Red Sox Notes: Cody Ross, Sox Prospects & Not Aging Gracefully
Ross is Ready. I like the addition of Cody Ross. He’s a gritty player (Sox needed more grit – remember last September) – who can handle all three outfield positions. Ross has experience in playoff pressure. He is a good fourth outfielder who could get a lot of bats. In a conversation with Rob Bradford, Ross says he landed in the right place.
Law’s Review. Keith Law released his list of the top 100 prospects (subscription required). Only two Red Sox – Xander Bogaerts (#62) and Blake Swihart (#100) made the list. Both players are very young and a long ways off. Boston is behind in the AL East player development race. Tampa Bay landed six players on the list. Toronto and New York each had four players, and lowly Baltimore three. Looking at elite talent: the Rays and Orioles each had two players in the top 12 and Toronto had one.
NESN Weighs In. Not to be out-done, NESN is revealing its Top 100 prospect list (they are up to #41 right now) with Will Middlebrooks (#56) and Bogaerts (#63). Also on the list: C Ryan Lavarnway (#99) and Matt Barnes (#88). I got to think that’s all the Red Sox prospects we will see on the NESN list – which will confirm Law’s view: Red Sox are thin on top prospects.
Aging Not So Gracefully. Great analytical piece by Joe Posnanski that shows star players start dropping in production at age 32 and it accelerates as they get older. Boston has got a bunch of long-term contracts where the players go well beyond age 32. The combination of the big salary commitments and declining production could put the Red Sox in a bad position in coming seasons.
Albie Jarvis
