Podcast Ep. #151 - Alex Speier’s on the Podcast (WHAAAAT?)

Happy New Year! Chris and Ian kick off 2019 with a very special guest. They welcome the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier (@alexspeier) back to the podcast for his unofficial annual appearance. Alex writes up the Sox top 10 prospects for Baseball America and holds court on the state of the system and all things Red Sox. Chris and Ian ask about Alex’s recent articles (check out the links below). He shares what makes this year’s rankings so unusual. Chris goes over both the depth at the corners in both the upper and lower minors and what the future of front office looks like. The guys wrap things up with a lightning round that highlights the most intriguing players in the system today.

Listen in!

0:00 – Intros, housekeeping, email us and remember to check us out on Patreon.
3:30 – Overhauling the Red Sox pitching infrastructure
16:30 – Alex’s Top 5
22:00 – System depth at the corners
29:00 – Looking at the future of the front office
34:00 – The rest of the off-season
41:00 – Lightning round

Make sure you check out Alex’s recent articles at the Globe:

How the Red Sox Rebuilt their Pitching Infrastructure

How the Red Sox Turned Fenway Park into a Biomechanics Lab for Prospects

Players mentioned in the show

Ryan Brasier
Stephen Nogosek
Gerson Bautista
Craig Hansen
Bryce Cox
Daniel Bard
Jalen Beeks
Bobby Dalbec
Michael Chavis
Jay Groome
Triston Casas
Antoni Flores
Nick Northcut
Brandon Howlett
Rafael Devers
Josh Ockimey
Sam Travis
Danny Diaz
Christian Vazquez
Blake Swihart
Tzu-Wei Lin
Marco Hernandez
Darwinzon Hernandez
Pedro Castellanos
Gilberto Jimenez
Jarren Duran
Zach Schellenger

Got something to say? We love talking about what you want to hear about. Make sure to email us.

Love the show? Want to help us out while also getting exclusive goodies? Support the podcast by contributing to us on Patreon! Go to Sox Prospects on Patreon for the details.

Podcast Twitter Links:
• @SPChrisHatfield
• @IanCundall
• @SoxProspects

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Podcast Archive

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Fall/Winter Roundup: Rivera helps power Mayaguez in playoffs

The calendar turns to 2019 on our regular roundup of the Fall and Winter Leagues, highlighting performances from players in the Red Sox organization. Coverage will continue every Monday into January. For the full list of Red Sox prospects participating in these leagues, check out our Fall & Winter Leagues page, which will be updated continuously through January. This week's roundup covers the period of December 31 to January 6.

Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (Puerto Rico)

Mayaguez is off to a strong start in Puerto Rico's round robin format, winning each of its first three playoff contests. Jeremy Rivera (pictured) provided a big boost in Los Indios' second game, going two for four with a pair of runs scored. His teammate, recently signed minor league free agent catcher Juan Centeno, has not seen postseason action. The elimination of Caguas ends the winter league campaign for Rusney Castillo, who finishes 9 for 36 in nine games. 

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Minor Notes: Rule 5 Draft, Offseason Signings and Spring Invites

Here are December's minor notes:

• The Rule 5 Draft was on December 13, and while the Red Sox did not take anyone or lose anyone in the major league portion, they picked up Andrew Schwaab and Anyelo Gomez in the minor league part of the draft, while Tyler Hill went to Detroit and was then traded to the Yankees. James Dunne has the in-depth recap for SoxProspects.

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Fall/Winter Roundup: Regular seasons close, Brentz re-signs

This continues our regular roundups of the Fall and Winter Leagues, highlighting performances from players in the Red Sox organization. Coverage will continue every Monday into January. For the full list of Red Sox prospects participating in these leagues, check out our Fall & Winter Leagues page, which will be updated continuously through January. This week's roundup covers the period of December 17-30.

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League

Deiner Lopez (pictured, left) was the only Sox player to receive regular playing time over the past couple weeks. He ended his season by going 3 for 13 with two doubles, two runs, five strikeouts, and no walks. He hit .236 in 89 at-bats this winter. Lopez' Cardenales de Lara will enter the playoffs as the second seed. Juan Hernandez appeared in five games, three as a pinch-runner and two as a defensive replacement in right field. He also made an appearance in center field. Hernandez' team, Caribes de Anzoategui, will also advance to the playoffs as the sixth seed. 

On the mound, Enmanuel De Jesus pitched one inning and did not give up any hits or runs with zero walks or strikeouts. De Jesus' team, Navegantes del Magallanes, will also participate in the postseason after posting the best record in the league.

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Podcast Ep. #150 - We know what a Roman numeral V is

Chris and Ian and all of us at SoxProspects want to thank you all for a great 2018. But before Ian sets off for the UK and Chris journeys to Florida, we wanted to leave a final (maybe) SoxProspects Podcast present for you. The guys review the Winter Meetings and the Rule 5 Draft. Chris addresses Dombrowski’s comments on the bullpen as he and Ian applaud how well positioned the team is on staffing the pen. They quickly run through the late year moves and transactions. Two excellent questions in the mailbag round out the show. Have a very happy holiday season, but before you do…

Listen in!

