I wrote a few days ago of some of the top prospects in the Red Sox organization that I saw this summer.

But how about some of those non-prospects? Before you say they are meaningless, listen to this. Would you consider Daniel Nava a prospect? I know SoxProspects have him as a graduated prospect, but is he really? I think he's more of a post prospect.

We talk about Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Post-prospect. Being a post prospect doesn't necessarily mean you are not a prospect. Look at Marco Scutaro. He was not called up until he was 28. So, why leave these guys with the assumption that they are not going to make it? Why not see what they can do; they could surprise you.

Blake Maxwell: If nobody takes him in the Rule 5, which I don't expect anybody will, he could be a decent contributor to the Red Sox. I must admit, I didn't know who he was until this year. But I saw him pitch a few times and he really impressed me. He started off in the bullpen for Portland, but when Alex Wilson got hurt he moved into the rotation. Maxwell is likely to start the year in Pawtucket, having nothing else to prove in Portland. Who knows, he could be a psrt of Boston's bullpen next year.

Bubba Bell: I have seen Bell a lot and never understood why he hasn't made it further. Then he started getting hurt, again. And now I know. Bell is a tough ballplayer who is versatile in the outfield and has a good bat. But he has the never ending injury bug. He always seems to land 2-3 DL trips every season. If he could ever stay healthy, I see a major league career for him as a fourth outfielder somewhere.

David Renfroe: I know he is still technically a prospect, but he had a real bad year and fell far off the rankings. If he has another bad year he will surely be in this category. But I always liked Renfroe, though I've only seen him play a few times. But he really needs to step up this year.

Not all sleepers have to be guys who have fallen off. They could be up and coming, lower ranked prospects who make a big name for themselves. Who do I have in mind for a big year?

Sean Coyle: I don't what I like about this guy, I just have a good feeling about him. 2B that I could see being a shortstop someday, he kind of reminds me of Dustin Pedroia a little bit. Except I think Coyle may develop more power in the next few years.

Chris Balcom-Miller: I have not seen this guy at all I will admit, but everything I hear sounds good. I know he will start in Portland next year, maybe in their rotation, so I'm excited to see what he can do. I will have my eyes on him next season.

Brandon Workman: Workman is ranked 29th right now. By the end of next year he will be much higher. Workman to me seems like a prototypical power pitcher, except he has a lot more off-speed stuff than a typical power pitcher.

Guys who need to step up next season: Che-Hsaun Lin, Luis Exposito, Alex Wilson, Tim Fedowicz