For the sake of this argument, I will not be including Clay Buchholz or Brandon Moss in my grading system, and I will be including Justin Masterson since he has not played as much in the major leagues.
Since Theo Epstein became general manager of the Boston Red Sox, the team has shown a strong interest in revamping their farm system rather than renting players at the all-star break.
The increased important Epstein and his staff have placed on the MLB draft has paid dividends for Boston, which now finds itself with a lot of options and gap-fillers from within the system.
Gone are the days of top prospects with mediocre ceilings like Wilton Veras and Brian Rose. Under Epstein, they have been replaced by players like Michael Bowden, Jed Lowrie, and Lars Anderson.
Prospects with a lot of potential and possible difference-makers down the road.
Here is a look at each position, and how the Red Sox have stocked them individually.
Catcher:
One would have to go all the way down to No. 17 on soxprospects.com before they find the highest rated catcher in the Red Sox system. Luis Exposito has the highest ceiling of the group, but his hitting tools are still very raw, and he is at least four years away from making the club.
The Red Sox love his catching instincts and think his howitzer arm and great handling of the pitching staff will be important to how he fits with the parent club down the road.
In 49 games with Low-A Greenville, Exposito was hitting .283/.328/.836 with 11 home runs before being called up to Lancaster. He needs to improve his plate discipline as he has only walked 12 times all season.
The prospect closest to a call-up is AA-Portland catcher Mark Wagner. The UC-Irvine product tore it up in Lancaster last season and earned a trip this season to Portland.
A strong defensive catcher with middling power and a long swing, Wagner's future remains bright, but he hasn't figured out AA pitching yet. He is hitting just .243/.325/.740 with eight home runs. But the Red Sox still like his potential, but with the way Varitek is hitting the ball, Boston may need him sooner than he is ready.
Dusty Brown is the catcher for AAA-Pawtucket, and although he is having a good season in R.I. for the minor league Red Sox, he is already 26 years old, and he most likely has already peaked on potential. He can be an effective stopgap should someone get hurt, but his potential as a starter is limited.
George Kottaras is another player with Pawtucket and is a year younger than Brown. He has a lot of power and can be an effective hitter at the major league level. But he doesn't project well as a catcher and could move positions.
They drafted Tim Federowicz out of North Carolina in the past draft, and although he lacks power, he has all the other intangibles needed to have a prosperous career behind the plate. He will start with the Lowell Spinners.
Grade: C+
First Base:
A position that the Red Sox have drastically improved since the days of Brian Daubach, first base still leaves a lot to be desired for the organization.
3 comments Last one added 12 months ago — Leave a Comment
Ben Weixlmann 12 months ago
Masterson has already shown glimpses of what he can do! This kid can really throw!
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Pete Shea 12 months ago
Daeges is looking like he has a ML-caliber bat. He may not be able to find a position but we can't ignore the offense any longer.
I think we have to include Chiang in the middle of the IF conversation. He's worked on his defense, is 20 in A+ ball, and has put up a .950+ OPS in his last 100 ABs, with a reverse Home/Away split even though he's at Lancaster. Good stuff.
Starters: Stolmy Pimental and Brock Hunztinger, both at Lowell, are showing up very well thus far, and will be two names to watch. Pimental came over from the DSL and Huntzinger was a 2006 draft pick who threw just 7 IP in the GCL last year. Works in the low 90s consistently, with good command of 3 pitches.
Richie Lentz is another name to get used to: he has just been promoted to Portland after dominating in relief for Lancaster. Throws gas, and has nasty stuff.
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Michael Lemaire 12 months ago
Good stuff Pete, there are a lot of talented players in the system and I couldn't include them all.
I would love it if you would actually start writing about the Sox, you clearly know your stuff...maybe cover some minor league stuff?
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