November 17, 2011 at 6:16 PM
Shipley out as Sox Director of International Scouting
According to Alex Speier of WEEI.com, Craig Shipley has been removed as Red Sox Vice President of Player Personnel and International Operations. It is unknown whether Shipley, who was hired in 2002, will be offered another position within the Red Sox organization.
A big part of the legacy of Shipley's tenure in Boston will include the scouting of Daisuke Matsuzaka in Japan, culminating in his signing in 2006. While Matsuzaka started his Sox career as a promising and successful starter, his seasons since 2008 have been marred with injury.
Shipley's scouting has yeilded four major leaguers for the Red Sox, and he's also responsible for several top prospects currently in the system. Two of the most highly-touted farmhands, pitcher Stomly Pimentel and shortstop Xander Bogaerts, are both Shipley products.
However, these are just a few successes amongst several unsuccessful deals. Shipley has had a poor record with some of the larger contracts he has handed out. For example, third baseman Michael Almanzar who received a $1.5 million signing bonus and pitcher Junichi Tazawa who signed a $3.3 million deal have both only had mediocre results.
Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington has declined to comment on the issue until an announcement of changes to the team's international operations is made.
A big part of the legacy of Shipley's tenure in Boston will include the scouting of Daisuke Matsuzaka in Japan, culminating in his signing in 2006. While Matsuzaka started his Sox career as a promising and successful starter, his seasons since 2008 have been marred with injury.
Shipley's scouting has yeilded four major leaguers for the Red Sox, and he's also responsible for several top prospects currently in the system. Two of the most highly-touted farmhands, pitcher Stomly Pimentel and shortstop Xander Bogaerts, are both Shipley products.
However, these are just a few successes amongst several unsuccessful deals. Shipley has had a poor record with some of the larger contracts he has handed out. For example, third baseman Michael Almanzar who received a $1.5 million signing bonus and pitcher Junichi Tazawa who signed a $3.3 million deal have both only had mediocre results.
Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington has declined to comment on the issue until an announcement of changes to the team's international operations is made.