In their offseason endeavor to build a better team for 2013, the Red Sox have clung to their most prized prospects, even though the majority is still at least a year away from reaching the majors.
It hasn’t gone unnoticed.
“Now is the best time to be in the organization in the past couple years, with the success they’ve had with their minor leaguers,” said 23-year-old pitcher Anthony Ranaudo, the Sox’ compensatory round pick in 2010. “They’re trying to keep that homegrown talent together. It’s kind of cool.”
Former general manager Theo Epstein used to dream of fielding an entirely homegrown team, an idea that never germinated into reality because of the Red Sox’ capacity to spend money on free agents and the big-market pressures to have short-term success. So, for every Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia that went directly from the farm to Fenway, the Sox jettisoned a Justin Masterson or an Anthony Rizzo in trades for older, established major leaguers.
But if ever there was a time to apply Epstein’s fantasy, it is now, in the aftermath of three consecutive playoff-less seasons and a 93-loss debacle last year.
The Red Sox won’t ever take a wholly isolationist approach to team-building, and GM Ben Cherington is too open-minded to be unequivocally opposed to trading any upper-level prospect (he undoubtedly would consider any offer for Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton).![]()
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