Expectations
There is growing optimism in Memphis, even though it is, based on last year’s overall performance, totally unwarranted. But a strong end to the season, landing the best FA arm on the market in Shane Bieber, and a potentially high-impact draft class leaves the Red Sox with dreams of the postseason in their heads.
Best Case
Bieber joins Stubby Overmire, Dean Chance, and Bill Doak to form a solid rotation with the bullpen solidifying behind Heath Bell and Jonathan Papelbon while the trio of Mookie Betts, Manny Ramírez, and Sammy Sosa all reach their potential. Dobie Moore unseating Vern Stephens at SS would help, too.
Worst Case
Overmire’s finishing the year as runner-up in the ERA race proves a mirage, and the pitching remains too large of an obstacle for the offense to overcome, especially when Betts and Ramírez remain tantalizingly mediocre.
Key Questions
- Who is going to fill out the rotation and the bullpen?
- Memphis’ scouts are agog over Dobie Moore, but scouts don’t play the game: is Moore the real thing and, if so, what happens to Vern Stephens?
- Sosa was moved out, essentially for Gabby Hartnett, putting more pressure on the OF the step up.
Trade Bait
There is, potentially, OF and SS talent to spare, making the Red Sox one of the few teams potentially active on the Spring Training trading block.
Roster Evaluation
| POS | Elite | Strong | Solid | Meh | Weak | Unknown |
| C | Bryan | Hartnett | ||||
| 1B | White | Ortiz | ||||
| 2B | Ritchey | |||||
| 3B | Boggs | Shaw | ||||
| SS | Stephens | Moore | ||||
| LF/ RF | Williams | Ramírez Betts | Johnson | |||
| CF | Smith | |||||
| SP | Chance Overmire | Barker Doak | Lester | Bieber | ||
| End | Bell | Papelbon | ||||
| RP | Bush Miller Roach |
There is so much upside here. But the mix of poor historical performance and a whopping nine unknown players make it pretty much a crapshoot.
Talent Ratings
| WBL | Minors | |
| Raw Power | OF Manny Ramírez | OF Hack Wilson |
| Batting Eye | OF Ted Williams | C Charlie Bennett |
| Contact | 3B Wade Boggs | OF Lefty O’Doul |
| Running Speed | CF Reggie Smith | 2B Jim Canavan |
| Base Stealing | 3B Travis Shaw | OF Sam Mertes |
| IF Defense | 3B Travis Shaw | IF Gary Gaetti |
| OF Defense | OF Mookie Betts | OF Dwight Evans |
| Stuff | RP Skel Roach | P Bill Hogg |
| Control | P Stubby Overmire | P Dale Mohorcic |
| Velocity | RP Heath Bell | P Joba Chamberlain |
Best In The Minors
| Rank | Age | POS | Name |
| 1 (18) | 20 | IF | Dobie Moore |
| 2 (33) | 23 | P | Shane Bieber |
| 3 (49) | 23 | P | Sadie McMahon |
| 4 (77) | 22 | IF | Candy Jim Taylor |
| 5 (94) | 21 | P | Jim Kaat |
| 6 (107) | 22 | P | Andrew Miller |
| 7 (129) | 20 | U | Carl Yastrzemski |
| 8 (132) | 20 | 1B | Bill Buckner |
| 9 (136) | 21 | 1B | Joe Cunningham |
| 10 (143) | 22 | P | Bill Hogg |
A lot of talent, but it’s unclear how much of it can make a WBL impact. We’ll find out a lot this year, as Moore, Bieber, and Miller are all breaking camp with the Red Sox.
Also, WTF? The Red Sox let Chino Smith go for some reason, seeing him immediately snapped up by Baltimore.
| Most | Least | |
| Age | 1B Joe Cronin, 37 P Russ Springer, 37 | P Mickey McDermott, 16 |
| Height | P Mike Witt, 6’7″ | IF Candy Jim Taylor, 5’5″ |
| OPS | IF Wayne Belardi, 1.207 (—) | IF Bud Harrelson, .505 (—) |
| HR | IF Wayne Belardi, 75 (—) | IF Candy Jim Taylor, 1 (AAA/AA) OF Jack McAleese, 1 (—) IF Bud Harrelson, 1 (—) |
| SB | CF Reggie Smith, 20 (WBL) | Many with 0 |
| WAR | OF Joe Kelley, 4.8 (AAA/AA) | IF Bud Harrelson, -2.6 (—) |
| W | Joe Kelly, 13 (WBL/AAA) Jim McAndrew, 13 (—) Mike Witt, 13 (—) | Turk Farrell, 4 (WBL/AAA) Len Barker, 4 (WBL/AAA) |
| SV | Jonathan Papelbon, 18 (WBL) | |
| ERA | Jameson Taillon, 2.81 (—) | Sadie McMahon, 7.12 (WBL/AAA/AA) |
| WAR | Jameson Taillon, 5.5 (—) | Carl Mays, -1.4 (—) |