This past Monday, while the Red Sox big league club was on an off-day, the Sox front office was buzzing in an attempt to sign the remainder of their unsigned 2010 draft picks. The man that headlines the list is Anthony Ranaudo, a sandwich round pick out of LSU (39th overall), who signed a $2.55 million deal. Ranaudo had the opportunity to further prove his value this past summer, by playing in the Cape Cod League and while there, he dominated the competition, recording a 3-0 record in 5 starts with 31 strikeouts in 29.2 innings. He allowed just 10 hits and no runs, while holding opponents to a .101 batting average. That was all the Sox needed to see, hoping that he will be like their other young pitchers (Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz) and rise to stardom a few years down the road.
Ranaudo is just shy of his 21st birthday and stands at 6’7″ and 230 lbs. According to SoxProspects.com, Ranaudo is rated the 7th best prospect in the Sox system, just below highly tauted Cuban shortstop Jose Iglesias. For a more in-depth analysis, below is the SoxProspect.com scouting report on the Sox top pick and what they believe his impact will be at the next level.
"Was considered the top pitcher in the entire draft class and the second-best overall draft prospect heading into the 2010 season after going 12-3 with a 3.04 ERA and striking out 159 batters in 124.1 innings in 2009 on the way to leading LSU to a national championship. He flashed plus stuff in 2009, including a 91-94 mph fastball, a curveball with plus potential, and a developing changeup, all of which he threw with excellent control. But the 6’7″ righthander missed time early in 2010 with elbow soreness, and that injury led to major mechanical issues throughout the season. He struggled to regain success during the 2010 campaign in many ways. His fastball never returned to form, losing its tail and its velocity, he never got his feel back for the strike zone, and he often tipped his pitches due to mechanical flaws. All of this resulted in inconsistent and often poor performances. By selecting Ranaudo in the supplemental round of the 2010 draft, the Red Sox took the chance that he will eventually return to his 2009 form. Apparently the team is not overly concerned with his health and believes the mechanical issues to be fixable flaws."
The other 6 draft picks the Sox were able to sign at the deadline include RHP Brandon Workman, SS Sean Coyle, SS Garin Cecchini, LHP Chris Hernandez, RHP Mathew Price and CF Lucas LeBlanc. It is clear that the Sox were looking to add pitching and infield depth in their system. The one position the Sox have excelled at developing over the years has been their pitching staff, so their signings come as no surprise to most. If you look at the Sox staff now, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, Jonathan Papelbon, Felix Doubront, Manny Delcarmen and Daniel Bard (to name a few) are all young, home-grown talent. Included below is the SoxProspects.com scouting report on each of the Sox draft picks, so you can get to know them a bit better. Coming up in the next week or so, I will be breaking down the remaining 16 draft signings that occurred well before Monday’s deadline and will go in-depth on the impact of a few of the potential superstars in the group and when we might see them in the big leagues.
RHP Brandon Workman: 3/4 arm slot. Big-framed righty throws a 92-94 mph fastball that breaks in on lefties, a plus high-80s cutter, and a high-70s two-plane curveball. Able to work deep into games. Fierce on the mound, but can get rattled on occasion. Needs to improve his changeup to stick as a starter over the long-term.
SS Sean Coyle: Small frame with an excellent offensive approach. Gap power. Plus speed, plus defender. Likely will play second base as a pro. Plays hard. Often draws comparisons to Dustin Pedroia.
SS Garin Cecchini: Tall and athletic frame, above-average all-around tools. Good-looking swing from the left side. Great bat speed. Creates good loft, very high power potential for an infielder. Above-average speed. Played shortstop and second base in high school, likely projects as a third baseman down the line. Fluid footwork, solid glove, nice arm. Smart with a high baseball IQ. Had been projected as a first-round pick prior to 2010 but missed most of the 2010 season with an ACL injury.
LHP Chris Hernandez: Left-hander was the ace of Miami’s pitching staff for three seasons. Fastball sits in the low-90s, and he also mixes in an excellent 88-90 mph cutter, a low-80s changeup, and a decent low-80s slurve, all of which he throws with phenomenal command. Hernandez will need to utilize command and deception in order to overcome his lack of velocity to project as a starter at the major league level. He also needs to refine his changeup.
RHP Mathew Price: Tall, thin righty. Fastball sits 92-93 mph and gets up to the mid-90s. Solid curveball with plus potential. Changeup is a work in progress. Good control. Rigid delivery, mechanics need some work.
CF Lucas LeBlanc: LeBlanc was committed to LSU following the 2010 draft, but signed with Boston at the 2010 deadline. Well-rounded athlete with a solid build. Slightly above-average all-around tools, but none are stellar. Played center field in JuCo, likely to play right in the pros.
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