Podcast Ep #340: Geoff Pontes returns to talk about Roki Sasaki

Ian is joined by Geoff Pontes of Baseball America to discuss the huge news that Roki Sasaki is being posted this offseason. First, they discuss the timing of him coming over and why that matters. They then discuss his performance over in Japan and if there are any concerns about his workload and health, before a deep dive into his arsenal. Finally, they speculate on the factors that will go into his signing process and how much money teams will have to spend on him. To end the show, Ian briefly discusses the AFL including the three Red Sox who made the Fall Stars team and previews the next week with Nick Pivetta’s QO decision looming.

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Fall/Winter Roundup: Brannon, Ferguson, Kirwin named Fall Stars; LBPRC kicks off

The Winter Leagues continue to ramp up in the Caribbean, with four Red Sox players suiting up as the Roberto Clemente League in Puerto Rico got started this week. The Arizona Fall League reached its All-Star Break, with a trio of Sox participating. This week's update covers the period from November 4 through 10. Please also visit our SoxProspects.com Fall/Winter page, updated daily. 

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Arizona Fall League

Three members of Boston's Mesa Solar Sox contingent were named to the American League for the annual Fall Stars game: pitcher Danny Kirwin, catcher Brooks Brannon, and utilityman Max Ferguson (pictured). All three got into the action in Saturday's contest. Ferguson got the start at shortstop, going 0 for 1 with a walk and a run scored. Brannon entered as a pinch hitter for the DH position, going 0 for 2. Kirwin pitched the sixth inning, surrendering a game-tying run on two hits. The American League emerged victorious on a ninth-inning home run by Tigers' catcher Thayron Liranzo.

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Podcast Ep #339: Offseason Preview!

With the World Series over and free agency open, Ian and Chris get together to preview the offseason. They start out talking about the decision to give Nick Pivetta the qualifying offer and the other players who received them, before moving onto a Red Sox specific discussion about what they should do this offseason. First, they start out discussing how to improve the rotation and what is the best route to go to add a front line pitcher. They then briefly discuss how to upgrade the bullpen, before an in depth discussion how upgrading the lineup isn’t as straightforward as it seems. Finally, they wrap up the show by answering your emails!

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Fall/Winter Roundup: Brannon stays hot; Valdez homers

It was a tough week for the Mesa Solar Sox in Arizona. They went 2-4 to drop to third place after sitting in a tie for first place on Monday. Every Red Sox player got into at least one game this week, with Brooks Brannon (pictured) again leading the way. In the Dominican, Enmanuel Valdéz hit his first home run. 

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Arizona Fall League

After posting an 8-for-20 week, Brooks Brannon is hitting .333 with a .875 OPS this fall. He notched three doubles while driving in two runs. He struck out four times without drawing a walk, and on defense, he had one caught stealing while allowing eight stolen bases and a passed ball. Caden Rose turned in a solid week, going 7 for 23 (.304) with three runs scored, three RBI, two doubles, a walk, three strikeouts, and an outfield assist at home. That helped push his average up to .226 with an OPS of .656. Max Ferguson saw his numbers regress, as he went 1 for 14 with one run scored, one walk, and four strikeouts. He committed an error, stole a base, and hit two sacrifice flies as his OPS dropped to .697. 

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