A look into the Rule 5 Draft eligible players in Worcester
The Red Sox saw three players get selected in the 2022 MLB Rule 5 Draft last season in Thad Ward, AJ Politi, and Noah Song. Politi and Song were eventually returned, and Ward is still in the Washington Nationals bullpen after having a rocky season.
As we look towards the 2023 MLB Rule 5 Draft, there are plenty of names on the WooSox roster who are eligible to be taken. Let’s breakdown the chances of each being selected by another team.
An opposing pitcher's thoughts facing Red Sox top prospects in Portland
Shane Drohan
The left-handed looked like he was the top pitching prospect in the Red Sox system at one point this season after dominating in Portland to start the year. He ended up cooling off once he got to Worcester but has shown flashes of reaching his ceiling of a mid-rotation starter. Chances are high for him to be selected so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Drohan added to the 40-man roster.
Ryan Fernandez
Fernandez is a 25-year-old reliever who tops out at 99 MPH with his fastball. Do you think teams will pass that up? The right-hander has struggled at times since being called up to Triple-A but when he is on, he looks unhittable. Chances are very high someone takes a chance on Fernandez unless added to the 40-man roster.
Ryan Fitzgerald
He will forever be known as the King of Worcester after receiving a key to the city this weekend. Fitzgerald is now 29 years old and is under contract for one more season with the Red Sox. He plays every position on the field and has hit very well this season. Regardless, it seems unlikely he is taken in the Draft.
Grant Gambrell
The right-handed starter is one of the more intriguing names on this list. Gambrell has pitched well in his brief time in Worcester this year and has looked every bit of a major league starter. The 25-year-old was once a third round pick and one of the players who came back in the Andrew Benintendi trade. I can’t see him being selected in the Draft, but crazier things have happened.
Justin Hagenman
Hagenman has had a very good year between the Dodgers and Red Sox system. He is being used in a bulk-inning reliever type role who could be stretched out as a starter for next season if needed. The Red Sox are high on him after coming over in a trade at the deadline. It would not be surprising at all to see him selected if he is not added to the 40-man roster this offseason.
Christian Koss
Koss has been a very productive utility player this year for the WooSox. He plays plus defense and has played almost every infield position and the corner outfield. He is a great player to have on the roster but will not be selected in the Draft.
AJ Politi
The Baltimore Orioles selected Politi in last year’s Draft and it would not be a surprise to see him taken once again. The right-hander leads Worcester in saves this season and has been one of the most reliable in the bullpen this season. He will be another candidate to be selected in the Draft this year and unless added to the 40-man, I would be surprised if he isn’t taken.
Stephen Scott
The WooSox quickly saw Scott become their starting catcher after being called up from Double-A in July. He was tearing the cover off of the ball when he first arrived in Worcester and has since cooled off a bit. He is still a very productive offensive contributor that is still fairly new to the catcher position full-time. Chances are slim he is selected in the Draft due to being so new to the position.
Chase Shugart
Shugart looked like he was taking over the closer role in Worcester over the first two months of the season. He would start to run into trouble after that and it hasn’t been as effective since. Still, Shugart has shown a ton of promise and has topped out at 98 MPH. He is not going to be selected in the Draft.
Nick Sogard
Now this is the most interesting name on the list. Sogard is showing signs of a major leaguer every single day in Worcester. He makes a ton of contact, plays almost every position on the diamond, is a plus defender at multiple positions, and he bats switch-hitter. He is the perfect MLB bench utility role player, and it will be a complete surprise to me if he is not taken in the Draft. Heck of a player any team would love to have.
Brian Van Belle
Van Belle has been trending in the right direction ever since he arrived in Worcester just a couple of months ago. The right-hander had a brief learning curve but has since been solid. He should not be taken in the Draft this offseason.
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Again regardless if a player is at rookie ball or Triple A is what you are looking at the best he’s going to be or will/can he improve. If he’s at the point of being the best he’s ever going to be then leave him there or get rid of him. Since we don’t have a current leader in the front office now is not the time to worry about the Rule 5 draft that should have been looked at months ago. There’s a saying when you’re asshole deep in alligators it’s too late to realize that your job was to close the gate. As much as I love the RedSox I would not take the job of running the baseball operations until John Henry gave me the truthful answer to why did you fire Dave Dombrowski?