Soxprospects.com Podcast

Chris and Ian welcome Red Sox Senior VP of Baseball Operations Ben Crockett—who was promoted from VP of Player Development shortly after this episode was recorded!—to the podcast. The guys discuss the most unusual year that shall not be named. Crockett shares his thoughts on the alternate training site. He talks through what the year ahead will look like. And finally the guys talk to him about some of the more interesting player development stories. Before getting into the interview, Chris and Ian talk through the latest moves, including the Adam Ottavino trade, and read your emails. 0:00 - Intros, housekeeping, email us and remember to check us out on Patreon 4:30 - Transactions and news 28:00 - Mailbag 35:30 - Looking back on 200 episodes 42:45 - Interview with Ben Crockett     Players Mentioned   Frank German  Adam Ottavino  Enrique Hernandez  Garrett Richards  Jose Adames  Zac Grotz  Matt Carasiti  Jay Groome  Rafael Devers  Michael Chavis  Javier Guerra  Mauricio Dubon  Tanner Houck  Jeter Downs  Tr

Chris and Ian welcome Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom to celebrate our 200th episode. The guys discuss Bloom’s first year at the helm of the Red Sox, as well as Bloom’s start in the game. Bloom also talks through his experience at the Rays, taking the helm of an organization during a season altered drastically by a global pandemic, roster management, the draft, and much more.  0:00 - Intros, housekeeping, email us and remember to check us out on Patreon 4:30 - News: Chatham traded, Pedroia not returning 15:45 - Interview with Chaim Bloom Players Mentioned   CJ Chatham  Jonathan Arauz  Christian Arroyo  Jeremy Rivera  Dustin Pedroia  Darwinzon Hernandez  Nick Pivetta  Connor Seabold  Nick Yorke    We also want to thank our in-residence musical guest, The Ludlow Thieves. Check them out on YouTube and Spotify.   Got something to say? We love talking about what you want to hear about. Make sure to email us.     Love the show? Want to help us out while also getting exclusive goodies? Support the p

Welcome to 2021. The Commissioner is telling teams to prepare to start the season on time. Free agency and the hot stove are both heating up as well. And our episode is setting the table for bigger things to come. Still, we have some interesting moves to analyze, both made by the Red Sox and by other clubs. Another set of international free agents have begun to sign, and Chris and Ian have the run down on them and the first round of non-roster invitees. Additionally, rumors have been flying about a possible trade involving a young outfielder, and the guys share their thoughts before we crack open the mailbag for your questions.    0:00 - Intros, housekeeping, email us and remember to check us out on Patreon   4:00 - Moves that didn’t happen   18:00 - Moves that did happen   32:00 - Minor transactions   35:45 - International free agency   41:00 - Benintendi trade rumors   47:15 - Mailbag   Players Mentioned   Alex Verdugo    Jeter Downs    Hunter Renfroe    Martin Perez    Matt Andriese    Daniel Gosse

It’s December, and despite the lack of major league player movement Chris and Ian had plenty to discuss. We finally know what the realignment of the minor leagues looks like and which teams that will remain a part of the Red Sox system. There have been some moves to look at as we welcome Hunter Renfroe and Garrett Whitlock to Boston. Chris and Ian take a quick trip through the winter leagues. We released new rankings and go into detail on a few of the guys who made significant moves. And finally, the guys get to your excellent questions.   0:00 - Intros, housekeeping, email us and remember to check us out on Patreon 3:50 - Minor League affiliate shuffle 15:50 - Rule 5 recap 23:00 - Hunter Renfroe signing 29:00 - News from the winter leagues 34:00 - Rankings update 50:00 - Mailbag   Players Mentioned   Garrett Whitlock  Brian Johnson  Hector Velazquez  Tyreque Reed  Kaleb Ort  Hunter Renfroe  Michael Chavis  Jarren Duran  Alan Marrero  Denyi Reyes  Gilberto Jimenez  Jay Groome  Aldo Ramirez  Noah Song  Brain

