Alex Mayes

We're back with our future values big board! If you need a refresher on numbers 16 through 20, click here! We're now moving into the more familiar names of the Red Sox system. We're taking a look at both major leaguers and low-level minor leaguers in this installment. We're also getting into players with a real chance of being moved this offseason as the Red Sox explore all avenues for contending in 2025. Without further ado, let's jump into the rankings. #15. Chase Meidroth, 3B Season age in 2025: 23 Years of team control: 3 Chase Meidroth was looked at as a potential late-season call-up had Rafael Devers gone on the IL while the Red Sox were still in the playoff hunt. Truth be told, he maybe should have been called up regardless to add another right-handed bat to the lineup. Meidroth spent the entire 2024 season with triple-A Worcester, manning the hot corner but showcasing some versatility as a utility infielder. Should he make it to the majors, he doesn’t profile as a third baseman and his ability to play all over the infield will help to drive his value up, even if the bat doesn’t play up. In 2024, Meidroth slashed .293/.437/.400. There’s very little power in his swing; he’s only going to run into a homer occasionally on the pull side. His glove and positional versatility will make him useful on the trade market as an addition to a trade centered around bigger-name players. #14. David Hamilton, SS Season age in 2025: 27 Years of team control: 5 Had he not been placed on the IL with a broken finger in late August, David Hamilton probably would have manned second base through the end of the season, showing off his impressive baserunning skill and giving Red Sox fans something fun to watch during games that had no real meaning behind them. At the MLB level this year, Hamilton slashed .248/.303/.395 and swiped 33 bags. He started the year with lackluster numbers at shortstop but once he was moved to second and Ceddanne Rafaela started manning shortstop, Hamilton really settled in. He’s got some occasional pop in his bat, running into eight home runs throughout the season. His value lies in his ability to cause chaos on the basepaths. You know when he’s on base, and so does whoever happens to be toeing the rubber for the opposition. Teams are starting to place more and more value on being a consistent threat to steal, pushing Hamilton’s value higher. #13. Quinn Priester, RHP Season age in 2025: 23 Years of team control: 6 Quinn Priester came over from the Pirates and was called up towards the end of the season to make one start. Between both organizations, he appeared in seven total big-league games, going 3-6 while logging two quality starts. He sported a 4.71 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and a 5.98 K/9. His minor-league results were similar, but he struck out more than a batter per inning. He made 16 appearances, going 6-2 while sporting a 4.38 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and a 9.75 K/9. Preister shines by way of his high groundball rate. He’s not a huge swing-and-miss guy, but he profiles as the type of pitcher who will excel with solid defense behind him, something the Red Sox are focusing on next season. There’s reason to believe that working with Andrew Bailey will unlock something, allowing him to become a middle-of-the-rotation starter, possibly as soon as next season. The Red Sox wouldn’t seem keen to trade someone for whom they surrendered a top prospect, but Priester's value lies in his potential to get outs as a starter. If he can prove that ability, then he becomes either a valuable member of the rotation or a significant trade piece. #12. Connor Wong, C Season age in 2025: 29 Years of team control: 4 Connor Wong is the only piece of the Mookie Betts trade that remains with the Boston Red Sox, but let’s not talk about that. Wong has cemented himself as the starting catcher in Boston for now, but with Kyle Teel knocking on the door, his value to the team is not as high as it once was. Wong slashed .280/.333/.425 in 2024. When he gets hot, there’s pop in the bat, almost all to the pull side. However, he goes through dry spells, and then there's his defense. Wong has gotten better at framing from the bottom half of the plate but across the board his defensive metrics are ice-cold. There’s value in a bat-first catcher on the open market, and the Red Sox could look to cash in on it if they feel that Teel is close to making the roster. #11. Braden Montgomery, OF Season age in 2025: 22 Years of team control: 10 Braden Montgomery may be the most difficult player to rank on this list. He has yet to play an inning of pro ball due to a broken ankle suffered during the NCAA Super Regional when he was playing for Texas A&M. Montgomery slashed .322/.454/.733 at A&M this past season and there's case to be made that had he not gotten hurt, they wouldn’t have lost to Tennessee in the College World Series. In short, Montgomery has the chance to be a game-changer. He profiles as a corner outfielder with easy power to all fields. That profile limits his value to the Red Sox though. As we all know, the Red Sox are flush with talent at the corner outfield spots across all levels of the organization. Were it not for his injury, he would probably be higher on this list, but his position limits is upside too. Once spring training starts, though, look for Montgomery to start making noise. It wouldn’t be shocking if other teams started taking notice of him as well. View full article

Jack Flaherty isn't at the top of the free agent pitching market, but could he make sense for a Red Sox rotation that needs more arms — especially ones that haven't spent the last season on the injured list? Despite trade rumors and interest in top-of-the-rotation arms, the Boston Red Sox should be extremely interested in adding Jack Flaherty no matter who else suits up for Boston in the starting rotation next year. I know all the knocks against Flaherty, I’m from near St. Louis and I watched his struggles with the Cardinals. I know how the Cardinals fans STILL talk trash about him, especially after his success in Detroit and Los Angeles this season. What stands out to me is how easily Flaherty has put his time in STL behind him and grown as a baseball player. If the rumors are true, adding someone of Flaherty’s status makes a lot of sense for the Red Sox, but there are also some reasons to possibly look elsewhere. Let’s start with the pros. This season Flaherty made 28 starts, going 13-7 with 15 quality starts. He posted a 3.17 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and a 10.78 K/9. Flaherty ran an excellent 32% whiff rate, something else that was sorely lacking