The success of Garrett Whitlock -- who seemingly came out of nowhere to become arguably the Red Sox' second-most valuable pitcher in 2021 -- has set the bar high for all Sox' Rule 5 picks, in the present and in the future.
A year ago, the Sox chose Whitlock in the major league portion of the draft from the New York Yankees. Despite having undergone Tommy John surgery in 2019 and having pitched only a handful of games as high as Double A, Whitlock proved to be a revelation in 2021. He was 8-4 with a 1.96 ERA in 46 games, with a WHIP of 1.105 while averaging better than a strikeout per inning.
And the fact that he taken away from the Yankees made the transaction all the more delicious for Red Sox fans.
But it's important to remember that Whitlock is the exception rather than the rule when it comes to the Rule 5. Many selections don't even last the year with their new clubs after finding that the leap from Double A or Triple A to the big leagues is too sizable a jump.
This year, with the owners having locked out the players, the major league version of the Rule 5 was postponed. It could be rescheduled once the lockout is resolved.
However, because minor leaguers who aren't part of 40-man rosters are not locked out, the minor league version of the Rule 5 draft was held as scheduled.
The Red Sox chose two players -- both pitchers -- and we gathered some reports on them.
RHP Brian Keller: Like Whitlock, Keller was chosen from the Yankees' system, drafted from their Double A roster. Keller was a 39th round pick by Milwaukee in 2016 and last season, had a 2.77 ERA and averaged more than a strikeout per inning, but also walked an absurdly high 7.5 batters per nine innings, a rate that isn't sustainable for success at any level.
"I know there's also this narrative of us trying to take (pitchers from the Yankees),'' joked one Red Sox official, noting that, in addition to Whitlock, the Sox also took Kaleb Ort from New York in the minor league portion last year and Raynel Espinal the year before that. "That doesn't really drive our decision at all.''
RHP Austin Lambright: Lambright was a 10th round pick for the Kansas City Royals in 2018 and hasn't pitched since 2019, when he had a 2.85 ERA, splitting time between Single A and Double A. He's dealt with shoulder issues this past year -- there was no minor league season in 2020 -- but the Sox are convinced he's close to returning to full health.
"When healthy,'' said the official, "he's a power arm. We like the fastball quality.''
Both pitchers have struggled with their control, but the Sox remain confident that they can overcome that.
"We seek the insight of our player development experts and our pitching coordinators and our pitching coaches,'' said the official. "They get to look at the pitch data, see them on video. We try to get a sense of 'Hey, what do you think of how the body works, the pitch mix, is there room for optimization?' They see things mechanically that perhaps we can work on. Or, (it could be) a change in the pitch mix, a change on (lining up) on the other side of the rubber. But we're willing to take a flyer.''
Keller has been mostly a starter for the Yankees and has an intriguing pitch mix, but the Sox likely view him as a reliever.
"We think in today's game,'' the official said, "there's value in having a depth in pitch mix and guys can offer you more than just a short (relief) stint. There's value in that and I think we're willing to make that bet.''
It's likely Keller will start the year at Triple A Worcester, while it's possible that Lambright might start next year at extended spring training, since he hasn't pitched competitively for a couple of years.
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While the Red Sox can't do anything to their major league roster during the lockout, they can address other organizational matters. Currently, the Sox have two openings on their major league coaching staff and the potential is there for a third.
Hitting coach Tim Hyers left the Sox last month to join the Texas Rangers staff, while first base coach Tom Goodwin was informed days after the Sox' season ended that he would not be rehired.
The team has Pete Fatse in place as one hitting instructor, but needs to add another, in addition to finding a replacement for Goodwin. Interviews have been conducted in an effort to fill both openings, though the Sox have yet to make a hire.
Meanwhile, bench coach Will Venable is a candidate for the Oakland A's managerial opening. Venable joined the Sox staff last winter.
The A's allowed former manager Bob Melvin to leave to become manager of the San Diego Padres.
Others in the running in Oakland include internal candidates Mark Kotsay (third base coach), Darren Bush (hitting coach) and Marcus Jensen (bullpen coach), along with Houston bench coach Joe Espada and Tampa Bay bench coach Matt Quatraro. Both Espada and Quatraro are also candidates for the New York Mets managerial opening.