Making his seventh appearance on the podcast, Alex Speier joins Chris and Ian for an enjoyable conversation. The guys discuss his prospect rankings, the challenges of ranking players who have missed a full year of development, and how much weight to put on performance at alternate training sites. And as always, the discussion crosses into so much more. Prior to talking with Alex, Chris and Ian go over the latest offseason news, including a just-announced trade, and pop open the mailbag to answer your questions.  0:00 - Intros, housekeeping, email us and remember to check us out on Patreon 2:30 - Offseason News 7:45 - Mailbag 26:30 - Alex Speier interview Players Mentioned   Michael Gettys  Yoan Aybar  Christian Koss  Denyi Reyes  Austin Brice  Triston Casas  Jeter Downs  Bobby Dalbec  Bryan Mata  Jarren Duran  Jay Groome  Gilberto Jimenez  Tanner Houck  Nick Yorke  Thaddeus Ward  Connor Seabold  Rafael Devers  Noah Song  Aldo Ramirez  Chris Murphy  Brayan Bello  William Cuevas  Brendan Cellucci  AJ Politi 

It's mid-November, and finally... some minor league scouting updates to discuss! Ian and Chris have the goods from the Fall Instructional League in Fort Myers, where 62 of the Red Sox' top farmhands spent 5.5 weeks. We've got who impressed and who disappointed with their showings. Plus, the guys preview who might be protected on Friday from selection in the Rule 5 draft (and how that list has changed based on Fall Instructs reports), who's playing abroad this winter, and of course, your emails.  0:00 - Intros, housekeeping, email us and remember to check us out on Patreon  6:10 - Rule 5 preview 21:00 - Offseason leagues 25:45 - Fall Instructs 1:06:00 - Mailbag Players Mentioned Bryan Mata  Connor Seabold  Conner Wong  Jay Groome  Eduard Bazardo  Hudson Potts  Jeisson Rosario  Deivy Grullon  Gilberto Jimenez  Triston Casas  Aldo Ramirez  Brainer Bonaci  Chris Murphy  Brayan Bello  Nick Decker  Matthew Lugo  Cameron Cannon  Chih-Jung Liu  Eduardo Lopez  Darel Belen  Eduardo Vaughan  Juan Chacon  Wilkelman Gonz

The winter meetings are still off in the future, but baseball’s offseason is in full swing. The Sox brought back several minor league free agents. Oh, and Alex Cora is back with the club to manage. In addition, we have a run down on important upcoming dates for the offseason. The guys talk through the players who will need to be protected on the 40-man before the rule 5 draft. Ian and Chris discuss the future of the minor leagues. And we wrap it all up with another installment of the 80-grade mailbag.    0:00 - Intros, housekeeping, email us and remember to check us out on Patreon 4:10 - Offseason news 9:50 - Minor League free agent signings 19:00 - Alex Cora returns to helm the Sox 30:20 - Important offseason dates 44:50 - Future of the minors 51:50 - Mailbag Players Mentioned Roldani Baldwin  Seth Blair  Raynel Espinal  Stephen Gonsalves  Joey Meneses  Johan Mieses  Josh Ockimey  Jhonny Pereda  Caleb Simpson  Martin Perez  Josh Tobias  Jay Groome  Bryan Mata  Hudson Potts  Jeisson Rosario  Connor Seabold 

The 2020 season has successfully drawn to a close, bringing us to an offseason that promises great change for the Red Sox. With nine players already gone from the roster, Chris and Ian went player-by-player through the remaining members of the 40-man roster in an attempt to predict who will stay, who will go, and what those who are still around will be doing next season. Plus, some questions about Jackie Bradley’s future with the club now that he’s a free agent, and more of your great questions!  0:00 - Intros, housekeeping, email us and remember to check us out on Patreon 6:25 - Early offseason moves 19:50 - Reshaping the 40 man 58:45 - Mailbag Players Mentioned   Domingo Tapia  Rusney Castillo Dustin Pedroia  Christian Vazquez  Xander Bogaerts  Matt Barnes  Eduardo Rodriguez  Andrew Benintendi  Rafael Devers  Marcus Walden  Ryan Brasier  Colton Brewer  Michael Chavis  Josh Taylor  Darwinzon Hernandez  Ryan Weber  CJ Chatham  Kyle Hart  Yoan Aybar  Marcus Wilson  Martin Perez  Chris Mazza  Kevin Plawecki

