Hugh2

Rankings aren't worthless, but I get what you're saying. A guy might not have the sexiest prospect ranking because he doesn't have the higest potential but if Johnson becomes a really good back of the rotation starter who gives you innings then he's a very valuable MLB pitcher who was worth every penny he got and easily worth the draft slot. Someone stepping up in the 5th slot could be the difference between playing baseball in October this year on this team.

Our top 4 prospects are still as good as anyones out there, I think Kopech is in his own tier between those guys and everyone else in the system. It's pretty baron after that, there are a few guys who have high ceilings but tons of question marks and little track record. There are also a few names that have high potential in the bullpen.

One thing I find impressive about Devers is how age advanced he is for his level, what started off as a tough year has really started to turn around. From what I gather from many of the scouts that have seen him play is that he was getting great at bats and making loud contact a month before the numbers really started to show....he was literally just hitting the ball hard at people. Right now he looks like he's mastered the level, still I think he'll get the complimentary AA cup of coffee with 1-2 weeks left. But he started off at the same level as Benintendi and Moncada this year and he's apx 1.5-2.5 years younger than both those guys. I think he could be knocking on the door as early as late next year and might break the line up permanently sometime in 2018.

No I agree with that, it's not that he never deserves criticism. Just because you have a guy warming up doesn't mean you shouldn't bring him in.

There will definitely be some competition for those spots. However, Shaw has come back down to earth and is showing the concerns that many scouts had with him coming up through the minors that he can't hit lefties. Moncada appears to be ready at the plate, but his splits are lagging behind. His swing from the right side could use some more work, I think he could hit RHP now but he might initially struggle against LHP without more development. Sam Travis is a good but not stellar prospect who I thought would be in the fold for 2017 but his injury this year might have set him back. For me, to be able to fully commit to a rookie you'd like to see a strong track record in the minors and/or some success at the MLB level. Not only has he missed most of the year this year but he likely would have had some time up with the big club now if he didn't get hurt. If Sam Travis never tore his ACL he'd likely be getting called up now if he had already not. If he was still having a good year down in Pawtucket and showed promise the rest of this year I'd say he'd be a very strong candidate for 1B next year but now....I'm not so sure.

Listen, I'm not a John Farrell fan and would not take issue if the team wanted to part ways with him and install a new manager but some the criticism towards him is unfounded. Take last night for example, during the last Price start he screwed up by not putting any faith in his starter and taking him out of the 8th when he was jaming along. Last night, he was too slow to take him out after dominating for 7 innings. Also, he made the wrong move by bringing in Abad. But you traded for the lefty reliever to get lefties out so if Farrell left Barnes in and Barnes got hit by the lefty the criticism would still be he's mismanaging the pen because he didn't bring in the lefty specialist to face the lefty. Sometimes, s*** just happens.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/list-9-prospects-second-half-turnarounds/#vY45RQdPAUxWw4yI.97 Nice little read on Rafael Devers who is the first talked about prospect on this list. I know I've heard it elsewhere too that he's made a lot of improvement on his defense too.

Well, I meant as a floor I don't think he's going to worse than Brentz. He easily has the tool set to be better, it sounded like with a little more familiarity with the monster he should improve. I don't know how he's looked the last couple games in Portland. I want to go back and see when they scouted him.

No, I meant when I said when I said many fans. I feel many many of us, even the best of us who know better at time fall into that trap.

I meant that more from the progression being linear from player to player. Two players can have identical stat lines that will likely translate differently to higher levels. E.G. Players A & B can both have stat lines of .300/.380/.500 but player A might have average bat speed, he's able to feast on pitchers who don't throw as hard, can' t find the strike zone, or tip their pitches to close the gap to player B who has a much better chance of replicating that stat line at the next level. What I meant was, fans just look at the box scores and say "ohhh if he can do that at the MLB level he's a superstar" but its' not that simple, scouting matters.

Good points, most fans don't see the game this way but there is a big difference between hitting AA and hitting MLB and the mistake many make is they think the progression should be linear from player to player. It is not.

http://news.soxprospects.com/2016/08/transaction-analysis-breaking-down_2.html Sounds like he should be just as good as Brentz out there, it seems like he needs more familiarity with the monster. Lets just hope he's not overmatched at the plate.

Good point, but hey I didn't say it was a perfect apples to apples comparison. No doubt he's being rushed, some guys make the adjustment quick others do not. Lets hope the move doesn't backfire on the sox.

From what I've heard he's been taking reps at 3B for at least a week now.

