- Draft Prep Tiers: C | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | OF | SP | RP
- Heath's Sleepers | Breakouts | Busts
- Scott's Top 100 prospects | Sleepers | Breakouts | Busts | Dynasty Top 100
A lot can change in a week.
When I first wrote this piece on Feb. 12, the tone was decidedly negative. "They sold the farm for some magic beans and now have holes galore!"
They've since filled in their biggest holes with two major signings. First came Eduardo Nunez, who already proved to be a more-than-adequate Dustin Pedroia replacement down the stretch last year and will again be tasked with manning second base while Pedroia recovers from knee surgery. Then came the biggest fish of all: J.D. Martinez.
Seismic trades for Chris Sale, Craig Kimbrel, Tyler Thornburg, Drew Pomeranz and others have nonetheless depleted the farm system to the point there are few tradeable assets and almost zero impact players on the horizon. The Red Sox's only solution to their problems was to throw money at them, but they did it ably and are well positioned to contend again.
They still have issues, namely some uninspiring fifth starter options and a lack of bullpen depth. But the lineup is strong. The lineup could contend with anybody's.
They have a superstar bat (Mookie Betts), a superstar arm (Sale), two other starting pitchers with Cy Young resumes (David Price and Rick Porcello) and three up-and-coming hitters who may someday be in the MVP conversation (Andrew Benintendi, Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts).
They would have been fine even without Martinez, but now that they have him, they're back in the mix for an AL title.
| Player | Roto Rank | H2H Rank | Roto Pos Rank | H2H Pos Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mookie Betts
BOS RF
| #8 | #8 | #5 | #5 |
Chris Sale
BOS SP
| #16 | #14 | #3 | #3 |
J.D. Martinez
ARI RF
| #21 | #21 | #6 | #6 |
Andrew Benintendi
BOS LF
| #53 | #58 | #13 | #13 |
Craig Kimbrel
BOS RP
| #66 | #83 | #2 | #2 |
David Price
BOS SP
| #80 | #54 | #19 | #19 |
Rafael Devers
BOS 3B
| #83 | #89 | #11 | #11 |
Xander Bogaerts
BOS SS
| #89 | #90 | #7 | #7 |
Eduardo Nunez
BOS 3B
| #100 | #108 | #14 (at 3B) | #14 (at 3B) |
Rick Porcello
BOS SP
| #220 | #177 | #58 | #58 |
Drew Pomeranz
BOS SP
| #222 | #181 | #60 | #60 |
Jackie Bradley
BOS CF
| #235 | #238 | #60 | #53 |
Hanley Ramirez
BOS DH
| #287 | NR | #11 (at DH) | #11 (at DH) |
Players in Scott's Top 100 Prospects
| 69 | Michael Chavis |
| Chavis didn't live up to first-round expectations his first three years in the minors, but something clicked for him in a repeat stint at high Class A Salem, where he hit .318 with 17 homers and a 1.029 OPS in 59 games. He slipped a little at Double-A, but his power potential is no longer in question. Scott's 2018 Fantasy impact: cup of coffee | |
Things to Know
- David Price is the biggest question mark for 2018 after missing most of 2017 with vague elbow issues, which is usually how not-so-vague ones begin. But he returned for five relief appearances in September, several of the multi-inning variety, and more or less dominated. Given the dwindling number of aces in today's game, his chances of recapturing that form make him well worth a mid-round pick.
- Mookie Betts' 2017 production was a step back from his near-MVP 2016, but he still had 24 homers and 26 steals. He still struck out at an absurdly low rate and actually walked more than ever. He was still the 10th-best hitter in points leagues and the 17th-best in Rotisserie league despite the misfortune of a .268 BABIP, about 50 points lower than usual. We just witnessed his worst-case scenario, and it was a sight to behold.
- Though I wouldn't rule out another step forward for Xander Bogaerts, I feel like his stature exceeds his production at this point. The narrative surrounding him last season was that he wasn't the same after getting hit by a pitch in the wrist last July, but he wasn't hitting for power before then and was mostly subsisting on an inflated BABIP. A similar BABIP fueled one of his two "good" seasons and an out-of-character home run-to-fly ball rate fueled the other.
- Presumably, Hanley Ramirez will have to compete for at-bats at first base with J.D. Martinez on board, and seeing as his bum shoulder confined him to DH for most of last season, that's an ominous development. He did have shoulder surgery in the offseason, but still, he's looking like strictly AL-only material at this point.
- Andrew Benintendi and Rafael Devers are both popular breakout picks for 2017, and I can't disagree in either case.
Lineup & Rotation
| Batting order | ||
| 1 | Eduardo Nunez | 2B |
| 2 | Andrew Benintendi | LF |
| 3 | Mookie Betts | RF |
| 4 | J.D. Martinez | DH |
| 5 | Rafael Devers | 3B |
| 6 | Xander Bogaerts | SS |
| 7 | Mitch Moreland | 1B |
| 8 | Christian Vazquez | C |
| 9 | Jackie Bradley | CF |
| Pitchers | ||
| SP | Chris Sale | |
| SP | David Price | |
| SP | Rick Porcello | |
| SP | Drew Pomeranz | |
| SP | Steven Wright | |
| CL | Craig Kimbrel | |
| RP | Carson Smith | |
| RP | Matt Barnes | |