The sprint that was the 2020 season has drawn to a close, and while it may not seem like it, Chris and Ian had plenty to look back on. There were plenty of debuts to digest, so the guys looked back on the first taste of MLB for Bobby Dalbec, Tanner Houck, and others, plus examine what the team's (probable) positioning at number 4 in next year's draft really means. Meanwhile, what did we learn from the action at Sim City in Pawtucket? Is there anything to be gleaned from this experiment in player development? Who stood out? And baseball is not done yet - it's time for the Fall Instructional League, and we're breaking down the roster. Plus, as always, your superlative emails! For the full Fall Instructional League roster, see our post 0:00 - Intros, housekeeping, email us and remember to check us out on Patreon 4:45 - MLB season recap 43:30 - Looking back at the Alternate Training Site 1:01:00 - Looking ahead to Fall Instructs 1:22:45 - Mailbag Players Mentioned Andrew Bennintendi  Jay Groome  Bobby Dalbec  M

Well, the season is over. The Sox finished strong and still nabbed the fourth pick in the 2021 draft. Chris and Ian wind down the campaign with an eye to the future. Tanner Houck is looking good, and Nick Pivetta made the most of his starts with the big club. Ian shares several thoughts from the Alternate Training Site, and both Ian and Chris call out that the roster reflects Chaim Bloom’s craftsmanship, citing Nick Yorke and the many top 20 prospects acquired in trades this season. Among those guys is Sox newcomer Jacob Wallace who came over as the player to be named later from the Rockies in the Pillar trade. Wallace will go straight to Instructs, which Chris breaks down the logistics of the fall camp. Teaser, we’ll have a more in-depth preview next episode. Finally, it’s mailbag time, and you all did a great job filling the bag with some awesome questions.  0:00 - Intros, housekeeping, email us and remember to check us out on Patreon 4:45 - The Red Sox are... winning? 7:10 - Tanner Houck MLB pitcher 25:0

With the possibility of a top-five pick riding on the last few weeks of the season, we have a reason to pay attention to games as the season winds down. Ian breaks down how much of a difference a high draft pick means towards overall bonus pool. And speaking of reasons to pay attention, Tanner Houck is expected to make his big-league debut on September 15. Ian gives us a full scouting report for the righthander, who we have ranked number 10 in the system. Next up the guys discuss MLB’s approval of fall instructs. We also share an update on the negotiations between Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball. And we hand the show over to you to close it out with more of your terrific emails and messages. 0:00 - Intros, housekeeping, email us and remember to check us out on Patreon 3:00 - 2021 Draft watch 12:45 - Tanner Houck MLB debut preview 29:45 - MLB approves fall instructional camps 35:00 - MLB/MiLB negotiation update 45:45 - Mailbag Players Mentioned Tanner Houck  Bobby Dalbec  Kyle Hart  Jarren Dur

The Red Sox wheeled and dealed at the deadline. In total, they struck four deals, including the Workman-Hembree deal talked about last episode. We don’t know who the club got for Kevin Pillar and Josh Osich, but can break down the two players the Sox got for Mitch Moreland. And both Hudson Potts and Jeisson Rosario are intriguing young players with some upside who debuted in the top 20 on our recently released rankings. Both Potts and Rosario will need to be added to the 40-man ahead of the winter’s Rule 5 draft. Who else is eligible to be selected, and which should be protected? We discuss. And with the trades, a number of Sox Prospects are playing in the bigs and the guys break them all down. And we hand the show over to you to close it out with more of your terrific emails and messages. 0:00 - Intros, housekeeping, email us and remember to check us out on Patreon 4:30 - Talking Trades 22:00 - Rule V considerations 28:30 - New rankings 47:45 - Promotions and non-promotions 1:03:45 - Mailbag Players Mention