in Boston’s starting rotation this season. Flaherty is a fastball-first pitcher, and he backs that fastball up with a solid slider and an excellent knuckle curve with a nasty break. Flaherty doesn't throw very hard at this point in his career, but there’s enough of a speed differential between all three pitches that they can play well off one another. Flaherty's spray chart shows very clearly the biggest potential downside of bringing him to Boston. When you overlay all of his balls in play on top of Fenway Park, you can see that pitching half of his games there might not be in his best interest. A lot of gray outs and purple doubles suddenly turn into home runs when you change stadiums. There’s reason to believe that when the Red Sox front office and coaching staff look at this kind of information, they’ll have be discouraged from giving Flaherty more than a second thought during discussions. On top of the possible issues with the long ball at home games, Flaherty presents some injury risk in the rotation. He spent time on the injured list in 2024 with both the Tigers and the Dodgers and has a history of right shoulder issues. On top of that, a trade with the Yankees was nixed at the last minute because of concerns about his medicals. The Dodgers obviously thought that the medicals weren’t an issue and although he spent some time on the shelf with them, they were largely rewarded for the gamble. If Boston's medical staff feels strongly that Flaherty runs little risk of reaggravation or believes they can work with him to strengthen his shoulder, then this will be far less of a concern. The Athletic projects Flaherty to sign a 3-year, $68-million contract this offseason, and if the Red Sox are truly opening the pocketbook and bringing in big-name free agents, they could do a lot worse than Flaherty. He knows the AL East well from his stint with the Orioles and has proven that he can be trusted throughout October. While his spray chart may not line up well with the home ballpark, that kind of track record should make him desirable to a Red Sox team that needs not just a frontline starter, but a veteran who can provide reliable innings and show up in high-pressure starts. View full article

With the Milwaukee Brewers declining to pick up the option for Devin Williams, it would make far too much sense for Craig Breslow and the Red Sox to pick up the phone and give the Brewers a call to see what it would take to get the ace closer to Boston. Somewhat forgotten with the talk of adding a top-of-the-rotation arm and a power first right-handed hitter, the Boston Red Sox need a closer. Kenley Jansen departed in free agency and is almost guaranteed not to return to Boston. A reunion with Chris Martin seems possible, but trusting him to close out games across a full season seems like a tall task. I’ve already written about internal candidates for the closer role and still believe any of them stand a chance to take it. Still, with recent news out of Milwaukee that the Brewers declined the option on Devin Williams, it caused me to start wondering what a trade for him would look like. The Brewers have a history of this; just look at free agent Corbin Burnes. They’ve recently even gone on record saying they have no plans to trade Williams, but that doesn’t mean much in modern-day baseball. At one point, they had no interest in trading Burnes or Josh Hader before him. With that in mind, let’s look at what a potential trade for Williams could cost the Red Sox. I contacted some colleagues from Brewer Fanatic to see what they thought a fair return for someone of Devin Williams' caliber would be. The general consensus was that a high-ceiling pitcher with a decent mix of fastballs would have to be included in the deal. Enter Luis Guerrero. Guerrero features one main fastball, a four-seamer that tops out at 100mph, but has also thrown a cutter and a sinker. He spent most of this season in Worcester, where he posted a 5-3 record, 3.31 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 13.09 K/9. After his call-up in September, he appeared in nine games out of the bullpen, sporting a 0.00 ERA, .80 WHIP, and 8.10 K/9, opening the eyes of fans everywhere. He profiles as a middle-inning reliever, but his ceiling is that of a high-leverage, back-end reliever. Losing out on Williams could cause the Brewers to look at Guerrero as a potential replacement for some of what would be walking out the door with Williams. Rarely are trading for MLB-caliber pitchers a one-for-one deal. With the likely departure of Willy Adames in free agency, the Brewers will want to add someone who could potentially end spring training at Triple-A, knocking on the door to the majors. While Mikey Romero isn’t the perfect answer there, he makes the most sense from Boston’s side. He surged this season at Greenville, earning a promotion to Portland. Combined, Romero slashed .265/.813/.508. He committed 11 errors on the season, posting a .948 FLD%. He’s solid at shortstop and second base, making highlight reel-style plays at both. Romero could easily be fast-tracked to the major leagues as long as he continues to improve at the current rate; the Brewers could be incredibly interested in adding his services. The trade for Devin Williams would undoubtedly bolster the back of the Red Sox’s bullpen, and giving up any of the “Big Four” for a rental of Williams isn’t smart for the organization's future. Still, a reliever like Guerrero, who projects to be a high-leverage arm, and someone blocked at all levels of the organization like Romero makes a ton of sense. The Red Sox would likely have to include a compensatory draft pick as well, but that would be far easier to stomach should Nick Pivetta turn down the Qualifying Offer and sign elsewhere as he’s now expected to. The Red Sox look like they are primed to make a splash in free agency, so why not also make a huge splash in the trade market? View full article

