Since Dave Dombrowski has joined the Red Sox, I've seen a lot of talk about a fear that he's going to trade away all the young prospects. So I tried to break down the most recent situations.
Prospects Traded That Worked Out
Hanley Ramirez – Signed as an international Free Agent in 2000. At one point he was the #1 prospect in the Red Sox system. He was traded along with Anibal Sanchez for Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell, & Guillermo Mota. Hanley Ramirez had a successful career with the Marlins and Dodgers while struggling to stay healthy. Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell were critical to the success of the Red Sox and they were both instrumental to the Sox winning in 2007. This was a good trade for the Sox.
Phil Dumatrait – Drafted in 2000 in the 1st Round. Was traded in 2003 for Scott Williamson. Williamson pitched in 52 games for the Sox in 2003 & 2004 with an ERA in the low 3’s . Phil Dumatrait played in 42 games in his whole career.
Kelly Shoppach – Drafted in 2001. At one point was named the #7 Prospect in the Sox System. Was traded in 2006 along with Andy Marte & Guillermo Mota for Coco Crisp, Josh Bard, and David Riske. Coco Crisp was disappointing offensively in his three years with the Red Sox but has had a good career in Oakland. Kelly Shoppach had one good year in Cleveland before bouncing around the league with a sub .200 AVG. Very similar to Josh Bard. Overall this trade just barely worked in the Sox favor.
Andy Marte – Was once named the #1 prospect in the Red Sox system. Was acquired in a trade for Edgar Renteria. Was then traded along with Guillermo Mota and Kelly Shoppach for Coco Crisp. As said with Kelly Shoppach, Coco Crisp was disappointing, but not as disappointing as Andy Marte. He went on to go back and forth between AAA and the majors with Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Anaheim, and eventually Arizona. Again, overall, this trade just barely worked for the Sox.
Brandon Moss – Drafted in 2002. Played for the Sox in 2007 & 2008. He was traded along with Craig Hansen & Manny Ramirez for Jason Bay. Brandon Moss was a late bloomer but found a career in Oakland from 2012-2014. At one point he was an All-Star. Jason Bay was an All-Star and 7th in MVP voting in 2009 with the Red Sox. Before his inexplicable drop-off in 2010, Jason Bay was a very good player and you wonder what would’ve happened to him if he was resigned by the Red Sox. This trade was a win for the Sox since they dumped Manny, got a good player in Jason Bay, and Hansen ended up being a bust. Despite Moss’ limited success, it’s hard to imagine he would’ve gotten the playing time with the Sox that he got in Oakland.
Justin Masterson – Drafted in 2006. Masterson pitched well for the Sox in 2008 before being traded away to Cleveland in 2009 with Nick Hagadone & Brian Price for Victor Martinez. Masterson was a dependable pitcher for Cleveland, even making the All-Star team in 2013. He resigned with the Red Sox this year and has been a disappointment as a starter and out of the pen and was just recently released. Victor Martinez only stayed with the Red Sox for one more year but was an All-Star and hit over .300. There were concerns that Martinez was getting old. But he has had three successful seasons with Detroit
Nick Hagadone – Drafted in 2007. At one point he was ranked the 3rd best prospect in the Red Sox system. He was involved in the trade for Victor Martinez. With Cleveland he was converted to a reliever and has been a below average contributor for them out of the pen since.
Casey Kelly – Drafted in 2008. At one point the #1 Prospect in the Red Sox System. He never pitched for the Red Sox Major League team. He was traded along with Anthony Rizzo, Reymond Fuentes, & Eric Patterson for Adrian Gonzalez. Here is Adrian Gonzalez’s line while with the Sox for 282 Games. 358 Hits 82 Doubles 42 Homeruns 203 RBI .318BA .377OBP. In 2011 with the Sox he was an All-Star, finished 7th in MVP voting, won the Silver Slugger and the Gold Glove. Kelly’s career ERA is 6.21 and he is now a reliever in the Padres minor league system.
Anthony Rizzo – Drafted in 2007. At one point the #3 Prospect in the Red Sox system. Part of the trade for Adrian Gonzalez. 2013-To-Date Numbers vs. Gonzalez. Rizzo 416 G, 415 H, 98 2B, 78 HR, 228 RBI, .271 AVG .371 OBP 2-Time All-Star. Gonzalez 432 G, 459 H, 100 2B, 73 HR, 289 RBI, .286 AVG, .347OBP, All-Star, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger. Anthony Rizzo is admittedly only 26 and looks to have a great career ahead of him. But had the Sox kept Gonzalez, he would’ve been more valuable the past few years than Rizzo.
Anthony Ranaudo – Drafted in 2010 as a first round pick. Ranaudo pitched relatively well for the Sox in 2014 starting 7 games. He was at best at the time a 5th starter. He was traded for Robbie Ross Jr this past offseason. He’s struggled in his few appearances for the Rangers this year. Robbie Ross Jr has been an average arm out of the pen for the Sox. Ranaudo should’ve had more time to develop with the Sox, but there are a lot of good young pitching prospects.
