Bleacher Report - Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox: 5 Prospects Who Never Lived Up to the Hype

Bryan Shaffer — Fri, 24 May 2013 03:04:11 -0400

With the 2013 MLB first-year player draft set to begin on June 6, teams are excited about the prospect of replenishing their organizations with young and promising talent.

The sad fact of the matter is that for every young player who pans out, there are dozens who fade into obscurity.

The Boston Red Sox have seen their share of both. Over just the past decade, they have seen the likes of Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and Jacoby Ellsbury—to name a few—come up through their farm system and thrive in Boston.

They have also had players who have fizzled out without meeting their promise. These are the kind of players whose underwhelming careers disappointed the Red Sox fans who anticipated watching the young stars light up Fenway Park.

This list is by no means comprehensive, but it is a sample of some of the biggest disappointments to roll through the Red Sox farm system.

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Terry Francona Deserves Rousing Standing Ovation in Return to Fenway Park

Joel Reuter — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:09:27 -0400

Forget for a second the disastrous collapse down the stretch in 2011. Forget the lost clubhouse where pitchers spent more time drinking beer and eating fried chicken than they did cheering on their team. Even forget the tell-all book he wrote last year, blasting the front office, among other things.

Terry Francona returns to Fenway Park tonight as the skipper of the surging Cleveland Indians, and he deserves nothing short of a standing ovation from Red Sox Nation on Thursday night for everything he brought to the team during his eight seasons at the helm.

His time in Boston ended on a sour note, but he deserves to be remembered as the manager who brought an end to the Curse of the Bambino in 2004 and then brought the city another title in 2007.

Fans were all too quick to say good riddance to Francona after watching the Red Sox go 7-20 to close out the 2011 season, losing to the Baltimore Orioles on the final day of the season to be eliminated from the playoff picture.

However, fast-forward a year and Francona suddenly didn't look so bad, as the Red Sox plummeted to the basement of the AL East with an over-his-head Bobby Valentine leading the team to a 69-93 record, their worst since 1965.

After spending a year in the broadcast booth, the Indians convinced Francona to return to the dugout and pilot what was a franchise without a direction. The team now stands as one of the biggest surprises of 2013, carrying a 26-19 record, good for first place in the AL Central entering play tonight.

A former first-round pick in the 1980 draft, Francona made his big league debut the following season and went on to play 10 seasons in the majors.

He finished his career with a .274/.300/.351 line and 474 hits, as he fell well short of expectations and saw his pro career end at the age of 30 in 1990.

It didn't take him long to get into the managing game, as he took the reins of the White Sox Rookie League team the following season. He worked his way up the ranks in the White Sox minor league organization and wound up being the man who managed Michael Jordan during his time on the baseball field.

His first big league coaching job was as third base coach for the Detroit Tigers in 1996, and the following season he was hired as manager by the Philadelphia Phillies. He lasted just four seasons, going a combined 285-363, and was fired at the end of the 2000 season.

After serving as assistant to the GM for the Indians in 2001 and bench coach for the Texas Rangers and Oakland A's the following two seasons, respectively, Francona was hired to manage the Red Sox in 2004.

The previous season, manager Grady Little had led the team to a 95-67 record and a berth in the ALCS. His decision to leave Pedro Martinez in the Game 7 with a 5-2 lead and a high pitch count in the bottom of the eighth will forever be questioned. The Yankees wound up tying it in the eighth and winning it in the the 11th when Aaron Boone hit a walk-off home run against Tim Wakefield.

Aside from the additions of Curt Schilling, Keith Foulke and Mark Bellhorn, the Red Sox were essentially the same team in 2004, and Francona brought them back to the ALCS to again face the Yankees.

The 2004 team was different, though, as it came back from losing the first three games of the series to eliminate the Yankees. The squad seemed like a team of destiny, and there was Francona at the head of it all.

After waiting 86 years to finally win a title, Francona then brought another one to the city just three years later, when the Red Sox swept the Rockies.