There will be much to talk about over this offseason if the front office is to be believed when they say they are primed to spend again. With that in mind, let's look at 20 of the top trade values within the Red Sox's system, starting with numbers 16 through 20. The general consensus around the Red Sox’s farm system is that it is one of the strongest in the game. MLB.com has them seventh, Fangraphs has them third, and ESPN has them sitting tenth. Since the organization hired Chaim Bloom and subsequently let him go for Craig Breslow, there has been a focus on building from within and promoting young stars as quickly as possible. That has been evident in the young talent that has made their way to Boston over the last few seasons, going as far back as Rafael Devers’ debut in 2017. Now, the farm system has grown in leaps and bounds from where it once was, and players are knocking on the door to the big leagues that should excite fans. However, with that young talent comes questions. Can the Red Sox keep all their homegrown players? Should they? Who is available in trade talks? With these questions in mind, I decided to sit down and list prospects and big leaguers and rank them in terms of big-picture value to the team. Some familiar names will be on this list, and we’ll address the “Big Four” as we get to them. Without further ado, here is the first installment of my big board future value rankings for the Boston Red Sox's entire system based on age, upside, team control, and cost. #20 Vaughn Grissom, 2B Season age in 2025: 24 Years of team control: 6 We won’t rehash the trade that brought Vaughn Grissom here now; that’s not what this series is for. Grissom spent more time in Triple-A Worcester than he did with the Boston this season, thanks partly to a left hamstring strain suffered during spring training, the flu, and a right hamstring strain in June. Once healthy from the last injury, Grissom was optioned to Worcester to work on his timing again. In Triple-A, he slashed .259/.385/.373, while in the majors, his slashline was .190/.246/.219. Bluntly, those numbers in the majors tank his value to organizations that aren’t the Boston Red Sox. There’s room for growth here, and Grissom looked like he was starting to figure things out when he was brought back to Boston to close the season. A strong spring training and solid season at second would easily shoot him up this list next offseason, though. #19 Rafael Devers, 3B Season age in 2025: 28 Years of team control: 9 I know, but there’s value here. Rafael Devers is the cornerstone of the Boston Red Sox, and they would be insane to trade him, but stranger things have happened. The value here is mainly confined to the Red Sox themselves, as Devers is the middle-of-the-order power threat and plays a passable third base for the foreseeable future. In 2024, Devers slashed .272/.354/.516. These are not bad numbers by any means, but not the typical Devers slash line. The shoulder injuries this season kept him from his full potential in 2024, but a full offseason to recover should put him back in top-tier form and allow him to step fully back into his on-field leadership role. Look for Devers to be a man on a mission next season, especially if the front office commits to spending like the statements make it seem. #18 Richard Fitts, RHP Season age in 2025: 25 Years of team control: 3 Richard Fitts made his MLB debut in September, appearing in four games. He didn’t allow a run going into the final start of the season and posted a 1.74 ERA on the season, going 0-1. We’ve written about Fitts here at Talk Sox a couple of times this offseason already, and we think there is a decent chance he comes out of spring training as part of the rotation if no more pitching additions are made. Fitts has been able to pitch effectively during his brief stint in the majors this past season, but his hard contact rate and the lack of ability to miss bats leaves something to be desired. He has some adjustments to make to stick as a back-end rotation starter, but the potential is there. #17 Mikey Romero, SS Season age in 2025: 21 Years of team control: 5 Mikey Romero shot up prospect rankings this year, thanks in part to an incredibly strong debut in Double-A Portland. He cooled off some but flashed a ton of potential on both sides of the baseball. He slashed .265/.306/.508 between Salem and Portland in 2024. While you’d like to see the average be higher, he flashed some power that people didn’t expect and showed that his glove would play at every level of the game. The issue is he’s effectively blocked at every level of the organization, regardless of how he performs. It wouldn’t be a shock to see the Red Sox capitalize on his quick rise through the ranks and use him in a trade this offseason. # 16 Yoeilin Cespedes, SS Season age in 2025: 19 Years of team control: 4 Yoeilin Cespedes was promoted to Salem during the summer but never saw any action at that level, as a broken hamate bone in his left hand sidelined him as soon as he was called up. Before the injury with the FCL Red Sox, Cespedes slashed .319/.400/.615. He has raw power, which should continue as he grows within the system. He will likely need to move off of shortstop as he climbs the ranks, but much like Romero above, he’s effectively blocked at every level ahead of him. Cespedes is another name that should draw interest in the trade market this offseason, as young, powerful middle infielders don’t just grow on trees. Look for his name to start being thrown around as talks get more serious for starting pitchers. View full article

Welcome back to Talk Sox’s 2024 top 20 prospect rundown! After breaking down number seven, we're on to number six! That spot is held by a newcomer to the minor league system, Franklin Arias. These top prospects were voted on and compiled by the Talk Sox community. #6 SS Franklin Arias (Salem Red Sox) The Red Sox signed Franklin Arias as an international free agent in 2023, and at 17 years old, he laid waste to the Dominican Summer League, running a .350 batting average and an 89% contact rate. In 2024, after spending 51 games terrorizing the Florida Complex League to the tune of a .355 average and a 181 wRC+, Arias was promoted to the low-A Salem Red Sox. Over 36 games in Salem, he ran a 111 wRC+. Split between the FCL and Salem, Arias slashed .309/.409/.487. He has spent most of his time at shortstop and the remainder at second. Arias is listed at 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, and he isn't the toolsiest of prospects. His bat speed doesn't wow you, and although he stole 35 bases this season, he doesn't have game-changing speed either. His superpowers are patience and plate discipline. While his average wasn't sky-high during 2024, he shows the ability to put the bat on the ball and play gap-to-gap. What will make Arias stand out, and the reason he was voted so highly, is his glove. He turned 23 double plays at short in 2024. He committed seven errors on the season as well; four of them throwing errors. That being said, he is very much a glove-first infielder who profiles as a bench utility player as he currently stands. He should fill out a bit as he ages, which might help him add at least some power to his game and give him the chance to be a starting shortstop. Back in August, Ben Spanier reported that Arias was, "getting to some in-game pop thanks to a quick, whippy swing that allows for an aggressive cut when he gets his “A” swing off." The other limitation is that Arias is blocked at pretty much every level of the Red Sox system at the moment. The Red Sox are flush with middle infielders, which makes it possible that Arias could end up as part of a trade package in the coming months. If he can improve his pitch recognition, Arias has the chance to be a solid defender and an on-base threat. Whether he does so with the Red Sox remains to be seen. View full article