Prospects They Should Have Traded
Craig Hansen – At one time named the #4 Prospect in the Red Sox farm system. Drafted in 2005 Only season in the majors with Sox, posts a 6.63 ERA. Part of a throw in on the Ramirez/Jason Bay deal. I’d rather the few years of Jason Bay and being able to dump Manny at the time. Played poorly for the Pirates, unfortunately was diagnosed with Parsonage-Turner syndrome and was never the same. Could’ve been traded earlier for more.
Michael Bowden – At one time ranked the #5 Prospect in the Red Sox system. Was said to have the best control of any pitcher in the system. Career ERA of 4.1. Drafted in 2005 was traded in 2012 for Marlon Byrd. Marlon Byrd was released by the Red Sox a month and a half later, was then suspended 50 games for PED’s. Michael Bowden is currently in the Minnesota Twins minor league system. Definitely could’ve been traded earlier for more.
Manny Delcarman – Drafted in 2000. Made his debut in 2005. Pitched effectively 2005-2007 until the 2007 Playoffs when he allowed 4ER in 4-1/3IP. Didn’t play in the majors again. Was traded to the Rockies in 2010 for Chris Balcom-Miller. Hasn’t been with a team since 2013. Could’ve definitely been traded as a prospect.
Daniel Bard – Drafted in 2006. Bard had great seasons as a set-up man with the sox in 2009, 2010, and the first half of 2011. After that, looking for more money Daniel Bard was made a starting pitcher. He struggled the first two months of the season and was demoted in June of 2012. He pitched two games for Boston in 2013 allowing a hit and run over one inning. He hasn’t seen time in the Majors since. Bard was at one point considered untouchable by the Sox. He was mentioned in many trades, he should’ve been a part of them.
Ryan Kalish – Drafted in 2006 – Kalish was highly touted while in the minor leagues and in 2011 JP Ricciardi predicted that he would be a star. After injury troubles in 2011 and 2013 he never really got off the ground. He was released by the Red Sox following the 2013 season. He was signed by the Cubs in 2014 but never saw consistent playing time and struggled at the plate. He’s currently a free agent.
Lars Anderson – Drafted in 2006 – In 2008 he was named the Minor League Offensive Player of the Year for the Red Sox and was supposed to be the next big power threat. From 2010 to 2012 he only played in 30 total games for the Red Sox, never hitting a major league home run. He was traded in 2012 for Steven Wright. He hasn’t played in the majors since. Now while Steven Wright has ended up seeing some major league time with the Red Sox. Lars Anderson could have been traded sooner.
Will Middlebrooks – Drafted in 2007. At one point he was rated the #1 prospect in the Red Sox system. Middlebrooks has battled injuries his whole major league career. He showed flashes of power in 2012 and 2013 but wasn’t hitting for contact. He was traded following the 2014 season for Ryan Hanigan. Hanigan has been the every-day catcher for the Red Sox while healthy, but is not a good haul for someone who was once named the #1 prospect.
Ryan Lavarnway – Drafted in 2008. In2012 he was named the #9 prospect in the Red Sox organization. He was supposed to be an offensive catcher of the future for the Red Sox. He struggled to find playing time with the Red Sox and was eventually DFA’d in 2014. He was picked up by the Orioles but was eventually released the following year. He was signed by the Braves and has still been struggling to find playing time. He’s hitting below .200 in 24 games in 2015.
Clay Buchholz – Clay has been the definition of frustrating over his career. At times he has Ace stuff and is brilliant. At other times he has an ERA over 7.00 and can’t get out of the 3rd inning. Buchholz’ name was attached to a lot of trades early in his career. And one can’t help but wonder if the Sox could’ve gotten a bit more consistency out of whoever he was traded for.
Prospects They Should NOT Have Traded
Freddy Sanchez – Drafted in 2000. Was traded for Jeff Suppan in 2002. Suppan went 3-4 with a 5.57 ERA for the Sox in 2003. Freddy Sanchez went on to have an above average career. He was a 3-time All-star, he won the batting title in 2006. This is definitely a time when we should’ve kept a player instead of trading mid-season for a rental.
David Murphy – Drafted in 2003 – Murphy was traded to the Texas Rangers along with Kason Gabbard for Eric Gagne. Everyone remembers how that worked out. Gagne had a terrible season with Boston despite the Sox winning the World Series that year. David Murphy had an average career in Texas. It’s doubtful he would’ve received much playing time in Boston. Still, would’ve been better off with him than Eric Gagne.
Alex Wilson – Drafted in 2009. A quiet throw-in as part of the Yoenis Cespedes for Rick Porcello trade. Wilson is arguably the best arm in Detroit’s bullpen. He has a sub 2.00 ERA in 60IP in 2015. Will how bad Rick Porcello has pitched, this was a very, very poor trade for the Red Sox.