Suddenly, expectations in Boston had changed, and simply reaching the postseason was no longer enough. The team won 95 games in 2008 and 2009 but was eliminated in the ALCS by the Rays in '08 and then swept in the first round by the Angels the following season.

The next two seasons the Red Sox finished third in the AL East and missed the playoffs, and the team's late-season collapse in 2011 was the last straw for Francona.

Immediately following his firing, a number of rumors surrounded Francona and the team. I wrote a piece back in October of that year highlighting some of them, as there was talk that Francona was hooked on painkillers and distracted by his divorce—that he had lost the dugout completely and that too many players were playing for themselves.

Then, last January, he released his tell-all book Francona: The Red Sox Years, and I wrote a piece taking a look at some of the more wild excerpts from it. Francona questioned the owners' passion for the game and if they were making personnel decisions for the right reasons.

Then, last April, Francona rejected an invitation to come to the 100th anniversary celebration of Fenway Park, showing that things were still far from resolved between him and the team.

Francona was on top of the world in 2004 and a hero for leading the Red Sox to a World Series. He was still that same hero when he led the team to another one in 2007.

With the Red Sox enjoying success under a new manager, it's only right that all the negatives be put aside and Francona be remembered as the hero he was with a standing ovation in his return to Fenway Park.

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Boston Red Sox Rumors: Latest News Surrounding the Team

Sean Delorge — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:55:19 -0400

The Boston Red Sox continue to surpass expectations, and it is getting close to the point where we can realistically call them playoff contenders.

Nearly 30 percent of the season is in the books, and typically true colors shine through by the first week of June.

If the Red Sox are going to fight for a playoff spot, and ideally a shot at the World Series, then they will need to make some improvements to the current roster.

Here are three rumors surrounding the Red Sox.

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The Most Electric Red Sox Pitchers of the Last 50 Years

Saul Wisnia — Thu, 23 May 2013 02:10:33 -0400

In leading the Red Sox to victory in Chicago during the final game of a nine-game road trip last night, Clay Buchholz ran his early-season record to 7-0.

The wiry right-hander's white-hot start, which includes a 1.73 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 72.2 innings, is one of the best in franchise history. It also has Red Sox fans wondering, is Buchholz ready to join the list of elite pitchers in Red Sox annals?

These are the guys who didn't just win big games, but had the ballpark buzzing before they even walked in from the bullpen.

Today's Sox in Six focuses on the most electric Red Sox pitchers of the past half-century (in chronological order):

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Boston Red Sox: Jacoby Ellsbury Still Remains in Their Future Plans

Pete Dymeck — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:27:43 -0400

Much has been ballyhooed over Jacoby Ellsbury's slow start to 2013. Hitting just .242, the centerfielder is playing himself right into the situation the Boston Red Sox want him in.

Ellsbury doesn't turn 30 until September. Until then, he will have to prove his value is not rapidly declining. To do so, he will have to show a large uptick in production while maintaining a status on the Red Sox that is more positive than detrimental. If he doesn't, any hope of securing a long-term, super-sized contract worth tens of millions is out of the question.

Since his major league debut in 2007, Ellsbury has reached 600 at-bat's in a single season just three times. Injuries have been extremely costly. At the same time, they have not limited his upside.

In 2010, Ellsbury suffered a rib injury that would severely limit his time off the disabled list. After various DL stints and rehab assignments, Ellsbury would only appear in the majors for 18 games that season.

Finally healthy in 2011, Ellsbury was the runner-up in American League MVP voting. He slugged 32 home runs and 112 RBI to coincide with his .321 AVG. In addition, the phenomenal outfielder stole 39 bases.

Last season, the Red Sox outfielder suffered a shoulder injury early on. He eventually returned for the Sox in what turned out to be a lost season, appearing in 74 games.

Since 2010, Ellsbury has played in an average of 83 games per season. When coalesced with his plate struggles in 2013, Boston can utilize his extensive injury history as a bargaining chip in order to get a more club-friendly deal with Ellsbury.

He has only finished with a Wins-Above-Replacement (WAR) of 4.0 or greater just twice in his career. Additionally, he has only hit for double-digit HR's once. While the upside remains, it is beginning to dwindle.

Ellsbury's 2011 season may have been an aberration.

The power he displayed that season was clearly abnormal compared with his production in other seasons. Even if one prorate's Ellsbury's injury-shortened seasons, the Red Sox centerfielder doesn't come close to what he was in 2011.

While Ellsbury is currently tied for the AL lead in stolen bases, his other traits are not impressive enough to characterize him as one who deserves a Powerball contract.

Instead, one could argue that Ellsbury isn't deserving of a contract similar to what Cody Ross received from the Arizona Diamondbacks. While Ross is three years older than Ellsbury, his career numbers trump those of Ellsbury's by a wide margin.

Just think, Ross's salary is $5 million this season. It will jump to $8.5 million for each of the next two seasons with a $9.5 million club option for 2016.

In the meantime, the current one-year extension worth $9 million that Ellsbury signed prior to the 2013 season isn't suggestive of what Ellsbury may earn once he hits free agency.

As Rob Bradford notes, Boston has yet to talk a contract extension with their centerfielder.

Why?

Because Ellsbury is playing right into the hands of the club's demands. The slugger is devaluing himself with decreased potential while showing signs of wear after a couple major injuries staggered his career.

Prospective outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. is another reason why Ellsbury is not posturing himself well enough to extract more financially.

While Bradley Jr. struggled in his debut with the Red Sox, he has since found his groove in Triple-A. Since his demotion, the 23 year old is hitting .315 with an OPS of .885. While Bradley doesn't offer much power, his potential is similar to what Ellsbury has shown us outside his 2011 surge.

If Ellsbury continues to struggle, it will be more efficient for the Red Sox to move on.

At this point, Boston can't dangle Ellsbury as trade bait due to his extremely low value. Meanwhile, they would be foolish to offer him any long-term deal with an annual salary similar to what he is earning now.

At this rate, Ellsbury might not hold enough equity to reel in an offer worth $9 million or more per annum.

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Boston Red Sox vs. Chicago White Sox: Live Score, Reaction and Analysis

Andrew Martin — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:40:44 -0400

SCORE UPDATE: Red Sox 6 - 2 White Sox, Final

W: Buchholz: 7-0

L: Santiago: 1-3

HR:

CHI: Konerko (5)

BOS: None

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Boston Red Sox 2013 Mock Draft: Projecting Their Top-5 First-Round Targets

Douglas Sibor — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:03:26 -0400

In the last 46 years, the Boston Red Sox have had exactly one pick in the top seven of the MLB Draft. They made the most of that one, drafting the legendary Trot Nixon.

While a run of good play through 2011 meant the Sox have been picking further back in the first round, a silver lining to last year’s horrible season is that they now have the opportunity to grab a top-tier prospect. Many talented players who could help bolster the Sox’s farm system will be available for GM Ben Cherington to choose from, and the challenge for him will be to figure out which needs the Sox need to fill most urgently.

Here’s a look at five players the Sox will target in the first round:

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Biggest Surprises for the Red Sox so Far This Season

Jess Lander — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:38:38 -0400

The 2013 Boston Red Sox have been the surprise of Major League Baseball. Following one of the worst seasons in franchise history—in which they finished last in the AL East—Boston got off to a hot 12-4 start in 2013.

Currently at 27-19, the Sox are second in the AL East, and just 1.5 games behind the Yankees—a place where few fans thought they'd be a few short months ago.

Aside from the team's overall success, a few players have surprised Red Sox nation both individually and in a good way.

Here are the three biggest surprises for the Red Sox so far this season.