Welcome back to Talk Sox’s 2024 top 20 prospect rundown! After breaking down number 10, we're on to number nine! That spot is held by our favorite late-season call-up, Richard Fitts. These top prospects were voted on and compiled by the Talk Sox community. #9 RHP Richard Fitts ( Worcester Red Sox, Boston Red Sox) Richard Fitts came over to the Red Sox in the December trade that sent Alex Verdugo to the New York Yankees. There was some debate amongst fans about whether he would break camp with the big club after the injury to Lucas Giolito, but the team decided that he should spend the bulk of the season at triple-A Worcester. Fitts went 9-5 with a 4.17 ERA and 4.86 FIP in Worcester. The Red Sox added him to the 40-man roster on September 8 and he made his first big-league start that same day, striking out two over 5 2/3 innings and allowing six hits, one walk, and two unearned runs. He would continue to pitch much the same way through the end of the season, going 18 2/3 innings before allowing an earned run. He finished 0-1 despite running a 1.74 ERA over four starts and 20 2/3 innings. His FIP was a more reasonable 3.31, thanks to the fact that he didn't allow a single home run. Fitts features a four-pitch mix: a four-seam fastball that averages 94.5 mph and tops out at 97, a sweeper, a tighter slider, and a splitter. None of his pitches will dazzle you; they grade out as fairly average, although Stuff+ gives his slider-sweeper combo an excellent 132. Fitts ran extremely low whiff rates during his time with the Red Sox, but the fastball can play up above the zone. When used in conjunction with his sweeper, he has shown the capacity to miss bats in two directions to keep hitters off balance and on their toes. Despite those two examples, Fitts ran an extremely low 15% whiff rate and struck out just 3.9 batters per nine innings in Boston, compared to the 8.6 K/9 he ran against lesser competition in Worcester. Fitts' big-league sample size was very small, and his lack of swing-and-miss needs to be fixed this offseason. He won't be able to avoid the long ball indefinitely, especially as a fly-ball pitcher in Fenway Park. However, if 2024 was any indication of what's to come, Fitts looks like the kind of pitcher who can slot into the back end of a rotation without issue. His ceiling is a number three starter, but you'd feel comfortable seeing him take the mound every five days. View full article

Welcome to Talk Sox's 2024 top 20 prospect rundown! With a rebuilt farm system, the Red Sox look poised to make some noise through call ups during the next few seasons. Let's look at the second installment of prospects, covering 11-15, as voted on and compiled by the Talk Sox community. #15 RHP Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (Greenville Drive) The Red Sox drafted Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz in the fourth round in 2021 out of Leadership Christian Academy in Puerto Rico. He has not made it above High-A ball with the Greenville Drive. He features a four-pitch mix: a fastball that tops out at 99mph, a slider, a curveball, and a changeup. His command leaves a bit to be desired if you’re looking at him as a potential starter in the big leagues, and he currently doesn’t have a put-away pitch, even with his fastball topping out at 99mph. This season, split between Salem and Greenville, Rodriguez-Cruz appeared in 21 games, starting 20, and went 5-5 with a 2.91 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP, and a 10.24 K/9. What the overall stats don’t show is that once he made the jump to Greenville, his ERA jumped by more than a run per inning from 2.51 to 3.77, his K/9 fell from 10.77 to 9.10, and his BB/9 went from 3.69 to 5.65. Unfortunately, Rodriguez-Cruz looked to be moving in the wrong direction when faced with tougher competition. Currently, he profiles as a long reliever type. #14 SS Mikey Romero (Portland Sea Dogs) Mikey Romero could very well be the most hyped Red Sox prospect outside of the Big Four. 2024 was his breakout year in the minors, and he seems poised to continue rising prospect rankings throughout 2025. The Red Sox took Romero with the 24th overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Orange Lutheran High School in Orange, California. He began the season with the Greenville Drive and ended it with the Portland Sea Dogs. Before making the jump, Romero was on fire. He hit .271 with a .319 OBP, .498 slug, and a .312 BABIP. After the jump to Portland, the numbers came down. He ended the season hitting .243 with a .257 OBP, .543 slug, and a .268 BABIP. He was making less contact but harder contact at Portland. Expect Mikey to begin the year in Portland in 2025, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he jumped to Worcester after the Big Four get called up. #13 LHP Payton Tolle (FCL Red Sox) Payton Tolle was drafted with the 50th overall pick in this year’s MLB Draft out of TCU. He’s a big kid, 6’6” and 250 lbs. Tolle went 7-4 during his only season at TCU with a 3.21 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 13.8 K/9, and one complete game. He currently throws three pitches: a fastball that lives in the low 90s but tops out at 96, a slider with a large sweeping motion, and a changeup that is used very little but is there. Currently, he features the fastball more than any other pitch and has been able to miss bats consistently in college. Before playing at TCU, Tolle was a standout two-way player at Wichita State University, handling DH/1B duties. He currently profiles as a fastball-heavy left-handed reliever without a true third pitch, which can easily be developed within the system. As he grows and works on his pitch mix and command, he should start to get plenty of work as a starter in the minor leagues. #12 3B Chase Meidroth (Worcester Red Sox) Chase Meidroth was a name that started popping up with the Red Sox faithful when injuries began to pile up for Boston in the second half of this season. There was a good reason for that. When it was apparent Rafael Devers was dealing with some big-time shoulder issues and the team was still in the playoff race, they needed someone to handle the hot corner should Devers be unable to avoid the IL. Meidroth probably would have