know if Clarke’s command and control will improve, but the stuff is already major league level 

[moonslav59]

3 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

Wow !!!  You are very optimistic 

I agree that Tolle or Valera could be major league starters, Valera has amazing stuff!!  I am still not convinced about Tolle!!!  (Maybe I am being too pessimistic??) 

I think Sandlin does better from the bullpen. It’s like if he has too much time to think about a start, he starts serving up meatballs!!! When you throw him in after he has been caught up watching the game, he tends to locate better!!!

I honestly do not know if Clarke’s command and control will improve, but the stuff is already major league level 

If you don't view Perales, Clarke and Early as viable SP'ers in MLB for the future, I think you have to count all 3 as RP'ers.

 

2 Starters: Tolle & Valera

4-5 Pen: Perales, Clarke, Early, Sandlin and maybe Paez, Monegro, Mullins and farther away: maybe Delzine, Cason & Rivera move up.

I'm talking 1-5 years away. I have to think more than 3-4 pictehrs in our system will make an impact in the bigs. Hell, the widely panned DD farm gave us Bello, Houck, Crawford and some decent pen arms. (not all his guys but were in the farm when Bloom took over.)

I think you are being pessimistic. We've invested heavily in the farm through trades, higher drafting and signing bonuses and more IFA money to pitchers in the last 2 seasons, under Brez. Almost every trade involved us getting a pitching prospect, even the ones where we traded away pitching. 

[moonslav59]

Tolle's ERA is down to 1.93, now.

Song pitched two scoreless innings. (1.96 ERA in AA)

Clarke struggled through 2.2 IP, tonight.

Futrell went 4 IP, allowing 1 ER (2.49) but 5 hits and 2 BB.

Fajardo is through 3 allowing 1 hit, o ERs and 1BB.

[moonslav59]

KC with a 3 run job and Jh Garcia with 2 hits in the Woo loss. Grissom with 2 and Hickey 3. Mata and Stock got lit up.

[Larry Cook]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

Tolle's ERA is down to 1.93, now.

Song pitched two scoreless innings. (1.96 ERA in AA)

Clarke struggled through 2.2 IP, tonight.

Futrell went 4 IP, allowing 1 ER (2.49) but 5 hits and 2 BB.

Fajardo is through 3 allowing 1 hit, o ERs and 1BB.

I did not get to see Tolle pitch this afternoon!! 
 

But I did watch stock get lit up like a Christmas tree!!! Very ugly 

[Larry Cook]

At Worcester:  Criswell pitched 5 scoreless innings and picked off a runner on 1st. 
Jordan with 3 hits and 2 rbi. 
 

at Portland: Sandlin went 6 and a third with 6 hits, 3 earned runs 3 walks and 7 strike outs. He started out wobbly and settled in afterwards 

at Greenville: arias 1 for 4 and Feliz with a tater. 

[Dynasty Prospects Anon]

11 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

At Worcester:  Criswell pitched 5 scoreless innings and picked off a runner on 1st. 
Jordan with 3 hits and 2 rbi. 
 

at Portland: Sandlin went 6 and a third with 6 hits, 3 earned runs 3 walks and 7 strike outs. He started out wobbly and settled in afterwards 

at Greenville: arias 1 for 4 and Feliz with a tater. 

Sandlin might just profile as a reliever long term but I think if he can stay even a fringe starter you have to get him to the bigs as one. He could be very fun. 
 

Blaze Jordan is probably AAAA But I bet someone will take him in a package this trade deadline. I think he has a nonzero chance to be a useful major league piece of some sort for a mid level team 

[moonslav59]

28 minutes ago, Dynasty Prospects Anon said:

Sandlin might just profile as a reliever long term but I think if he can stay even a fringe starter you have to get him to the bigs as one. He could be very fun. 
 

Blaze Jordan is probably AAAA But I bet someone will take him in a package this trade deadline. I think he has a nonzero chance to be a useful major league piece of some sort for a mid level team 

I agree on all of this. I do worry about our lack of a sure bet 1Bman going into 2026. Jordan offers one more possibility/choice.

[Larry Cook]

Do you ever wonder why bres-slow did not include Hamilton in the crochet trade and keep meidroth??? 

[Soxlover]

2 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

Do you ever wonder why bres-slow did not include Hamilton in the crochet trade and keep meidroth??? 

maybe CWS demanded Meidroth or had no interest in DHam

[Larry Cook]

8 hours ago, Soxlover said:

maybe CWS demanded Meidroth or had no interest in DHam

I find that hard to believe, but maybe you are correct 

[Larry Cook]

Early was outstanding today. 6 innings and 3 hits and 2 walks 1 earned run and 4 strikeouts 

[Soxlover]

18 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

I find that hard to believe, but maybe you are correct 

Maybe no interest in DHam was harsh- just more in Meidroth who had good farm numbers on O and D.

[Larry Cook]

At Worcester: Harrison went 3.2 innings today. Gave up 4 hits and 3 walks and zero earned runs. Struck out 5!  Jordan 1 for 3! 
 

at Portland:  Mullins went 6.1 innings today. Gave up 3 hits and 2 walks and zero earned runs. Struck out 3!  Romero 1 for 5! Ehrhard 1 for 4! 
 

 

[mvp 78]

Sox draft Kyson Witherspoon #15

[Soxlover]

Kyson whitherspoon RHP Oklahoma

15th pick in draft by Sox

[Larry Cook]

Excellent pick by bres-slow. But perplexing!!

Witherspoon is a four seam fastball pitcher and we do not let pitchers throw many 4 seamers!!!!

[mvp 78]

Marcus Phillips #33

two college RHP to start the draft

[sk7326]

11 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

Excellent pick by bres-slow. But perplexing!!

Witherspoon is a four seam fastball pitcher and we do not let pitchers throw many 4 seamers!!!!

He has a pretty big pitch arsenal - the staff will likely pare it down.  One thing about Bailey's aversion to 4-seamers is that he for the most part does not have a ton of super live arms in the system.  I think some of the approach is a response to the personnel we have.  

[mvp 78]

1 hour ago, sk7326 said:

He has a pretty big pitch arsenal - the staff will likely pare it down.  One thing about Bailey's aversion to 4-seamers is that he for the most part does not have a ton of super live arms in the system.  I think some of the approach is a response to the personnel we have.  

It's not that he hates 4 seamers, it's that he hates BAD 4 seamers. If a pitcher has a good 4 seamer, he can throw it. The more interesting part about Witherspoon is that he's a bit smaller than the guys Breslow has targeted, but was probably taken because he was the best available. 

Phillips is a big body guy that if developed well can stay as a starter. Not a lot of innings on his arm, but really needs some work and is a high variance arm. Some project as a reliever.

Anthony Eyanson, the other college RHP,  should stick at starter due to build and has multiple above average pitches. Most likely is a well above slot signing.

The 2b/ss, Henry Godbout, is a contact first guy with very little power. Probably very similar to a Nick Yorke profile when you factor in the defensive issues as well. 

[Soxlover]

Wonder where these picks will slot in the next rankings as Mayer and then Anthony graduate 

[Hugh2]

13 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

Excellent pick by bres-slow. But perplexing!!

Witherspoon is a four seam fastball pitcher and we do not let pitchers throw many 4 seamers!!!!

He was the best pitcher available by far, sometimes there's a difference between having a general organizational philosophy and recognizing there are more than one ways to skin a cat.  If you get a chance to invest in a high end talent that might be a little outside your window of search parameters I think you still go for it and bet on the talent.