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Boston Red Sox: Will Boston Move Jose Iglesias Away from Shortstop Long-Term?

Benjamin Klein — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:59:34 -0400

The Boston Red Sox have begun an experiment to see what else Jose Iglesias is capable of defensively.

It’s well-known that Iglesias is a great defensive shortstop—easily the best in the organization—but it’s been his offense that’s kept him from being a starter in the big leagues. As Iglesias currently continues to develop in Triple-A Pawtucket, there are plans in place to move him around the infield.

Iglesias will be getting playing time at second and third base in the near future in addition to fielding grounders at shortstop frequently, according to Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal.

“They said I’m moving around, just to get an idea,” Iglesias told MacPherson. “They haven’t told me anything else.”

Well, Pawtucket told Iglesias that he was going to make his first career start away from shortstop on Tuesday afternoon. MacPherson was present for the game and tweeted out some of his thoughts on Iglesias at playing the hot corner.

MacPherson noted in his article that “all indications are that Iglesias will remain primarily a shortstop” and “the work at positions other than shortstop is not a sign that Iglesias is becoming a utility infielder.”

While this is important to keep in mind, it’s also interesting to ponder what the future could hold for Iglesias if he’s able to play positions other than shortstop at a high level defensively. For one, it would certainly open up a series of doors.

The Red Sox are relatively set at second and third base for the moment. Dustin Pedroia is under contract through the 2014 season and there’s an $11 million team option for the 2015 season. Will Middlebrooks is under team control for even longer, considering he just made his major league debut last season.

Depth, though, could turn out to be a problem. The Red Sox don’t really have a major-league-ready backup at third base if anything were to happen to Middlebrooks.

There are a handful of prospects in the minor leagues that could be impactful in the next couple of seasons.

There isn’t a clear-cut replacement for Pedroia either. Pedro Ciriaco is the backup middle infielder for now, but he’s hitting .184/.289/.342 in 19 games this season while playing mediocre defense at best. To say that he’s a replaceable backup would be a major understatement.

If Iglesias could play second or third base well enough, it would definitely increase the odds that he stays with the Red Sox long-term the next time he gets promoted.

But his offense still needs to improve, considering he entered Tuesday hitting .205/.262/.330 in 31 games for Pawtucket.

As I’ve now mentioned twice, offense is Iglesias’ biggest weakness. It’s going to become an even bigger problem at some point this season or definitely next season when Xander Bogaerts—Boston’s top prospect—gets promoted to Triple-A.

MacPherson and his co-worker, Tim Britton, told me in a chat a few weeks ago that “every indication is that the Red Sox want to keep Bogaerts at short as long as possible.” That came after I asked whether it would make sense to transition the top prospect to third base in the wake of Middlebrooks’ offensive struggles.

Bogaerts played a little third base for Team Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic, but has been a shortstop throughout his career.

Because of his size, though, some think that he might be better-suited at third base or at a corner outfielder position in the future.

If Boston plans to keep Bogaerts at shortstop, Iglesias is basically out of the job. This is why these next couple of weeks are so important for Iglesias’ future. If he can handle grounders and routine plays easily at positions other than shortstop, he boosts the likelihood that he’ll eventually be in the major leagues full-time.

If Iglesias can’t play second or third base well, which I think is unlikely, then he’s going to continue to struggle finding time with the Red Sox. Defensive versatility can do a lot of positive things for his career.

Read more Boston Red Sox news on BleacherReport.com

10 Pitchers the Boston Red Sox Should Target in the 2013 Draft

Brian Roach — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:57:20 -0400

The Boston Red Sox farm system is full of young talent, but the organization needs to stock up on pitching because a team can never have too many pitchers in their system.

The Sox have the seventh overall pick and another pick in the second round, and there are multiple pitchers who have solid stats through their college and high school careers that are viable options to thrust into professional baseball.

All stats via throughthefencebaseball.com.