been the guy called up to do that. He spent all last season in Worcester, hitting .293 with a .437 OBP, .838 OPS, and a .332 BABIP. Meidroth isn’t a power hitter and probably doesn’t profile as a third-baseman in the majors, but he has the type of swing to play the gaps in the outfield. Unfortunately, there is very little speed behind those hits. He wouldn’t be able to turn a single into a double on many occasions, but he can get on base, and that’s what’s important. #11 RHP David Sandlin (Portland Sea Dogs) David Sandlin came over in the trade that sent John Schreiber to the Kansas City Royals in February of this year. He began the season with the Greenville Drive and ended it with the Sea Dogs in Portland. He ended the season with a combined record of 0-4 with a 5.34 ERA, 4.49 FIP, 1.38 WHIP, and a 4.56 K/9. He features a fastball that sits 93-96 mph but tops out at 98 mph, a slider that has been shown to miss bats, a splitter that can be a put-away pitch with some refinement, and a curveball that he doesn’t feature much. The ERA leaves quite a bit to be desired, but his fastball is enticing to watch. In July, he struck out seven straight hitters for Greenville against the Rome Emperors. He can potentially be a backend starter for the Red Sox, but he has to bring his ERA down to stick anywhere above Portland. Right now, he profiles as a reliever who could become a legitimate starting candidate. (h/t to TruMedia, Sox Prospects, and Baseball-Reference) View full article

Welcome to Talk Sox's 2024 top 20 prospect rundown! With a rebuilt farm system, the Red Sox look poised to make some noise through call-ups during the next few seasons. We're starting our coverage with numbers 16-20, as voted on and compiled by the Talk Sox community. #20 RHP Juan Valera (Salem) Juan Valera came to the Red Sox as a 2023 international free agent. Valera offers an incredibly exciting profile for a player sitting in Salem and checks a lot of the boxes that the Red Sox are looking for in a young pitcher. He features a four-pitch mix with a fastball that sits 93-96 mph but tops out at 98 mph, a slider, a sweeper, and a change-up. Currently, he lacks a reliable third pitch and features his fastball and slider more than the other two. His fastball can miss bats, and his slider shows enough movement to be a putout pitch as he continues to develop. He appeared in seven games for Low-A Salem, going 0-1 with a 2.35 ERA, 3.13 FIP, and a 10.96 K/9. At the moment, he profiles as a bullpen arm, but should he develop a reliable third pitch, Valera could easily be in the mix for a starter role as he moves up in the farm system. #19 RHP Yordanny Monegro (Greenville) The second right-handed pitcher featured on the top 20 prospect list, Yordanny Monegro, is hard to miss, standing 6’4”. He was signed as an international free agent in 2020. This season, he posted a 6-2 record over the 2024 season with a 2.73 ERA, 3.34 FIP, and an 11.18 K/9. He features a fastball that sits 92-96 mph, a slider, a curveball, and a change-up. Unfortunately, no pitch profiles as a true strikeout pitch, which limits his usability as he progresses throughout the minor leagues. Should he add another pitch to the mix and hone his fastball to be more effective, he would profile as a middle-inning reliever. #18 RHP Hunter Dobbins (Worcester) Hunter Dobbins was selected in the eighth round of the 2021 draft out of Texas Tech. He began the year in Portland before being called up to Worcester towards the end of the season. Combined, he went 8-5 with a 3.08 ERA, 2.82 FIP, and an 8.59 K/9. He notched one quality start in Worcester, his only win of the season. However, during those four games in Worcester, he brought his ERA down from 3.17 to 2.61. Dobbins showcases a fastball that sits 93-96 mph and tops out at 98 mph, a split-finger sinker, cutter, slider, sweeper, curveball, and splitter. He currently profiles as a long reliever and could reach a ceiling of back-end starter if his pitch mix is reigned and he focuses on plus pitches. #17 RHP Wikelman Gonzalez (Portland) Wikelman Gonzalez was signed as an international free agent in 2018 and has spent the last two years at Portland. This year, he went 4-3 with a 4.73 ERA, 3.92 FIP, and 9.90 K/9. He features a fastball that sits 94-96 mph and tops out at 97 mph, a curveball, a change-up, and a slider. His curveball and change-up have a lot of potential to be true strikeout pitches when combined with a fastball that plays a bit above its speed. Both have the potential to be plus pitches with a bit of refinement. Currently, he has a ceiling of a mid-tier starter and, with a bit more success in Portland, should be in line for a promotion to Worcester during the 2025 season. #16 C Johanfran Garcia (Salem) Johanfran Garcia was signed in 2022 as an International Free Agent. Looking at his season in Salem, it’s clear that Garcia has potential behind the plate, but his true talent is on the offensive side of the baseball. In short, he rakes. He turned in a .385 average, .596 slug, 1.063 OPS, and a .514 BABIP this season. The sample is small, with 14 games and 52 at-bats in 2024, but it’s easy to see the potential when he swings, especially for a 19-year-old. Although the catching position focuses on Kyle Teel, and rightfully so, Garcia has a ceiling of an everyday, power-hitting catcher that could be incredibly valuable as a trade chip down the line. (h/t TruMedia, Sox Prospects, and Baseball-Reference) View full article

It's no secret that Jarren Duran was one of the shining stars for the Boston Red Sox this year. Why not strike while the iron is hot? I can hear the pitchforks being sharpened already. It’s fine, everything’s fine. I’ll preface all this by saying I’m a Jarren Duran fan. He’s taken huge steps to become one of the best leadoff hitters in all of baseball in the last year, and according to Alex Cora, he is a clubhouse leader. My wife and I even sat in left field when the Red Sox came to our hometown, Busch Stadium, specifically because I wanted to watch him play up close. I’ll also say this has nothing to do with his suspension earlier this season, although that was warranted. No, this is about Jarren Duran, the baseball player, and what he offers in terms of trade value to this team. This offseason's big push is a trade for top-tier pitching, as it should be. There’s a ton of talk, even from Craig Breslow and Sam Kennedy, about the wealth of infielders the Red Sox have within the organization, and at least part of the trade package has to come from that. However, without dealing with proven major league talent, that deal will require multiple top ten prospects, including at least two of the “Big Four,” to me, that’s