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Fall/Winter Roundup: Regular season ends in the Dominican; De Jesus struggles

This continues our weekly roundups of the Fall and Winter Leagues, highlighting performances from players in the Red Sox organization. Coverage will continue every Monday into January. For the full list of Red Sox prospects participating in these leagues, check out our Fall & Winter Leagues page, which will be updated continuously through January. This week's roundup covers the period of December 10-16.

Dominican Baseball League

Catcher Jhon Nunez was again the only player to appear in the league's final week. Nunez appeared in three games but only received two at-bats, going 0 for 2 with a strikeout which left his regular season slash line at .227/.277/.295 over 44 at-bats. Nunez's team, Toros del Este, finished the regular season on a four-game winning streak, and their 24-24 record was good enough to lock up the fourth and final playoff spot in the six-team league.

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Rule 5 Recap: Sox nab Gomez, Schwaab; Ockimey undrafted

The 2018 Rule 5 draft has come and gone, and the Red Sox were once again not involved in the MLB phase. The organization's action came in the Triple-A phase, in which they grabbed right-handed relievers, Anyelo Gomez and Andrew Schwaab, from the Yankees and Tigers organizations, respectively. They also lost outfielder Tyler Hill, who was picked by Detroit and then flipped to the Yankees in a trade. 

Boston not making a pick was not much of a surprise – their only major league Rule 5 pick this decade who was not part of a pre-arranged trade was infielder Josh Rutledge. Rutledge was something of a special case, as the Red Sox drafted him from Colorado just weeks after he'd departed the Boston organization for the Rockies as a minor league free agent. There was some feeling the team might take a flier on a reliever this year, with a spot open on the 40-man roster and the 2019 bullpen still a work in progress, but the team decided the talent pool did not have what they were looking for. Most teams seemed to agree: only 14 players were selected in the MLB portion, the fewest since 2014.

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Help Wanted: Web Editor & Copy Editor

SoxProspects is opening two positions for 2019! We’re looking for a Web Editor and a Copy Editor to join the Staff in January. We're seeking a commitment through at least the end of 2019, but ideally we’d find a couple new staffers who will want to stick around for the long-term if there is a mutual fit. 

Web Editor: The primary responsibility of the Web Editor will be updating certain pages of the site on a timely basis after transactions occur in the Red Sox system. The primary pages that need to be updated each transaction are the Transactions and Roster pages and each player’s page. Other pages occasionally need updating for a limited number of transactions, including the rankings pages, 40-man page, draft history and international signings pages, and the ex-players page. The hope is that the Web Editor will eventually take lead responsibility for these updates, with a handful of other web editors available to make the updates when needed. 

Applicants should have regular availability to perform the above tasks, including reasonable flexibility during business hours (ET) if needed. Overall, the estimated time commitment is about 3-4 hours per week during the season. The busiest time of year, by far, is from the June draft until the August 31 waiver trade deadline (extra backup is available during that time).

For requirements, we are primarily looking for someone with: (1) the availability and flexibility listed above; (2) a basic familiarity with SoxProspects.com and the Red Sox minor league system (you don’t need to be an expert); (3) a perfunctory knowledge of HTML or web editing programs; and (4) exceptional attention to detail. 

Copy Editor: The hope is that the Copy Editor will edit 3-4 Cup of Coffee columns per week and also about 25-35% of our other columns and features. In total, the commitment is maybe 2-3 hours per week during the minor league season, and much less in the off-season. 

Applicants should ideally have prior collegiate (or professional) writing or editing experience. It’s also very important that the applicant have a reasonable amount of availability to edit during business hours (ET), and the ability to edit the Cup of Coffee either early in morning (at or before 7 am) or late at night (often in the 11:00 pm hour) for 3-4 days per week. We also hope that applicants will have a very strong attention to detail, some knowledge of AP style, and a basic familiarity with SoxProspects.com and the Red Sox minor league system. Top-to-bottom expertise is not necessary, but the more background the applicant possesses, the better.

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Fall/Winter Roundup: Venezuelan Development Program ends, Juan Centeno hits

This continues our weekly roundups of the Fall and Winter Leagues, highlighting performances from players in the Red Sox organization. Coverage will continue every Monday into January. For the full list of Red Sox prospects participating in these leagues, check out our Fall & Winter Leagues page, which will be updated continuously through January. This week's roundup covers the period of December 3-9.

Dominican Baseball League

Jhon Nunez (pictured) was the only player to appear in the league in its penultimate week, hitting 2 for 8 with an RBI and three strikeouts in three games.

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Minor Notes: 40-man roster moves and minor league roster changes

Here are November's minor league notes:

• The biggest update from the last few weeks is the changes to the 40-man roster, including players protected (or not protected) from the Rule 5 draft. In the most recent episode of the SoxProspects.com Podcast Chris and Ian discuss these decisions, in addition to taking a final look at the Arizona Fall League (AFL) season. The guys also went through the current top 20 prospects and discussed which ones they see as 2019 contributors in Boston and which ones they see as possible trade bait. 