With the trade deadline coming up, Chris and Ian get back on the line to talk trades. They address the deal that sent Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree to the Phillies and brought back Nick Pivetta and Connor Seabold. The guys then revisited the trade talks with the Padres, and while they don’t see Wil Myers coming to Boston, they do see the Red Sox as being in a good spot to take on salary and get decent young talent in exchange. The guys also talked who the club should and should not move. They talk through Casas joining the Alternate Training Site and who might join them. And we close out the show with more of your terrific questions. 0:00 - Intros, housekeeping, email us and remember to check us out on Patreon 9:00 - We have a trade to discuss 30:15 - Trade talk mailbag 36:00 - Trading Xander? 43:00 - Guys who could move 58:00 - Casas in Pawtucket 1:03:02 - Mailbag   Players Mentioned   Brandon Workman  Heath Hembree  Connor Seabold  Nick Pivetta  Tanner Houck  Bryan Mata  Kyle Hart  Jay Groome  Thadd

Two weeks in, and we still have MLB games! And thanks to the PawSox streaming simulated games from McCoy Stadium, we even get to see the prospects. We have a lot to talk about for both the big league club as well as the action down in Pawtucket. Chris and Ian leadoff with pitching talk. In particular, they go in depth on what happens when a club loses half of its top eight pitchers. Following that, they break down concerns with the lineup. Ian wonders when Bobby Dalbec joins the 28-man roster. Then Chris and Ian break down what’s happening at Pawtucket. And we conclude with an abundance of your always great emails. 0:00 - Intros, housekeeping, email us and remember to check us out on Patreon 5:30 - Big league roster construction - pitchers 18:00 - Big league roster construction - hitters 36:00 - Scouting the Alternate Training Site 46:30 - Mailbag   Players Mentioned   Eduardo Rodriguez Darwinzon Hernandez Josh Taylor Dylan Covey Zack Godley Ryan Weber Bryan Mata Kyle Hart B

Baseball games are starting at last. Chris and Ian drop in to set the stage for this most unusual of seasons. They lead off with the latest additions for the club. Welcome to Boston, Dylan Covey and Zack Godley. Then the guys go deep on the difficult decisions in staffing the big league club. The last draft signings were officially announced. And finally, news out of Los Angeles, Mookie Betts has a contract extension in place that will enable him to finish his career in Dodger Blue. And we conclude with more of your terrific emails. 0:00 - Intros, housekeeping, email us and remember to check us out on Patreon 3:00 - Player Pool additions 11:00 - New acquisitions 25:45 - Toughest roster decisions 35:45 - Draft signings 39:00 - Mookie gets paid 48:30 - Mailbag Players Mentioned Triston Casas Darwinzon Hernandez Josh Taylor Dylan Covey Eduardo Rodriguez Zack Godley Bobby Dalbec Gilberto Jimenez Robinson Leyer Jeremy Wu-Yelland Shane Drohan CJ Chatham Jonathan Arauz Jarren Duran Andrew Miller We also want to

We have real news. Lots of it. News from camp. Juice Pigs news (yes, that’s a thing). And new rankings news. We start off with Nick Yorke signing, and the guys speculate about how soon the rest of the draftees will sign. They go over news from summer camp, including the players diagnosed with COVID-19. Get well soon, guys. Before getting to our new rankings, they go over MLB Pipeline’s Position Group rankings. They talked about the possibility of minor leaguers playing in independent leagues. And then it’s time for our mid-season rankings. Several interesting moves both up and down and Chris and Ian share their thoughts and reasoning. Finally, it’s back to the mailbag for a pair of interesting questions. 0:00 - Intros, housekeeping, email us and remember to check us out on Patreon 8:00 - Quick hit news 24:30 - Our rankings update 54:45 - Mailbag time Players Mentioned Nick Yorke  Blaze Jordan Bobby Dalbec Brendan Celucci Noah Song Connor Wong Pedro Castellanos Brandon Howlett Cedanne Rafaela Luis Perales K