too steep of a price to pay. Enter Jarren Duran. Duran's leap to almost superstardom this year was a sight to behold. Most people entering the season had little use for him after his lackluster two previous seasons, but if you paid attention, you saw a player who could figure it out if he got his head on straight and focused. That’s mostly the Duran we saw this year. He ended the year with a .285 batting average, a .342 OBP, and a .345 BABIP. He hit a monster home run in the All-Star Game, won the All-Star Game MVP, is a nominee for the Hank Aaron award, and should receive some MVP votes. His pedigree is growing, there’s no doubt. That being said, I think we’ve just seen the peak of Jarren Duran. I don’t believe that we will see this type of play out of him again. Duran will be a good baseball player for years to come, no doubt, but he will not be this caliber of baseball player. Although he didn’t feature it towards the end of the season because he was worn down, Duran’s best asset to this team is his speed on the base paths. He’s one of the best baserunners in the game, legging out what should be singles into doubles and what should be doubles into triples. But as we saw with Jacoby Ellsbury, speed is the first thing to go for baseball players. The legs get older; they get tired. Duran has a history of foot injuries, and if he keeps up the breakneck speed at which he runs, his biggest tool will decline sooner rather than later. That will impact him not only on the base paths but also in the outfield. It’s no secret that Duran doesn’t take the best route to balls hit his way and makes up for it with his speed. It’s fun to watch right now, but when that speed takes a hit in a couple of years and balls that should be caught are landing beyond his glove, where are we then? While everyone was furious, the Sox moved on from Ellsbury; it was the right call. The front office must be prepared to make a similar decision and include Duran in trade talks this year. You can get a king’s ransom for him right now, so strike while the iron is hot. A package built around him and one of the top minor leaguers in the system, likely Marcelo Mayer, would be hard for any team to turn down. The other names that come up in trade rumors, some floated by the team to the media, are Triston Casas and Wilyer Abreu. There’s value there, for sure, but you’re looking at them plus two of the big four in that type of deal, and to me, that’s not worth whomever is coming back to Boston. Casas was a blue-chip prospect with an elite plate approach. His future should be at first base in Boston and nowhere else. Abreu is in the conversation for a Gold Glove this year and proved that he’s more than just a platoon bat against right-handed pitching. Give him some time to grow, and he will be a valuable contributor to both sides of baseball. I’m not advocating for trading Duran for just any pitcher. It has to be a top of the rotation, young ace. If the deal isn’t for George Kirby or Logan Gilbert, keep him around. I don’t buy that Seattle won’t trade from their rotation this offseason. They need hitters, and the only way they will trade for that is to give up a piece from their deepest position. If Seattle is willing to pick up the phone and talk pitching, then, in my opinion, Jarren Duran could easily be part of that deal to ensure that the Red Sox hold onto younger players with ceilings just as high. View full article

Sam Kennedy recently sat down with MassLive's Sean McAdam and Chris Cotillo to answer questions regarding the most recent season and what to expect of the young core. Did he tip his hand in any fashion or offer up more excuses? Sam Kennedy made the second of his yearly appearances on MassLive’s The Fenway Rundown: Boston Red Sox Podcast with Sean McAdam and Chris Cotillo. Typically, Kennedy’s episodes are must-listen as he gives a tiny peek behind the curtains into the organization, and this one was no different. Kennedy gave some typical non-answers, but he usually feels more relaxed in this environment and is comfortable speaking with McAdam and Cotillo. Let’s look at three quotes from Kennedy that stood out to me and what they can mean as we have fully transitioned into the offseason. This is a feeling that is shared by most fans as well. Kennedy indicates that the front office realizes that there was a chance to push for a playoff spot this year and that the defensive shortcomings played a large role in the team missing out on another year of playing baseball in October. Although Craig Breslow made some moves at the deadline, it was obvious that a right-handed infield bat would have been the move that probably would have pushed the team into that final playoff spot down the stretch in September. Trevor Story and Vaughn Grissom were still not with the club, and although Ceddanne Rafaela played mostly well at shortstop, there was still a huge hole in the middle of the infield, and adding a piece beyond Danny Jansen was necessary. Had another infield glove been added to the roster, maybe the error total wouldn’t have continued to climb, and the unearned runs from earlier in the season wouldn’t have helped sink the Red Sox as they pushed for the third Wild Card spot. For maybe the first time in a long time, I agree with Sam Kennedy. This answer was in response to Sean McAdam asking Kennedy, in his opinion, how far the Red Sox are from being where the front office wants them to be. I was surprised this question came as early in the interview as it did and equally as surprised at how quickly Kennedy said they were just an offseason away. With the team still in the mix during September after having two big pieces, Trevor Story and Triston Casas, still on the shelf after early season injuries it was encouraging to think about how close the Sox actually are to playing meaningful baseball all season again. With Roman Anthony, Kyle Teel, and Kristian Campbell all knocking on the door to the majors at the conclusion of the season, it’s not hard to visualize that an offseason of adding pitching and some glove-first infielders would do nothing but push this team over the final hump and into the postseason in 2025. Once again, Kennedy and I agree wholeheartedly. While this feels like an obvious answer, I can’t recall anyone from the front office coming out and saying in no uncertain terms that while we had three starters who all took big steps forward the front office seems to realize that the easiest path to the postseason in 2025 is through adding at least one top of the rotation arm during the offseason. Lucas Giolito will be a welcome addition next season after he returns from Tommy John surgery, but shouldn’t be counted on to be