I agree that they're going to have to sign a CF as a bridge player. There are basically three FA choices Fowler, Gerardo Parra and Denard Span. Span might be the best of the three when healthy but he's also the oldest. Fowler is as good a choice as any but word is both he and Parra are going to get around 4/$40 mil so I'm not sure your numbers for an extension will work unless Fowler really wants to be a part of things here. I have more faith in Almora than you do but the earliest he's here is 2017 and probably not early that year. He's seemed to figure things out lately but he needs a year at AAA. I do like Jackie Bradley Jr. but I wouldn't trade Baez for him. If they move Baez I'd like to see it be for pitching.
No you do a package deal. Baez centered on the Cubs side. Bradley and pitching on the Sox side.
Brian Johnson | Rank: 4 (Preseason: 7)
Team: Status: Disabled 7-Day ETA: 2015
Position: LHP Age: 24 DOB: 12/07/1990
Bats: L Throws: L Height: 6' 4" Weight: 235 lb.
Drafted: 2012, 1st (31) - BOS
VIDEO
Other Lists: Top 100 Prospects (#44), Top 10 LHP Prospects (#4)
Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 60 | Cutter: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 | Overall: 55
A two-way star at Florida, Johnson hit 15 homers and won 22 games while helping the Gators appear in three consecutive College World Series from 2010-12. After he signed for $1,575,000 as the 31st overall pick in the 2012 Draft, his pro debut lasted just six innings before a line drive broke bones in his face during the annual Futures at Fenway showcase. He has made rapid progress since, leading the Double-A Eastern League with a 1.75 ERA in 2014 and reaching the big leagues by the following July.
Johnson has an 88-94 mph fastball that plays up because it sinks and tails and he can locate it on both sides of the point. The consensus is that his best pitch is his sharp curveball, though some scouts prefer his sinking changeup. He also uses an effective cutter to give batters a different look.
Johnson has exceptional feel for pitching and is consistent from start to start. His biggest need at this point is to get a little stronger so he can maintain low-90s velocity throughout a full season. He has the ceiling of an efficient No. 3 starter.
Henry Owens | Rank: 5 (Preseason: 3)
Team: Boston Red Sox ETA: 2015
Position: LHP Age: 23 DOB: 07/21/1992
Bats: L Throws: L Height: 6' 6" Weight: 220 lb.
Drafted: 2011, 1st Sup (36) - BOS
VIDEO
Other Lists: Top 100 Prospects (#45), Top 10 LHP Prospects (#5)
Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 65 | Control: 50 | Overall: 55
Part of a banner Red Sox 2011 Draft class that also includes Matt Barnes, Blake Swihart, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts, Owens signed for $1.55 million as the 36th overall pick. His ability to get swings and misses with multiple pitches has led to immediate and sustained success in pro ball. He led the Minor Leagues with 17 wins and ranked fourth with 170 strikeouts in 2014, during which he also threw a rain-shortened no-hitter, started the Sirius XM All-Star Futures Game and reached Triple-A shortly after turning 22.
Owens' best pitch is his changeup, which is also one of the best in the Minors. He often works with average velocity on his fastball, which ranges from 88-94 mph, but it plays better than that because he can sink it and cut it, and hitters have trouble picking it up because of his delivery. His long, lanky frame allows him to deliver pitches with deceptive plane and angle.
While his curveball ranks behind his fastball and changeup, Owens focused on developing it in 2014. He opened the Futures Game with his curve, which shows signs of becoming a solid third pitch. After making strides with his control last season, he battled it more in 2015, though he continued to be as difficult to hit as ever.
Trey Ball | Rank: 13 (Preseason: 12)
Team: Salem Red Sox (A Adv) ETA: 2017
Position: LHP Age: 21 DOB: 06/27/1994
Bats: L Throws: L Height: 6' 6" Weight: 185 lb.
Drafted: 2013, 1st (7) - BOS
VIDEO
Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45 | Overall: 50
The top two-way player in the 2013 Draft, Ball had the athleticism and left-handed power potential to be a first-round pick as an outfielder. But it became apparent as the spring went on that he was also the best left-handed pitcher available, and he gave up hitting after going seventh overall and signing for $2.75 million.
Ball went 1-7, 7.27 in his first 11 starts in low Class A last year, but the struggles helped make him a better pitcher and he finished with a 2.70 in his last 11 outings. His promising curveball was inconsistent for much of the first half, which forced him to rely more on his changeup, and by the end of the season both were solid pitches. He pitched with a 90-94 mph fastball for much of the year, and his projectable frame bodes well for more velocity in the future.
Thanks to his athleticism, Ball has better body control than most young pitchers with big frames. He's learning to repeat his delivery and could develop solid command. He'll need time to develop but has the upside of a No. 2 or 3 starter.
Guys I'm thinking about. LH starters with some project ability.