Major League Baseball has announced plans for a return to the field. Meanwhile, Minor League Baseball cancelled its 2020 season. That gets Chris and Ian back behind their mics. Leading off, Noah Song finally has direction for the next 12-18 months of his military career. Then on to the big news of the week. MLB imposed a 60-games-in-66-days framework. They discuss how the 60-man player pool will work. From there, the guys break out who is on the Sox squad and debate which players should be added to the 60-man. Then it’s time for a somber topic, the cancelation of the minor league season. Finally, Chris and Ian reach into the deep mailbag and answer your excellent questions. 0:00 - Intros, housekeeping, email us and remember to check us out on Patreon 3:30 - Noah Song is going to flight school 9:20 - The plan to play 17:30 - Boston’s 60-man player pool 40:00 - The last dozen spots 1:00:00 - Canceling the MiLB season 1:06:45 - Mailbag time We also want to thank our in-residence musical guest, The Ludlow Thieve

Having gone outside the pod for opinions last episode, Chris and Ian got their chance to talk through the draft. The guys talk through each draft selection, and all the undrafted free agents who had signed as of the time we recorded. They go in depth on both Nick Yorke and Blaze Jordan, the two high schoolers whose bats will need to carry them. Then it’s time to talk about the two college pitchers.  And of course, we read another batch of your exceptional emails! 0:00 - Intros, housekeeping, email us and remember to check us out on Patreon. 3:10 - Recapping the draft33:00 - Undrafted free agent signings 46:45 - Mailbag Players Mentioned in the show Blaze Jordan Triston Casas Nick Yorke Jeremy Wu-Yelland Shane Drohan Brian Van Belle Jordan DiValerio Jacinto Arredondo Merfy Andrew Cole Milam Graham Hoffman Juan Montero Henry Nunez Rijo Jake MacKenzie Jose Garcia Cuba Bess We also want to thank our in-residence musical guest, The Ludlow Thieves. Check them out on YouTube and Spotify

Chris and Ian welcome Jim Callis to the pod (his fifth appearance on the podcast!) to talk all things MLB Draft. And as always, he’s got plenty of knowledge to bring to the table! Jim shared his thoughts on Boston’s draft strategy, his thorough thoughts on the players the Sox picked in the draft, and the abbreviated draft in general. And of course, we got to your emails! Follow Jim on Twitter @jimcallisMLB We also want to thank our in-residence musical guest, The Ludlow Thieves. Check them out on YouTube and Spotify. Got something to say? We love talking about what you want to hear about. Make sure to email us.  Love the show? Want to help us out while also getting exclusive goodies? Support the podcast by contributing to us on Patreon! Go to Sox Prospects on Patreon for the details. Podcast Twitter Links: @SPChrisHatfield @IanCundall @SoxProspects Subscribe on iTunes (please rate and review!) Subscribe on Stitcher (please rate and review!) Listen on Spotify Listen on YouTube Listen on Google Play

With the 17th selection of the 2020 Major League Baseball Draft, the Boston Red Sox threw us all a curveball when they selected California high school infielder Nick Yorke. Wondering what happened? Want the dish on the newest Red Sox draftee? Chris and Ian have the answers. Ian shares the consensus on Yorke’s hit tool and makeup, both of which are highly regarded. The guys talk through the draft strategy behind the pick, including expectations of how the next 3 picks will shake out. They shared their impressions of the conference call with Chaim Bloom and Paul Toboni. And we close with a great email. We also want to thank our in-residence musical guest, The Ludlow Thieves. Check them out on YouTube and Spotify. Got something to say? We love talking about what you want to hear about. Make sure to email us. Love the show? Want to help us out while also getting exclusive goodies? Support the podcast by contributing to us on Patreon! Go to Sox Prospects on Patreon for the details. Podcast Twitter Links: @S