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 Watt
New Addition | Injured
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
Others: OFs Alex Johnson, Dwight Evans; P Dick Drago.
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 (—)
Stats are across all levels. 200 PA / 75 IP min. Non WBL leagues indicated by —.
