Since various minor leaguers have either being promoted to the majors or traded in recent years, the Red Sox farm system has been significantly depleted and now ranks 25th in baseball, according to MLB.com. The trade of Mookie Betts and David Price, however, helped to replenish the organization’s stock by returning middle infielder Jeter Downs and catcher Connor Wong.
Downs is now the Red Sox' No. 1 prospect, according to new rankings by MLB.com. He leapfrogged former No. 1 pick Triston Casas, a power-hitting first baseman who dropped to second place among the organization’s prospects.
The 20-year-old Casas, who was drafted in 2018, is an imposing 6-foot-4, 240-pound slugger who displays tremendous power from the left side. Casas was drafted as a third baseman, but, despite his strong arm, lacks range at the position. So, the Red Sox shifted him to the other side of the diamond. Though his major league arrival is projected for some time in 2022, a strong showing next season could lead to an expedited call-up.
First baseman Bobby Dalbec is the Sox No. 3 prospect. Listed at 6-foot-4, 227 pounds, the 25-year-old Dalbec also played third base in college and the minors. But with Rafael Devers' emergence as an All Star-caliber third baseman, the Sox have utilized Dalbec at first base in the minors, viewing him as the position's heir apparent next season.
It isn't likely that the Sox would platoon Dalbec and Casas at first base. However, since Dalbec also plays third, it raises an interesting possibility.
The Red Sox desperately need pitching for the 2021 season and beyond. They have Chris Sale under control through at least 2024 (2025 club option) and Nathan Eovaldi through 2022. Eduardo Rodriguez becomes a free agent after next season, unless he is extended. However, Sale and E-Rod are both suffering from health issues and their status for next season remains unclear. No matter, Boston's rotation desperately needs quality additions.
Free agency is always a gamble, especially with pitchers. Most of them don't become available until at least age 30, a time when their health often starts to falter. Moreover, the top free-agent pitchers in the coming offseason are Marcus Stroman, Mike Minor, Jake Odorizzi and Robbie Ray. Boston must do better than that.
The Red Sox need a dynamic young pitcher that they can control for years to come. To get that type of talent in a trade would require giving up an equally dynamic young talent. Enter Devers.
It wouldn't be surprise me if the Sox offer Devers as a trade chip for a young, controllable starter with top-of-the-rotation projectability. The presence of both Dalbec and Casas in their minor league system would allow it. Casas could man first, while Dalbec could shift back the hot corner at the big league level. The presence of both could more than make up for the loss of Devers' power.
It may seem outlandish at first, but Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy recently indicated that the organization is open to trading anyone, if a deal can improve the club in both the near and long term.
“You look at this team and we still have a really young group of core players that you’d like to see with the Red Sox for a long, long time. We’d never label anyone untouchable, just given the fact that sometimes to re-tool and restructure for the future, you do have to sometimes make difficult decisions, as you saw with the Mookie [Betts] transaction. I don’t think anybody would be untouchable as it were, but there are certainly guys who have grown up in the system that we’d like to keep with the Sox for a long, long time.”
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