• Michael Chavis, Darwinzon Hernandez, and Travis Lakins were all locks to be protected from the Rule 5 draft so there was no surprise when they were added to the 40-man roster. Denyi Reyes (pictured, above) and Josh Taylor were toss-ups, but the Red Sox decided to protect them as well. Reyes was the 2018 SoxProspects.com Pitcher of the Year, and Taylor is a left-hander who has a fastball that can hit the upper-90s but has struggled with his control and command. Teams tend to take chances on players like Taylor in the Rule 5 draft and the Red Sox did not want to risk losing him.

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Fall/Winter Roundup: Acosta and Castellanos continue to dominate

This continues our weekly roundups of the Fall and Winter Leagues, highlighting performances from players in the Red Sox organization. Coverage will continue every Monday into January. For the full list of Red Sox prospects participating in these leagues, check out our Fall & Winter Leagues page, which will be updated continuously through January. This week's roundup covers the period of November 26 - December 2.

Dominican Baseball League

Domingo Tapia was due for some regression after entering the week with a 0.00 ERA over 12 innings, and it happened on Monday night. Tapia did not record an out and allowed three runs on three hits. He was able to bounce back with a scoreless inning with two strikeouts on Friday. Jhon Nunez appeared in three games, going 1 for 7 with a double and two strikeouts.

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Podcast Ep.# 149 - I’m not dead inside

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Thanksgiving leftovers linger in the fridge and the last of the pumpkin pies have been finally eaten. And with the calendar poised to turn to December, we toss another log on the fire turn our eyes towards that most magical of wintry festivals. Yes, the hot stove is crackling and the winter meetings loom on the horizon. Chris and Ian start off with the 40-man roster. They break down the players protected from the Rule 5 draft as well as the big name left exposed. They review the Arizona Fall League results. And then they take a look at the top 20 prospects and predict who gets dealt, who plays in Fenway next year and who stays down on the farm. Finally, we turn the show over to you and crack open the mailbag for some great questions.

Listen in!

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Fall/Winter Roundup: Victor Acosta stays hot; Christopher Acosta surprises

This continues our weekly roundups of the Fall and Winter Leagues, highlighting performances from players in the Red Sox organization. Coverage will continue every Monday into January. For the full list of Red Sox prospects participating in these leagues, check out our Fall & Winter Leagues page, which will be updated continuously through January. This week's roundup covers the period of November 19 - November 25.

Dominican Baseball League

Recently signed right-hander Domingo Tapia has been a staple in the Gigantes bullpen so far this fall, a trend that continued this week. Tapia made three scoreless appearances, allowing three hits. The longtime Mets farmhand has yet to allow a run in 13 appearances, holding opposing batters to a .233 batting average. Jhon Nunez was the only other player who saw action this week int he Dominican, going 3 for 9 with a walk, stolen base, and pair of runs scored.

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Fall/Winter League: Dalbec, Hernandez finish strong & Castellanos heats up

This continues our weekly roundups of the Fall and Winter Leagues, highlighting performances from players in the Red Sox organization. Coverage will continue every Monday into January. For the full list of Red Sox prospects participating in these leagues, check out our Fall & Winter Leagues page, which will be updated continuously through January. This week's roundup covers the period of November 12 - November 18.

Arizona Fall League

It was the final week of the Arizona Fall League with the Championship game taking place on Saturday. The Mesa Solar Sox went 2-2 on the week and just missed the playoffs by half a game, finishing 15-14-1. Third baseman Bobby Dalbec (pictured, right) finished his up-and-down AFL with a strong week, going 4-for-11 with a double, home run, 3 runs, 3 RBI, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. The other two field players both struggled this week. First baseman Josh Ockimey went hitless in 11 at-bats over three games with a walk, run and RBI to go with 6 strikeouts. Second baseman Esteban Quiroz only appeared in one game, going 0-for-4 with a strikeout.

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Fall/Winter League Roundup: Darwinzon Hernandez does well, VZ Development Program returns

This continues our weekly roundups of the Fall and Winter Leagues, highlighting performances from players in the Red Sox organization. Coverage will continue every Monday into January. For the full list of Red Sox prospects participating in these leagues, check out our Fall & Winter Leagues page, which will be updated continuously through January. This week's roundup covers the period of November 5 - November 11.

Arizona Fall League

Bobby Dalbec had a cold week, going 1 for 10 with an RBI single, three walks and four strikeouts. He's now up to 29 strikeouts in 62 at-bats this year. However, the other top prospect who is spending his fall in Arizona, Darwinzon Hernandez, grabbed three strikeouts against one hit in 1 1/3 innings in his only appearance on the week. Hernandez has 21 strikeouts in 10 1/3 frames of work and he's six strikeouts back of the league lead, despite each of the four pitchers ahead of him recording at least seven more innings. Michael Chavis has also left Mesa due to an injury

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