the staff's ace. That ace needs to be added either to free agency or, preferably, through the trade market. There are teams that match up well with the Red Sox in terms of trade assets. Seattle seems to be the team most connected to the Red Sox due to their youth pitching movement but other teams would be interested in what the Red Sox have to offer for their young, controllable pitchers. Sam Kennedy is often viewed as the ‘mouthpiece’ for the front office since John Henry doesn’t do interviews regularly anymore, and the fans tend to hold Kennedy’s feet a little closer to the fire every time he makes an appearance. To his credit, Kennedy seems to take that responsibility in stride and enjoys sitting down for these styles of interviews. Hopefully, these comments will come closer to fruition. Kennedy seems to be a bit more open than he has been in the recent past, so hopefully, the front office has noticed what the team needs and has been listening to a fanbase that has been growing increasingly vocal over the last three seasons. View full article

Unlike the starting rotation, the closer role hasn't been the subject of intense speculation, but there is a huge hole to be filled once Kenley Jansen departs. Might the Red Sox already have next season's closer on the roster? With Kenley Jansen hitting the injured list, his time with the Boston Red Sox more than likely comes to a close. He’s gone on record saying that he would be interested in returning to Boston, but it is pretty clear that he has his eye on winding down his career, and this July, he said point blank, "I wanna see myself retiring in Dodger blue." These last two years should be looked at as mostly positive when Kenley is brought up. He was the brightest star in the bullpen more often than not. He ranked first among the team's relievers in terms with 1.4 WAR, second with 54.2 innings pitched, and third with a 3.29 ERA. He pitched through injury when the team needed him and offered a veteran presence to help settle the newcomers. There's no doubt, then, that his absence will be felt by his teammates. It also leaves one of the most important roster spots wide open. Let’s take a look at the internal candidates who could fill that role next season. Liam Hendriks Liam Hendriks has the most experience closing, hands down. Between 2019 and 2022, his 114 saves ranked third in baseball. He is a veteran presence with a huge personality that guys flock to. However, he’s coming off two completely lost seasons. In December 2022, Hendriks was diagnosed with Stage-4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Naturally, his attention turned to beating his diagnosis. However, he threw when he could, and he returned to the mound for the White Sox on May 29, 2023, just five months after his initial diagnosis. His return was short-lived. He only made 11 appearances before requiring Tommy John surgery in August 2023. During his brief rehab stint in Worcester, Hendriks made six appearances before being shut down again due to forearm soreness, which was reported as unrelated to the surgically repaired elbow. We'll have to wait and see whether the time off has any effect on Hendriks' stuff. He will be 36 before the next season begins. Craig Breslow seems to think that Hendriks will be competing for the closer spot, but regardless of his role, Hendriks can be a valuable bullpen piece. Justin Slaten The Red Sox are hoping that Rule 5 selection Justin Slaten will be a strong presence in their bullpen for years to come. When Jansen went down for the season, it was telling that Alex Cora designated Slaten and Chris Martin as the two relievers who would get a chance to shut the door on opposing teams. Slaten has battled through injuries this season, but when he’s been healthy he has been one of the more trusted relievers on the team. He currently sports a 2.98 ERA, a 9.6 K/9, and a 1.01 WHIP through 43 appearances. When shut down, Jansen had a 3.29 ERA, 10.2 K/9, and a 1.06 WHIP through 54 appearances. Those look pretty comparable to me. Slaten even throws a cutter like Jansen does, although he doesn’t feature it nearly as often. If given a full offseason to prepare for life as a closer, Slaten could rise to the challenge. He’s young, has bought into Andrew Bailey’s system, and could easily be the man in the ninth inning for the Red Sox next year — if it weren’t for one other person currently within the system. Speaking of former Rule 5 selections…. Garrett Whitlock Did you forget about Whitlock? I have been part of the Garrett Whitlock Shouldn’t Be a Starter crew since the first attempt at putting him in the rotation. In 2022, Whitlock signed a four-year, $18.75 million contract extension with club options in 2027 and 2028. At the time, the extension was heralded as a steal. Whitlock came over from the Yankees in the 2020 virtual Rule 5 Draft and proved to be a top reliever in 2021. Since the extension, Whitlock has shuttled between the bullpen and the rotation while dealing with a litany of injuries. He came into the 2024 season noticeably stronger, and over four starts, he sported a 1.96 ERA, 8.4 K/9, and a 1.15 WHIP. But after an April IL stint and one May rehab start, an MRI revealed damage to Whitlock's UCL, and he underwent a season-ending internal brace procedure. If we look back to 2021, we see the makings of a true bullpen ace, someone who could easily be handed the ball in the ninth inning. Whitlock has a career ERA of 2.65 as a reliever and 4.29 as a starter. During the '21 season, Whitlock had a 1.96 ERA, a 9.9 K/9, and a 1.10 WHIP. While those numbers aren’t quite 2024-Jansen level, the stuff is there for Whitlock to become a solid lockdown closer, and he’s already under contract for two more years (plus two option years). Although it was three years ago now, we’ve seen him step into the biggest games and dominate. Whitlock has every chance to be that pitcher again, and allowing him to close should help mitigate the injury risk he has been carrying for the last three seasons. It’s entirely possible that the front office decides to go outside of the organization to find their next closer, just as they did, and quite successfully, with Kenley Jansen. There will be some upper-tier relievers on the open market and some available in trades for the right price. Realistically, the organization needs to spend money elsewhere: a right-handed power bat, a couple of front-line starters, a power-hitting lefty outfielder named Juan Soto (but that's a story for another article). Turning to some relievers who are already in the organization and have the plus stuff and mental fortitude to close out games would be one of the smartest decisions Breslow and company could make this offseason. View full article