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Boston Red Sox: Secondary Prospects Working to Improve Their Stock

Andrew Martin — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:47:06 -0400

The Boston Red Sox are deeply invested in player development and flush with a variety of young players who could be seen at Fenway Park in the coming years.

In addition to the bigger names, the team has many secondary prospects who are working to improve their stock this season.

Baseball America’s Jim Callis ranked Boston’s farm system as the fifth-best in the majors entering this season, which is indicative of the depth the team has throughout the organizaton.

Just because a player doesn’t start off on the top of prospect lists doesn’t prohibit their future development. There are many youngsters in the Boston system who are just starting to make names for themselves and should be closely watched by the organization and fans.

Click through for a 2013 season update on the best of the Red Sox’s secondary prospects.

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Boston Red Sox: Stock Up, Stock Down for Team's Top 10 Prospects for Week 7

Andrew Martin — Mon, 20 May 2013 07:56:53 -0400

The Boston Red Sox have had a trying May (9-9) after a red-hot April (18-8).

While the Red Sox try to figure out who they truly are this season, they have a number of minor league prospects whose stock is being closely monitored because of their importance to the future.

The organization is deeply invested in player development and loaded with a variety of prospects. Baseball America’s Jim Callis even ranked Boston’s farm system as the fifth-best in the majors entering the 2013 season. So far, the young players have done nothing to waste such high praise.

The Red Sox have already had several prospects play at the major league level this season and could have more before the year is over.

Click through for a stock update on the Red Sox’s top 10 prospects for Week 7 of the 2013 season.

The following players are the top-10 ranked prospects according to Baseball America.

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1st-Quarter Managerial Grades for Red Sox's John Farrell

Peter Woolverton — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:27:20 -0400

In spite of some difficult recent history, the Boston Red Sox have managed to establish themselves as surprise contenders early in the 2013 season. They currently sit just half a game outside of first place after sweeping the Minnesota Twins.

One of the myriad of possible reasons why the Red Sox have been able to play so well is the work of new manager, John Farrell. The team’s former pitching coach is in his first year at the position after a brief stint with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Many credit Farrell with Boston’s brilliant first quarter of baseball, but just how good has he been? Here is a detailed breakdown of Farrell’s managerial performance in various aspects of the game. Let’s see how well he’s done.

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Boston Red Sox's Andrew Miller OK After Being Hit in the Head by a Foul Ball

Andrew Martin — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:34:13 -0400

Boston Red Sox reliever Andrew Miller recently dodged a major injury after he was hit in the head by a foul ball while standing in the dugout.

The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham reported that Miller was in the dugout during the top of the ninth inning of Friday’s 3-2 10-inning win against the Minnesota Twins when the scary moment happened. A foul ball off the bat of teammate Jarrod Saltalamacchia ricocheted off a wall and struck the left-hander in the forehead.

Miller had been searching for a piece of gum at the time and never saw the ball coming. He described to the Boston Herald’s Scott Lauber, "I heard something like whistling, and then, the next thing I know, I was like, 'I think something just hit me in the forehead.' I'm fine—I think."

Typically, Miller would have been sitting in the bullpen. However, he had just finished setting down the Twins in order in the eighth inning and was waiting to go back to the mound after the Red Sox finished hitting.

Despite the scare, Miller returned to the game and retired two more batters.

The game marked the southpaw’s finest performance of the year, as he went a season-long 1.2 innings—striking out three without allowing a baserunner.

Miller’s performance is part of a hot streak dating back to April 21, when his ERA stood at 6.75. Since that time, he has allowed just three runs and seven hits in his last nine innings (12 games), while striking out 16.

For the season, Miller is 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA in 19 relief appearances. He has also averaged an impressive 15.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

Since Miller wasn’t hurt by the foul ball, his near miss is something that can be laughed off. If nothing else, he proved that not even a blow to the head can stop his recent momentum toward establishing himself as a dominant reliever.

Statistics via Baseball-Reference

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