One has to wonder if they were able to land Carlos Beltran if they'd be making this move. It seems reasonably unlikely given that they were in on him and the trade deadline passed yesterday. One has to ponder if they aren't 100% sure he's ready, but then again if they didn't think he could be ready and could help the team now I doubt they promote him. To be fair, I don't think there is such thing as being 100% certain a guy is ready so if you have the chance to bring in a proven vet who you know can contribute that would seem to be a more viable option, hence....the push for Beltran. Andrews push reminds me of Ellsburys run through the system in 07, lets hope the results are similar. Worst case scenario is he struggles and the team is no better off than they already were. If he performs not only will it help but his value will increase as well, and playing well will increase his value much more than struggling would decrease it. I'm not 100% convinced he's not on the trade talk table in the off season if the Sox decide to make a run at Chris Sale.

Other sources saying they are pushing harder than anyone else. 70 minutes until the trade deadline, teams are posturing, call it 50/50 someone trades for Sale at this point.

I can see the Sox offering EROD/Benintendi/Kopech for Sale, with CWS saying we'll give you Quintana for that package but if you want Sale you have to throw in Devers. I wouldn't disagree that theres a good chance he stays put, but I'm not unconvinced that they are just posturing by saying they will stay put.

If we give up Benintendi I like trying to develop Swihart in LF. I'd give up EROD/Benintenid/Kopech/Devers. It's a heavy package.....but we've seen what the market for pitching is.

Think of it this way, the average fan let alone Sox fan ever hears of other teams failed prospects. Can anyone in here name 5 prospects in other teams organizations let alone one??? We don't see other teams Henry Owens, we don't see other teams Allen Websters, we don't see their Lars Andersons.....we only know who they are when they turn into JBJ's and Mookie Betts. If anything, other teams prospects fail more often than our own.

A year ago I'd easily agree with you but if anything that is way too light the way the market has been going. Relievers are netting multiple top 100 prospects.

I'd start with Benintendi, EROD, Kopech for Sale. Will probably have to throw in more but that package is a pretty solid starting point and reportedly the CWS really really like Benintendi a lot.

We've already spent a lot of resources, I'm done sending top prospects for relief pitchers and rentals. This team should go big or wait until the offseason. Sale or no sale.

I don't buy signing a 1B/DH as a must either. Assuming that we see no improvements from a more well seasoned and healthy Swihart/Vasquez/Shaw/Holt then the lineup maintains the status quo by adding a big bat. I think if you subtracted David Ortiz right now we still have one of the best lineups in baseball, but with or without Ortiz if you were to add a TOP of the rotation starter then we arguably become the WS favorites next year. Imagine our lineup without Ortiz, but a rotation of Sale/Price/Porcello/Pomeranz/Wright. I also wouldn't rule out Owens or Erod figuring things out. If JBJ was still a .220 hitter, and Bogaerts and Betts were 75% the hitters they are now but Price and EROD were both pitching like TOTRS I'd say the exact opposite. That we can go with our current staff and we should allocate our resources on hitting. If you have to trade prospects to bring in the pitcher (which is pretty much a given at this point) then I can reconcile also signing a guy like Encarnation. Which is fairly realistic if this team seriously wants to make a run at a guy like Sale in the offseason.

If I'm swinging a deal, I better be getting a TOTRS back. We've given up enough top prospects for #3's and relievers. I understand, and love this core going forward. I could live with Swihart in LF > Benintendi if Benitendi could headline a package for Sale. I'm ok with a Shaw/Hill platoon at 3B for 2 years until Devers is ready if Moncada could headline a Syndergaard (not saying he's for sale) deal. Things could look a lot more bright if Pom, and Price look really good down the stretch and Porcello and Wright continue to do what they've done all year. Things could look even better than that if Erod can pull it together. With the lack of my last point or the failure to land another TOTRS, this team just strikes me as an offensive juggernaut that is always good enough to get to the post season but doesn't have that extra ingredient to win the world series. This core is good enough to be relevant for the next 4-5 years with zero additions but we still have a hole in the rotation. All other holes on this team seem superficial to having a pitcher right now to me.

I'd rather spend the money on locking up some of our own guys so we can feel better about going out and trading for an ACE. Do you really trust giving the ball to Price, Pomeranz, or even Porcello game 1 of the world series??? I think that takes more priority than the 7th or 8th biggest concern with the offense. A Hill/Shaw combo at 3rd (assuming Panda is done) should be fine for .5-1 years, and Benintendi may be ready by next year and Swihart could still be in the fold for next season in LF. Those aren't sure fire answers but they are pretty darn good when you consider the first 6 hitters in your lineup are pretty darn good. We need pitching, this team has enough rotten assets on it so there is zero reason to go out and start given big bucks to 30 year old DH types.