The duo was expected to be a bright spot for Boston's infield this season, but injuries derailed those hopes for months. Is there reason to believe in them moving forward? After dropping a four-game series in New York and a three-game series in Tampa, the Red Sox find themselves on the outside looking in, with fewer and fewer opportunities to qualify for the postseason. Still, this season should be considered a success. The team has hung around the playoff picture for longer than it did in previous years, and it did so with a patchwork starting rotation, a bullpen that punched above its weight for part of the season, and two cornerstone infielders spending the vast majority of on their time on the injured list. Let’s give Craig Breslow, Alex Cora, his staff, and even Chaim Bloom some credit. They took what many expected to be a lost season and turned it into a campaign full of fun games and meaningful September baseball. Speaking of those cornerstone infielders, it's fair to wonder what the season would have been like had Trevor Story and Triston Casas not gone down early in the year. Story injured his non-throwing shoulder on April 5 in what was described at the time as a season-ending injury. His return to the lineup on September 7 was viewed as a veteran-leader move. A left rib strain put Casas on the shelf from April 21 until August 16. While much has been made of his mental practice swings and weapon-based pain scale, the loss of a powerful left-handed bat was a big one. Rafael Devers became the team's primary power threat, with no protection behind him in the lineup. Both players have returned with varying degrees of success. They are making the plays you expect them to make at their positions, but their offense still hasn't gotten healthy. Story has been just a hair below average, but Casas is running a 91 wRC+ since his return, a far cry from the 129 he put up last season. I started wondering what the 2025 season could hold for Story and Casas. Both are expected to play huge roles in Boston for the foreseeable future, even if a certain author believes Story makes more sense as a sell-low trade chip. Can their brief returns to the lineup can tell us anything as we look to next season? Story’s lack of offense is nothing new to the Red Sox faithful. Since his return, he's batting .258 with a 98 wRC+, which makes for roughly league-average production. He’s recently found a slight power surge, though one of the homers got some help from Yankee Stadium's short porch. Still, the eye test shows a hitter who is making more soft contact than hard. He has an 85.1-mph average exit velocity and a 24.5% hard-hit rate this season, and the EV figure is even lower since his return from injury. Both of those numbers are catastrophically low, by far the worst of Story's career. His spray chart reveals very few balls hit deep into the outfield. For a second straight season, the hope is that a full offseason of workouts will get Story back in All-Star form with the bat. Sure, it’s an incredibly small sample size but the 82.6-mph average exit velocity he's run since his return — the fourth-lowest among all qualified players over that stretch — leaves you with a sense of longing rather than hope. The flip side is his glove still plays. He makes both the routine and flashy plays look easy, and that’s exactly what you want your shortstop to do. It’s no secret that shortstop has been a point of contention among Boston fans since the team signed Story and Xander Bogaerts departed for San Diego a year later. Story’s inability to stay on the field has shined a new light on just how valuable even a league-average shortstop is to a team with postseason aspirations. There has been a noticeable shift when he's been on the dirt, as his attitude and leadership have settled and calmed the infield. You know that if a ball is rocketed to short, Story will field it smoothly and make the play. His teammates don’t have to worry about whether a last-minute hop will squirt past him or that he'll airmail the throw to first. The sample of 19 games is tiny, but according to both DRS and Statcast's Feilding Run Values, he's already saved two runs, an elite pace. You can’t say that about anyone else who has played up the middle in Boston this season. There’s no reason to expect his defense to take a considerable step backward next season. I still maintain he should be traded due to the influx of youth, but you can count on him to be the Opening Day shortstop who hits .250 at best but plays borderline Gold Glove defense. Pivoting to Triston Casas, our sample size isn’t huge, but it's bigger than Story’s. In the 23 games before his injury, Casas was running a 128 wRC+, and a 30.1% strikeout rate, essentially the same production he put up last year, but with more strikeouts. In the 31 games since his return, his wRC+ has fallen nearly 30 points to 91, and his strikeout rate has climbed to a precipitous 36.7%, fifth-highest among all qualified players over that period. Alex Cora has even taken to sitting Casas against lefty starters for the last two weeks, in favor of Connor Wong. Before the injury, Casas ran a 149 wRC+ against lefties and a 128 wRC+ against righties. Since his return, those numbers are 44 and 105. He deserves some time to figure things out, and he was probably rushed back a bit to help with the playoff hunt, but it’s becoming clearer that Casas isn’t going to return to form on offense this season. He’s hit three home runs since returning from injury, but his spray chart isn't pretty. On the other hand, Casas has looked like he’s taken a step forward on defense. He looks more comfortable, and he's picking balls you wouldn't have expected him to pick at the start of the season, though he has committed two errors since his return. Casas has always been a passable defender, but he looks like he’s coming into his own at first. There’s no reason to expect that Casas won't return to form on offense next year. He should step into the All-Star potential he’s shown when completely healthy. The question of what to expect from Story and Casas is one of many that faces the Red Sox this offseason. Will they find a way to acquire a true ace? What does the bullpen look like after the departures of Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen? How do they resolve the outfield logjam? We won't get any answers until November at the earliest. However, Story and Casas will be looked at as leaders of the infield every time they are in the lineup. Let’s just hope they're out there for longer next season. Maybe that’s the push this team needs to break back into the playoff scene. View full article