This week, for the first time since Labor Day weekend of 2019, minor league baseball resumed, and for those who love to follow the game and watch the development of young players, not a moment too soon.
"This is what we do this for -- to go out there and compete -- and for everybody to get a chance to do that, it's really, really exciting,'' said Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom.
There's been some reorganization within the Red Sox' affiliate structure since then. Most obviously, the Triple-A Pawtucket franchise has relocated to Worcester; Salem and Greenville have switched classifications -- the former is now Low A and the latter High A -- and, for now, sadly, Lowell's affiliate doesn't exist.
But even with the changes, there's plenty of interesting storylines. Here's a look -- with some help from talent evaluators both inside and outside the Red Sox system -- at the ten most intriguing prospects for the 2021 minor league season:
1. Jarren Duran, OF, Worcester. Duran is likely the player closest to making an impact on the major league team. It's virtually impossible to envision a scenario in which he doesn't contribute in Boston. The only questions, for now, would seem to be how soon and how much. Duran could use additional time to work on his routes in center and to test how the changes he's made to his swing over the last year and a half play out in actual games. Duran has elite speed and the athleticism to make himself into a fine defender in the outfield. What remains to be seen is how well he drives the ball and how much of an extra-base threat he becomes.
2. Jeter Downs, INF, Worcester. Perhaps this is unfair to Downs, but his development will go a long way in determining the relative success of the Mookie Betts deal. With Alex Verdugo already an above-average regular in the big leagues, all eyes are on Downs. If he becomes an everyday infielder with some offensive potential, the deal will be looked at more favorably; if he's no more than a depth contributor or an up-and-down option, it becomes a failure. Downs needs work (and consistency) at second, but there's also the feeling -- voiced by Worcester hitting coach Rich Gedman of late -- that there's some to unlock offensively.
3. Connor Seabold, RHP, Worcester. His season has been delayed by some elbow soreness, which the Red Sox maintain is minor. In spring training, Seabold really caught scouts' attention and his changeup has already been classified as a major weapon. Assuming no major health setbacks, he's viewed as the next starter prospect who could make the jump to the big leagues. If he continues to impress, he'll make the Brandon Workman/Heath Hembree for Nick Pivetta/Seabold trade even more lopsided than it already is.
4. Triston Casas, 1B, Portland. It's a measure of how advanced Casas is as a hitter that he was assigned to Double-A after being drafted out of high school in 2018. He missed most of that season with a thumb injury, and like everyone else, all of 2020, too. So the fact that he's at Double-A with a little more than a year of pro experience, at 21, speaks volumes. Casas is 6-5, 245 and his power is still developing. The comparisons to Freddie Freeman are, it would seem, well-earned.
5. Thaddeus Ward, RHP, Portland. Unlike higher profile pitching picks in recent years, Ward has progressed out of the spotlight a bit. Projected as, at best, a swingman, he's now seen as someone who could have a ceiling as a back-end starter. His stuff may not be elite, but Wards commands three solid pitches and has shown a real feel for pitching. If he joins Tanner Houck in Boston at some point later this year, it will go a long way in erasing the long-held narrative that the Sox can't develop its own starting pitchers.
6. Jay Groome, RHP Greenville. And speaking of starting pitchers ... It wasn't that long ago that the tall lefty, chosen in the first round in 2016, was going to anchor the Boston rotation for years to come. That was before a series of physical setbacks, including Tommy John surgery, sidetracked his development. Groome had a strong showing at the alternate site last summer, but he needs to do that in affiliated ball and he's got to make up for lost time while demonstrating that he can stay healthy.
6. Gilberto Jimenez, OF, Salem. If there's a five-t0ol prospect in the system that Red Sox fans can dream about, it's Jimenez. He got into some major league spring training games in March, a measure of how highly he's regarded, considering that he's just 20, and at the time, hasn't played above short-season Rookie ball. Jimenez has plus power and plus speed and the expectation if, he could climb the minor league ladder quickly.
7. Blaze Jordan, IF/OF, GCL. Jordan gained notoriety as a high schooler for his prodigious power displays in showcases and home run derbies, and the Red Sox raised a lot of eyebrows in the industry when they selected him in the third round last summer and then gave him above-slot money to sign. Jordan has to prove that he can actually, you know, play and isn't some internet-sensation sideshow. There are questions about where he'll play, but at a time when power is the most sought-after skill in the game, it will be fascinating to track his progress.
8. Ronaldo Hernandez, C, Portland. Even with his late conversion to the catching position, Connor Wong may be somewhat more advanced, but Hernandez has a higher ceiling. And given the fact that Christian Vazquez is only under control for one more year (the Sox hold a club option for 2022), the focus on the catching position will be intense. For now, think of Hernandez as a younger version of Gary Sanchez -- with a plus arm and plus power. The rest of his game -- from receiving to making more regular contact -- remains under development.
9. Eduard Bazardo, RHP, Worcester. In one sense, Bazardo doesn't belong on this list since his ceiling is nowhere near as high as others here. Bazardo merely represents bullpen depth for the organization, but given that A) he's already made his major league debut (in Minnesota) and B) he's made a habit of far exceeding expectations in his minor league career, he bears watching. There are already some in the organization who believe he's already a better option than some arms on the current major league staff, it's almost certain he'll be back at some point this season. From there, perhaps he'll continue to surprise and evolve into a high-leverage weapon.
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- These things are always delicate and that's even more true when dealing with a player of his status. Would it not have been better to anticipate this being an issue just five weeks ago, before the start of the season, and work with Pujols on a more palatable solution than some hastily arranged mid-week DFA? Then again, that's probably too much to expect from owner Arte Moreno, whose stubborn streak is legendary and who probably exerts more influence on his team's day-to-day goings on than any other owner in the game. It's just downright shocking that, under Moreno's ownership, the Angels have won a grand total of two postseason series in almost 20 seasons.
- All long-term contracts are highly risky, but those given to first base sluggers would seem to be most in danger of backfiring. The presence of the Detroit Tigers at Fenway this week, at the precise moment that Pujols was being unceremoniously kicked to the curb, could not help but force you to ask the question: How much longer for Miguel Cabrera? Cabrera finally snapped an 0-for-27 hitless streak Friday night, but is slashing .127/.225/.238. Worse, Cabrera has two more seasons left after this one, each one paying him $32 million. It's clear this won't end well.
- Had Pujols simply retired after his last contract was up in St. Louis, he would have already been a Hall of Famer. I'm not sure we'll ever see another player have a better 11-year start to a career (.328.420/.617 with two Gold Gloves, 445 homers, three MVPs and seven other Top 5 MVP finishes). Sadly, in his last 10 seasons in Anaheim, Pujols never once receive Top 10 MVP consideration and was only once an All-Star.