Prospects They Kept That Succeeded
Kevin Youkilis- Youkilis had a solid career with the Red Sox and it was a smart idea to keep him.
Jon Lester – Jon Lester was the definitive ace of the staff for the Red Sox before losing him to free agency. His name was tied to lots of trade rumors while he was still a prospect. He is a prime example of a time when it doesn’t pay to trade away a young player.
Jonathan Papelbon – Papelbon is one of the most dominant closers to ever pitch for the Red Sox. He was a 4-time All-Star and a key part of the 2007 World Series. While he was still a starter his name was thrown around in potential trades. He was good to hold onto and arguably should’ve been worth resigning.
Dustin Pedroia – Pedroia started his career the best way possible. He won Rookie of the year his first year and MVP in his second. Since he has been a perennial All-Star and one of the faces of the franchise. While his name wasn’t mentioned much in trades, it was still a great idea to keep him.
Jacoby Ellsbury – Jacoby Ellsbury was one of the most dynamic players to play center field for the Red Sox. He was an instrumental part of their 2007 & 2013 World Series Championship. He’s battled injuries throughout his career, but it’d be hard to argue that it was a mistake to keep him before eventually losing him in free agency.
Christian Vazquez – Vazquez has elite level defense at the catchers position. Him going down in 2015 was a major blow for the Red Sox. Assuming the Tommy John Surgery has no lasting effects, he should be a big part of the 2016 Sox.
Mookie Betts – Mookie is an electric player that has been streaky in 2015. He’s shown flashes of power and has taken to the outfield very well. Still at 22, he seems to be untouchable for the Sox.
Xander Boegarts – Boegarts had a difficult 2014 while moving between SS and 3B. In 2015 with the SS position squarely his, he’s becoming a star. He’s one of the best offensive SS in the AL. His power is still developing and at 22 years old, it should happen soon. He also seems to be untouchable.
Current Prospects
Brandon Workman – Workman is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery. Workman pitched effectively as a set-up man in the 2013 playoff run. With many pitching prospects for the Sox, I would imagine he will come back as a reliever next year and should help out of the pen. He doesn’t have a lot of value now.
Garin Cecchini – Once considered the best infield prospect the Sox had. Now is a bench player in 2015. His value is not as high as it once was and probably could’ve been a key part to a trade.
Matt Barnes – Barnes is a hard throwing pitcher who has shown flashes of brilliance. He won his most recent start and would have value in a trade.
Blake Swihart – Swihart has had an up and down year but has shown that he is Major League ready. With Christian Vazquez set to come back, it’s easy to imagine of them being part of a trade. Both hold extreme value.
Henry Owens – Owens was once the best pitching prospect the Red Sox had. He struggled with command in the minors this year, but finally made the majors this season and has pitched fairly well so far. He probably had more value last year, but is still valuable in trades.
Jackie Bradley Jr – Borderline a prospect as he’s been up and down from the Minors. JBJ has elite defense in the outfield. Probably the best defensive outfielder in the league. His bat is finally starting to come around, evidenced by his 5XBH performance. If the Red Sox outfield is going to be crowded with Hanley Ramirez, Mookie Betts, & Rusney Castillo, then JBJ’s value has never been higher. Either move on from Ramirez or get something for Jackie.
Deven Marrero – A very skilled defensive infielder. His bat has yet to catch up with him. He needs a few more years of development, but probably has value in a trade.
Brian Johnson – Johnson has been a revelation this year, as one of the best pitching prospects the Sox have. Unfortunately, the Sox have a lot of prospects but not a lot of legitimate starters. Between Owens, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Johnson, there aren’t enough spaces in the rotation for all of them. Any of them could be a marquee part of a deal.
Trey Ball – Number 7 overall pick, Trey Ball is still very green. He’s in High-A Salem and pitching below average. As a number 7 pick, hopefully he develops. Probably doesn’t have a lot of value currently.
Andrew Benintendi – Number 7 overall pick this year, Benintendi has impressed so far. He’s shown flashes of power and looks to be a good pick. Probably doesn’t have a lot of value yet, but he could in coming years.
Yoan Moncada – Signed out of Cuba, Yoan Moncada was the most sought after Cuban player this offseason. The Sox are taking their time with him and they should. He’s learning the game in A ball and is hittings .292 through 67 games. He’s had some injury trouble but has shown flashes of being a very dynamic player. He was 39 stolen bases and two triples this year. He probably has a lot of value, but this is one person the Sox should hold on to.
Eduardo Rodriguez – Rodriguez has been great for the Sox this year. At times he’s completely dominant and has no-hit stuff. At other times, he tips his pitches and gets run from the game early. He’s not untouchable, but he’s probably close. If he’s going to be part of a deal, it better be a blockbuster.
-Josh