Sickels looks back at last year's 50/50 lists

by Randy Booth on Jan 13, 2008 11:02 PM EST in Minors Comment 14 comments

John Sickels from Minor League Ball recently reviewed his 50/50 lists (50 best pitching prospects, 50 best hitting prospects) from last season on his blog.

This is what he has for Red Sox prospects:

PITCHERS

19) Michael Bowden, RHP, Boston Red Sox
Blitzed the Cal League, then went 8-6, 4.28 in 19 starts for Double-A Portland, combined K/BB of 128/41 in 143 innings. A good year, but was overshadowed by others.

20) Clay Buchholz, RHP, Boston Red Sox
Pushed past organization-mate Bowden, destroyed the minors and threw a no-hitter in the Show. Currently the best pitching prospects in baseball.

28) Craig Hansen, RHP, Boston Red Sox
3.86 ERA with 48/32 K/BB in 51 innings for Triple-A Pawtucket. Command issues a big problem here, but he gets a ton of ground balls and still has a chance to be special.

HITTERS

21) Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, Boston Red Sox
Hit .298/.360/.370 with 33 steals in Triple-A, then .353/.394/.509 with nine steals in 33 games for the Red Sox. Rookie of the Year candidate for '08.

46) Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Boston Red Sox
American League ROY, hit .317/.380/.442. Should just get better.

Think Sickels is biting his tongue a little bit about Buchholz? By the sounds of it we already know who's going to be at the No. 1 spot for his best pitching prospects.

I'm going to keep a really close eye on Hansen this season. I'd love for him to come out of the gate in spring training and win himself a job in the bullpen. He's got the skills and we're going to need an arm like his.

If you want more of Sickels' analysis on the minors, he's releasing his annual baseball prospect book. To buy one, click here. I bought it last year and it's a good read for all the prospect fanatics out there.

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Re: Sickels looks back at last year's 50/50 lists

RB or AC:

Do you think the Sox believe that Hansen could be that 6th or 7th inning guy for the Sox along with MDC and Okie?

I mean, I hear a lot of people talking about Hansen and his potential, do you think that the Sox might be betting that he could fill a position in the pen that maybe all of us thought the Sox might go after in FA this offseason?

Obviously Santana and his trade is a priority to other deals, but could the Sox be banking on a pen of - Hansen, Snyder, Tavarez, MDC, Okie, Paps and Timlin - with Hansen/Timlin/MDC/Okie being the goto guys in the 7th and 8th?

by SoxAcumen on Jan 14, 2008 4:04 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Sickels looks back at last year's 50/50 lists

I doubt they're banking on it.

The FA relievers who signed, signed for ridiculous money. 4/$19M for Scott Linebrink? And he'll be pitching the 8th and backup closing for the White Sox. I dunno. The Linebrink deal just illustrates that the few decent gambles out there got or will get way too much $$ and years. And you have to figure for the few, again, decent gambles, they all probably wanted to pitch at least the 8th inning. With MDC and Oki in-house, they'd be unlikely to get that opportunity here.

So, I guess I would say that the Sox are hoping Hansen succeeds, while realizing that Timlin/MDC/Oki/Paps will be a great unit for the 7th-9th innings regardless of whether Hansen can take a job for himself. At this point, he'd almost just be gravy.

On a semi-related note, anyone see anything lately about the Foulke comeback? I thought I'd read much earlier that us and the D-Backs were on his shortlist. We could make worse moves than give him a nonguaranteed ML contract or a MiL + invite, if no one else out there is biting.

This is getting kind of long for a response, but in closing, I'll just add that I'd be plenty satisfied going into the season with Tavarez/Snyder/Lopez/Timlin/MDC/Oki/Paps in the pen. You might remember that we did okay with that unit last season. ;-)

The changes we're more likely to see taken care of on the FA market would involve the weaker members of the pecking order (Tavarez - traded to NL, replaced internally by Hansack or Pauley or FA?, Snyder and/or Lopez swapped out for other options, perhaps?).

by Allen Chace on Jan 14, 2008 4:15 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Sickels looks back at last year's 50/50 lists

What happened to Donnelly? Did we resign him or let him go?

I wouldn't be surprised if Hansen breaks with the team, though I wouldn't seeing him get a little more seasoning and confidence in AAA.

Manny Ramirez is a bad man

by tommy.otm on Jan 14, 2008 8:07 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Sickels looks back at last year's 50/50 lists

I'm pretty sure we non-tendered Donnelley.

And I don't know if I'd want Foulke back at all, by this point his fastball probably tops out at 85mph.

by gnick55 on Jan 14, 2008 8:44 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Sickels looks back at last year's 50/50 lists

I read somewhere that Foulke really wanted to come back and play for the Sox. I agree with you, the Sox should give this guy a shot and let him work his way into the pen from the AAA. Foulke had a A+ changeup and threw strikes, I think he is worth a shot.

by SoxAcumen on Jan 14, 2008 5:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Sickels looks back at last year's 50/50 lists

Of course he wants to come back to the Sox. Who wouldn't right now? We're defending world champs with a good shot at getting another ring over the next couple years.

I don't like the idea of taking Foulke on, but I guess there's no risk in giving him a minor league deal and promoting him if he proves his worth.

by Schulz on Jan 14, 2008 6:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Sickels looks back at last year's 50/50 lists

Gagne doesn't want to come back...

Gagne and Foulke remind me of each other. They both had a rough time pitching in Boston, that's why I don't think Foulke will come back. He got a lot of crap when he struggled so I'm not sure why he'd want to come back. Nevertheless, I'd love to see him back in a Sox uni come spring training :)

OverTheMonster.com

by Randy Booth on Jan 14, 2008 7:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Sickels looks back at last year's 50/50 lists

Hey, hold up there, Foulke should get some respect, the guy did a great job in 04'.

Is he still gots the goods? I don't know but tossing a AAA spot at him does not seem like a very high risk move.

by SoxAcumen on Jan 14, 2008 8:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Sickels looks back at last year's 50/50 lists

Yeah he did a great job in '04, but during his last season he really stunk it up and the fans let him know it. It was obvious he couldn't handle the pressure.

OverTheMonster.com

by Randy Booth on Jan 14, 2008 9:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Sickels looks back at last year's 50/50 lists

I guess those numbers in front of their names have nothing to do with rank? seeing as "the best pitching prospect in baseball" is number 20.

I think the bullpen needs another arm. If we get Santana, hurray. If not, lets work on moving some extra pieces like Crisp, Masterson, Tavarez, etc. in order to round out this team in the BP and bench areas

by Schulz on Jan 14, 2008 8:14 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Sickels looks back at last year's 50/50 lists

I think those are last year's positions. Expect to see Clay at #1 this year, if you pay your money to get the list anyway ...

by CountyJez on Jan 14, 2008 10:01 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Sickels looks back at last year's 50/50 lists

Right. These were his 2006 lists and rankings, he was just looking back on them to see how the prospects did.

OverTheMonster.com

by Randy Booth on Jan 14, 2008 10:29 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Sickels looks back at last year's 50/50 lists

Masterson is a prime prospect for the bullpen. I'd rather not trade him now for an average reliever.

"You know you're having a bad day when the fifth inning rolls around and they drag the warning track." - Mike Flanagan, Baltimore Orioles pitcher, 1992.

by SoxDevil on Jan 14, 2008 12:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs