July 9, 2020 at 12:30 PM
2006 Draft Retrospective: The picks
We welcome you to the 2006 edition of the SoxProspects.com Draft Retrospective series. Over the next several weeks, we will revisit each Red Sox draft going back to the start of the SoxProspects.com era. Each retrospective will come in two parts: The first will be a pick-by-pick recap of each selection with very brief comments, including their peak rank on the SoxProspects.com Top 60, as well as some of the notable players the team passed on to make those picks. Players who signed are in bold, those who did not are in italics. Bonus numbers are included where available.
The year after a draft with six picks in the top 57 stocked the system with high-end prospects, the Red Sox would again have multiple opportunities to add top talent. The departures of Johnny Damon and Bill Mueller in free agency sent four picks the Red Sox way, and this time they had not signed anyone with compensation considerations attached, meaning Boston would have four of the first 44 picks and seven of the first 103.
The organization's focus also seemed to shift in 2006. The system was now one of baseball's deepest, a major change from 2003 when Theo Epstein took over, and it put them in a position to take more risks on some high-end prep talent. The baseball ops team also was able to successfully convince John Henry to open his wallet, reportedly using the Pedro Alvarez non-signing the previous year as an example of the kind of player that can get away, resulting in 15 players getting deals worth more than $100,000.
For a quick list and links to player pages, check out our Draft History page.
1 (27). Jason Place, CF, Wren HS (S.C.)
Bonus: $1,300,000
Place was the first and most notable miss of the Epstein years. A five-tool athlete who was named a second-team All American by Baseball America as a high school senior, Place never made consistent enough contact to tap into his power and speed. His development seemed to come in fits and starts, with occasional improvements that never seemed to be sustained. His best season came in 2009 while still only 21, when he had a solid first half with Salem and hit .262/.348/.390 after a promotion to Portland. He slumped badly in 2010, going 10 for 79 to start the year, and was sent back to Salem before getting released the following spring. Place’s serious and confident demeanor also rubbed some coaches and teammates the wrong way, leading to occasional confrontations and at least one confirmed fistfight with a teammate.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 9
1 (28). Daniel Bard, RHP, North Carolina
Bonus: $1,550,000
Bard’s tale will be discussed in greater detail in tomorrow’s piece, as it’s impossible to give a proper ode to the right-hander in such a short entry. The Cliff’s Notes version: Bard was highly regarded after a college career in which he formed a dominant one-two punch with lefty Andrew Miller, and the Red Sox grabbed him with the pick they got for losing Damon in free agency. His pro debut was disastrous, getting him shut down halfway through the 2007 season. He came into 2008 an entirely remade pitcher, blasting ‘ere the minor leagues. By 2010, he was arguably the most dominant set-up reliever in the game. Within the next two years, he’d experienced a horrible slump to close out the 2011 season, a disastrous attempt at starting, career-altering thoracic outlet syndrome, and one of the worst cases of Steve Blass disease on record. He is now attempting a comeback in 2020 with the Colorado Rockies after having retired and become a pitching coach, having spent the COVID-19-related shutdown working out where he made his pro debut, Flour Field in Greenville.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 3
Baseball America Top 100: 81 in 2007; 98 in 2009
Notable players passed on: (Bard and Place were taken with consecutive picks; see above)
1s (40). Kris Johnson, LHP, Wichita State
Bonus: $850,000
Johnson showed enough in his 2006 return from Tommy John surgery for the Red Sox to take a shot on him with the other pick they received as compensation for Damon. Despite a fastball that could touch 94 and a very good changeup, the six-foot-four lefty struggled to miss bats with the consistency you might expect. After stalling in the high minors, Johnson reached the majors with the Pirates for three appearances in 2013 and the Twins for another four outings the following year. He has found a home in Japan, where he is now in his sixth season with the Hiroshima Carp.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 7
Notable players passed on: Joba Chamberlain (41); Chris Perez (42)
1s (44). Caleb Clay, RHP, Cullman HS (Ala.)
Bonus: $775,000
A groundball pitcher with excellent control, Clay’s career was sidetracked by Tommy John surgery in 2007. Popular with teammates and coaches, he was able to stick around in the minors for nine years. He knocked on the door of the majors for years, getting 270 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level over three seasons. Finally, on August 10, 2014, the Angels gave Clay the call to the majors following a 19-inning marathon against the Red Sox that depleted the bullpen. Unfortunately for the righty, Hector Santiago pitched six strong innings that day and minimal relief help was needed. An off-day followed and he was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake. Ill-timed struggles during the last three weeks of the minor league season took him out of consideration for a recall when rosters expanded.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 21
Notable players passed on: Chris Tillman (49); Brett Anderson (55)
Bonus: $510,000
A six-foot-six monster with a sidearm delivery and hard sinker that was murder on right-handed batters, Masterson tore through the minor leagues. He often struggled with lefties but so dominated same-side hitters that it mattered little, particularly in a relief role when his managers could dictate his matchups. He pitched mostly out of the bullpen during his first stint with the Red Sox, then moved to the rotation after being traded to Cleveland in the Victor Martinez deal. Masterson struggled in a 2015 return to Boston and retired after spending 2016 and 2017 in Triple-A with the Pittsburgh and Los Angeles (NL) organizations.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 1
Baseball America Top 100: 64 in 2008
Notable players passed on: Jon Jay (74)
3 (83) Aaron Bates, 1B, North Carolina State
Bonus: $440,000
After leaning heavily on polished college bats in the first three years of the Epstein regime, the team waited until its fifth pick to nab Bates out of NC State. Bates was part of the offensive explosion in Lancaster in 2007, highlighted by a four-home run game against Lake Elsinore as part of a series so remarkable that it’s still being talked about. Bates reached the majors for five games in 2009, going 4 for 11. He played organized ball until 2014.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 7
Notable players passed on: Zack Britton (85); Joe Smith (94)
3 (103). Bryce Cox, RHP, Rice
Bonus: $250,000
Stop if you’ve heard this one: Cox was a college reliever who got press as someone who could help the major league club quickly after a dominant pro debut. Overcoming control issues to be a standout in the 2006 College World Series, Cox didn’t miss a beat in his introduction to the Boston system, with only three earned runs and 28 strikeouts between Lowell and High A Wilmington. Control problems popped up again in an aggressive 2007 placement in Portland and continued to come up intermittently during his six years in the system, during which he never reached the heights of his pro debut.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 4
Notable players passed on: Zach McAllister (104), Alex Cobb (109)
4. Jon Still, C, North Carolina State
Bonus: $225,000
The Red Sox returned to Raleigh for the second time in three picks to nab another polished college hitter. Still was not a plus defensive catcher and faced concerns that he may have to move off the position. In either case, his bat would need to carry him, which it did in 2007 to the tune of .291/.429/.532 at two levels. Weaker offensive performance at Portland left him something of a tweener, especially once he became primarily a designated hitter.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 14
5. Dustin Richardson, LHP, Texas Tech
Bonus: $107,000
Another skyscraper, notable for attempting to walk on to Texas Tech's basketball team on the ESPN reality show Knight School, the six-foot-six Richardson saw his career take off with a 2009 move to the bullpen. While his control remained wobbly, streamlining his repertoire to focus on the fastball/slider combo enabled him to strike out 97 batters in 74 innings between Portland and Pawtucket on his way to earning a call to the majors. He made 26 appearances out of the bullpen in 2010, primarily in a low-leverage role, and was dealt to the Marlins that offseason for an even taller lefty, reclamation project and former Bard teammate Andrew Miller.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 12
6. Zach Daeges, 3B, Creighton
Bonus: $30,000
Daeges, a thick 6-foot-4, 220-pound corner defender who starred at Creighton, joined the list of large humans drafted by the Red Sox in 2006. He had outstanding plate discipline and a solid hit tool alongside but didn’t have the power of a bat-first corner infielder or outfielder (21 of his 31 career homers came in the aforementioned Lancaster ’07 season). A big .307/.412/.454 effort for Portland indicated that the production wasn’t entirely atmospheric, but major ankle and shoulder injuries cut his career short.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 20
7. Kristopher Negron, SS, Cosumnes River College (Calif.)
Bonus: $105,000
A toolsy, defensive-minded player in the low minors, Negron seemed an unlikely bet to have a significant major league career. He had a solid year in 2008 across three levels as he hit .265/.340/.412 and was dealt in Cincinnati in 2009 in the deal to reacquire shortstop Alex Gonzalez. Negron persevered, reaching the majors as a utility infielder in 2012. He played parts of six years in the majors, highlighted by a .271/.331/.479, 2.1 bWAR season with the Reds in 2014. He retired after the 2019 season to take a job in the Mariners front office as their assistant director of player development.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 36
8. Rafael Cabreja, CF, James Monroe HS (N.Y.)
Bonus: $65,000
In a year when the Red Sox draft had so many big men, it is perhaps ironic that the cousin of David Ortiz wasn’t one of them. Cabreja had a solid .250/.354/.356 season for Lowell in 2007, but struggled in his short stint at Greenville. He was released in spring 2009.
Bonus: $660,000
One of the best athletes and most well-liked people to come through the organization, injuries derailed what looked like unlimited potential. One of the first beneficiaries of Henry's newfound commitment to spending on amateur talent, Kalish got what amounted to second-round money to forgo a commitment to the University of Virginia. He lost much of 2007 and 2008 to injury, but came back strong with a promising first major league season in 2010 at only 22 years old. The injuries roared back in 2011 and Kalish found himself on the IL for significant stretches for the rest of his career.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 1
Baseball America Top 100: 96 in 2008
10. Kyle Snyder, RHP, Wellington (Fla.)
Not to be confused with the Kyle Snyder who is a former Red Sox pitcher and now coaches with the Rays or the Kyle Snyder who won Olympic gold in wrestling in 2016, this Kyle Snyder did not sign and did not go on to play professionally and is very hard to isolate because all of the search results are for those other two guys.
11. Brandon Belt, LHP, Hudson HS (Texas)
The future All-Star and World Series-winning first baseman for the San Francisco Giants was drafted out of high school as a hard-throwing left-handed pitcher. With a commitment to the University in Texas in tow, Belt played one year at San Jacinto Junior College in order to continue negotiating with Boston as a draft-and-follow, but the parties could not come to terms. Money considerations as well as shoulder concerns pushed Belt to the Longhorns and into the batter's box.
12. Ryan Khoury, SS, Utah
A good defensive infielder, Khoury became a fixture at Portland. He appeared in 324 games for the Sea Dogs between 2008 and 2011, hitting .247/.351/.358. A piece of trivia: Khoury was the first member of the draft class to reach Pawtucket. The team needed a shortstop in early August 2006 due to the retirement of Enrique Wilson, so the organization turned to the recently-signed Khoury, who they were confident could hold down the role defensively. Khoury also later became one of the named plaintiffs in the Senne v. Major League Baseball lawsuit over minor league salaries.
13. Jordan Craft, RHP, Dallas Baptist
Craft sported a mid-90s fastball, which he used to good success with Lowell over parts of two seasons. He struggled during his stops at Greenville, walking 34 in 58 1/3 innings.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 51
14. Matt LaPorta, 1B, Florida
After a sophomore season in which he hit .328/.438/.698 for the College World Series runners-up, LaPorta seemed primed to be a top pick in the 2006 draft. Instead, he slumped to a .259/.410/.538 line for the Gators as a junior. Indicating he was inclined to return to Gainesville to boost his draft stock, the Red Sox took a chance they could change his mind in the 14th round. They could not, and the gamble paid off for LaPorta: he delivered an absurd .402/.582/.817 senior season, getting drafted by Cleveland with the seventh overall pick in 2008 and netting a $2-million bonus.
15. Jorge Jimenez, 3B, Porterville College
Jimenez used a good approach at the plate and a sweet left-handed swing to have several strong years in the minors. He posted a strong year in Lowell in 2007 and skipped straight to Lancester the following year, hitting his way to a late-season promotion. Given his age and competition level, the .289/.366/.424 line Jimenez delivered for Portland in 2009 on his way to All-Star recognition was likely the best of his career. That performance led to his selection in the Rule 5 Draft the following winter by the Astros, who immediately traded him to the Marlins. Jimenez stuck around Spring Training with the Fish until late March as he actually competed for a starting job. Perhaps disappointed by tasting, then losing, a big-league opportunity, he struggled against the more advanced pitching in Pawtucket and was released in spring training of 2011. Though his career in affiliated ball ended after spending that 2011 season in the Reds organization, Jimenez continued to be a fixture in Puerto Rico’s Winter League, playing there until 2017.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 24
16. Ty Weeden, C, Edmond Santa Fe (Okla.)
Bonus: $420,000
The younger brother of former minor leaguer and NFL quarterback Brandon Weeden, Ty expected to be headed to the University of Arkansas when he didn’t hear his name called by the end of the third round. Despite falling to the 16th, Boston offered the backstop third-round money and brought him into the fold. Weeden possessed the strong arm his genes would suggest, but his other catching skills lagged behind. Knee and hamate bone injuries cost him valuable development with the bat, and he was released in April 2010.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 20
17. Josh Reddick, LF, Middle Georgia College
Bonus: $140,000
It is a mild upset that Reddick, who received the 13th-largest bonus in what appeared at the time to be an absolutely loaded draft class, went on to have the best major league career. An outstanding athlete with a lanky build and an uppercut swing, scouts believed Reddick could have the range for center field, but he largely played in the corners in deference to Kalish. He won SoxProspects.com Rookie of the Year honors for his .306/.352/.531 line at Greenville, but his development path wasn’t always smooth. He had contact issues in his first exposure to Portland and struggled to get on base during parts of three seasons with the Red Sox. Reddick broke out in 2012 following a deal to Oakland for Andrew Bailey that was panned by many at the time and looks worse with hindsight.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 2
Baseball America Top 100: 75 in 2010
18. Lars Anderson, 1B, Jesuit High School (Calif.)
Bonus: $825,000
One could not hope to tell the Lars Anderson story as well as he tells it himself. Among his many great insights are a 2019 piece at The Athletic ($) (where he now co-hosts their Red Sox podcast) talking about his decision to sign with the Red Sox rather than attend the University of California. Anderson got money roughly equivalent to a second-rounder, the third straight pick that Boston gave six figures to. Anderson’s story will get a deeper dive in tomorrow’s piece.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 1
Baseball America Top 100: 40 in 2008; 17 in 2009; 87 in 2010
19. Richie Lentz, RHP, Washington
Bonus: $150,000
The fourth-straight player to get a six-figure bonus, Lentz lost his junior year to Tommy John surgery and showed enough in his nine appearances in 2006 for the Red Sox to take a chance on him. Lentz paired a fastball that could touch the mid-90s with a decent changeup, getting good results in the minors despite some consistency issues with his control. He struck out 77 batters and posted a 2.87 ERA in 35 1/3 innings in Lancaster in 2008, nearly two runs lower than the California League average, and he continued to shine after a promotion to Portland. Lentz looked like a potential impact bullpen arm at the major league level, but an arm injury in 2009 led to multiple visits to the injured list and gave way to his retirement in 2010.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 22
20. Kyle Gilligan, SS, Etobicoke Collegiate Institute (Ontario)
The Red Sox went north of the border in the 20th round. Gilligan did not sign and was redrafted by his hometown Blue Jays the next year, spending two years in their system despite only signing on for a three-hour tour.
21. Brian Steinocher, RHP, Stephen Austin State
Steinocher was an extreme groundball pitcher who was tough on righties with a sinker that he worked into the low 90s. He had three solid years in the system before retiring in 2009.
22. Michael Christl, RHP, Bradley
Christl returned for his senior year at Bradley rather than signing. He later joined the Cubs organization as an undrafted free agent. Christl died tragically in a diving accident in July 2019.
23. Paul Smyth, OF, San Diego State
A teammate of Masterson at SDSU, Smyth was converted to catcher in 2007. He hit well in sporadic playing time that year with Greenville, finishing with a .317/.365/.545 line in 43 games, but he was released the following year in spring training.
24. Robert Phares, RHP, Shelton State CC (Ala.)
A draft-and-follow who the Red Sox did not come to a deal with, Phares went on to attend the University of Alabama. He was not drafted and didn’t pitch professionally.
25. Sean Gleason, RHP, Lamar CC (Colo.)
Gleason opted to attend St. Mary’s College in California and was drafted in the 20th round of the 2007 draft by Baltimore. He pitched until 2013 in the Orioles system, reaching as high as Triple-A, and then in the independent leagues until 2017. He is no relation to the CEO of Professional Bull Riders (PBR) of the same name.
26. Chad Gross, 1B, Claremont HS (Calif.)
Son of longtime major league pitcher Kevin Gross, the six-foot-six slugger could not agree to terms with the Sox and went on to Cuesta College. He was a 2008 draft pick of the Yankees and played two years in their system.
27. Brantley New, RHP, Mercer
New opted to wait until after his (fifth-year) senior year at Mercer to sign as a draft-and-follow. He appeared in 16 games with Lowell and Greenville and retired in 2008.
28. Carmine Giardina, LHP, Durant HS (Fla.)
Giardina did not sign, enrolling at Central Florida before transferring to Tampa before his junior season. He was drafted in 2009 by the Pirates and 2010 by the Angels. The lefty underwent Tommy John surgery in 2011 and made a successful return, reaching Double-A in the Los Angeles organization. He now works as a player agent.
29. Devin Foreman, 1B, Hales Franciscan (Ill.)
Another draft-and-follow, the Red Sox and Foreman did not come to terms after his season at John Logan College. He did not play professionally.
30. Ryne Lawson, RHP, West Alabama
A durable right-hander, Lawson spent five years in the system. After largely piggybacking in the lower minors, he pitched for three years in the Portland rotation, eating 225 innings with a 4.92 ERA and more walks than strikeouts.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 54
31. Logan Schafer, CF, Cuesta College (Calif.)
Schafer made a good decision to enroll at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, as he raised his stock high enough to be selected by the Brewers in the third round of the 2008 draft. He reached the majors in 2011 and went on to play 318 major league games. Though not officially retired, he hasn’t played affiliated ball since 2017.
32. Mike Chambers, 2B, Franklin Pierce
The Londonderry, N.H. native got the chance to play close to home, appearing in 47 games in 2006 for Lowell and hitting a very solid .250/.349/.335. A glove-first infielder, Chambers went just 16 for 102 in Greenville the following year. He has been the head coach at Franklin Pierce since 2017.
33. Jeffrey Rea, 2B, Mississippi State
Rea returned for his senior year at MSU rather than sign with Boston. The Cubs nabbed him in the 18th round in 2007 and he played for two years in their system.
34. Bryan Morgado, LHP, Florida Christian
A hard-throwing lefty, Morgado went on to the University of Tennessee. Despite an uneven career with the Vols, Philadelphia made him their fourth-round pick in 2010 based largely on an excellent performance with Bourne of the Cape Cod League the previous summer. He pitched for three years in their system and then four more for various teams in the independent Atlantic League.
35. Jeremy Rahman, CF, Hazelwood Central (Mo.)
An athletic outfielder who also starred in football in High School, Rahman was a draft-and-follow who did not sign after a year at Jefferson (Mo.) College. He did not go on to play as a pro.
36. Darren Blocker, 3B, Connors St. College (Okla.)
Bonus: $100,000
Another draft-and-follow, Blocker got a six-figure deal after a big year at Connors State. He showed a good batting eye and solid gap power during his pro debut for the GCL squad but struggled badly during his stint with Greenville.
SoxProspects.com peak rank: 46
37. Justin Marks, LHP, Owensboro Catholic (Ky.)
Marks had a firm commitment to Louisville that the Red Sox were not able to pry him away from. Oakland selected him in the third round of the 2009 draft. Acquired by the Royals in the David DeJesus deal, he reached the majors in 2014 for a single appearance. He made five more MLB outings for Tampa between 2016 and 2017.
38. Travis Beazley, RHP, Randolph-Macon
The Red Sox took Beazley after a dominant career at Division III Randolph-Macon, including a senior year that saw him strike out 108 against just 18 walks on his way to a 1.94 ERA. Beazley sported a fastball in the high 80s that he complemented with a changeup and overhand curve. He had a strong debut at Lowell and, even more impressively, held his own at Lancaster with a 4.54 ERA in nearly 200 innings over parts of two seasons. He was assigned to Portland in 2009 but made just one start before arm soreness derailed him. He is still in baseball, working as the Associate Head Baseball Coach at the University of Lynchburg.
39. Jordan Abruzzo, C, San Diego
Abruzzo returned to San Diego for his senior year and was selected by the Mets in the 13th round of the 2007 draft. He spent four years in their system bouncing between levels, appearing most frequently for the Savannah Sand Gnats.
40. Corey Davisson, C, West HS (Calif.)
The Red Sox selected Davisson as a catcher and he continued at the position at Bakersfield College, where he played as a draft-and-follow. He did not end up signing with the Red Sox and converted to the mound at the University of Evansville. Davisson signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks as an undrafted free agent in 2010.
41. Pete Tountas, SS, Jefferson College (Mo.)
Tountas was a draft-and-follow and did not sign. He transferred to the University of Evansville, where he battled shoulder problems, to finish his college career and went undrafted, although he’d been drafted by the Mets in the 46th round in 2005 as well. He kicked around the independent leagues from 2009-2013 and also was Greece’s starting shortstop in the 2012 European Championship.
42. Doug Graybill, LHP, Sarasota HS (Fla.)
Graybill, who also went by Troy, backed out of a commitment to the University of South Florida after its longtime coach resigned to become a draft-and-follow candidate at Manatee CC, but he struggled and was not signed. After Manatee, he finished his college career at NAIA Tennessee Wesleyan.
43. Jeff Vincent, CF, Niagara
Vincent spent just one season with the organization, hitting .254/.336/.298 in 131 plate appearances in Lowell. He was released the following Spring Training and kicked around independent ball until 2012.
44. Andrew Leary, RHP, Sierra Vista HS (Nev.)
Leary went to the Community College of Southern Nevada as a draft-and-follow candidate. He didn’t sign and eventually transferred to San Diego State, where he worked out of the bullpen. After graduating, he signed with the Rays as an undrafted free agent. He spent one season split between the New York-Penn League and the High A Florida State League, compiling a combined 6.81 ERA. He was released in Spring Training in 2012.
45. Jacob McCarter, RHP, Alabama
McCarter was drafted four times—2003 by the Reds in the 40th round out of Tivy High School in Texas, 2004 by the Yankees in the 28th round and 2005 by the Nationals in the 39th round out of Navarro College in Texas, and here—and managed not to sign in any of those instances. He transferred to Oklahoma to finish his collegiate career and went undrafted before signing with the Dodgers as a free agent. In 2009, he posted a 3.91 ERA in 46 innings, striking out 51 and walking 26 in the California League. However, the following year he was demoted back down to Advanced Rookie ball and he was cut the following Spring Training. After retiring, he coached at New Mexico Junior College for a stretch.
46. Junior Rodriguez, 3B, Coral Gables HS (Fla.)
Rodriguez didn’t sign, and he apparently attended college before signing with the Rays in August 2010, although we're unable to determine where. He put up good numbers in the Appalachian League in 2011 (.280/.373/.530), but was old for the level at age 23 and playing a backup role, and he was cut the following spring.
47. Nick Hill, LHP, U.S. Military Academy
Long before Noah Song, there was Nick Hill. There was no chance the junior was going to sign here, but he was selected in the seventh round by the Mariners in 2007 after graduating from West Point as a two-time All-American. At the time, he was allowed to sign right away and play baseball under the Army’s “alternative service option,” under which he would still technically be on active duty for two years and stationed where he was playing as a recruiter. After those two years, he would serve in the reserves for six years and have to repay a prorated share of his tuition and expenses. However, in July 2008, in the midst of multiple wars and complaints from other branches that inconsistent policies towards professional athletes among the service academies gave Army a recruiting advantage for high school athletes, the Army rescinded the policy, meaning Hill had to use leave time to finish the season before reporting for active duty and serving until the following May. Although his playing career with the Mariners and Phillies lasted until 2015, he never quite found the success at the Triple-A level that he had at Double-A and below, failing in his bid to become the first Army grad to reach the Majors. He coached for two seasons at St. Joseph’s after retiring, meaning he was recent Red Sox signee Jordan Divalerio’s first collegiate pitching coach.
Jonathan had two younger, twin brothers who played minor league baseball as well. Jeremy pitched for the Cubs and was arguably the better of the two—or at least, the more traditional prospect—spending five years in that organization. Josh, a true submariner, was with the Red Sox through four seasons. Although he posted great numbers in his Lowell debut (1.86 ERA, 36 K in 29 innings) and converted 18 of 24 save opportunities as Greenville’s closer in 2007, his gimmicky delivery wasn’t as successful against more advanced hitters, and he was cut during spring training in 2010.
SoxProspects.com Peak Rank: 36
49. PJ Thomas, RHP, Wabash Valley (Junior) College (Ill.)
Not signed after being the Red Sox’ 15th-round pick in 2005, Thomas essentially became a second-year draft-and-follow in this spot in 2006. He didn’t sign, finishing his college career at the University of Southern Indiana, and he played one year of independent ball with the Worcester Tornadoes in 2009.
50. Darrell Fisherbaugh, RHP, Hawaii
Fisherbaugh, Hawaii’s closer as a junior, didn’t sign. However, he apparently thought he was going to sign and forgo his senior season after pitching that summer in the collegiate league in Alaska. It’s not quite clear what happened, because he was never announced as signing and did not play for Hawaii the following spring either.
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Raw totals:
Players drafted: 54
Players signed: 29
Baseball America Top 100 prospects: 5
Signed players who reached majors: 10
Photo Credit: Jason Place, Justin Masterson, Ryan Kalish, Josh Papelbon by Kelly O'Connor
Photo Credit: Jason Place, Justin Masterson, Ryan Kalish, Josh Papelbon by Kelly O'Connor