According to Baseball America’s Matt Eddy, the Red Sox have signed southpaw Casey Crosby, who was formerly ranked as a “Top-50” prospect by several sources.
Crosby’s most successful season came in 2009, when he earned a 10-4 record with a 2.41 ERA with Single-A West Michigan, the Detroit Tigers affiliate. Drafted in the fifth round of the 2007 draft, Crosby underwent tommy john surgery within a year of being picked, and has since battled various medical issues. The lefty hurler most recently had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow in 2013, and saw time on the disabled list in May due to soreness.
Prior to being drafted, Crosby was ranked 47th in Major League Baseball by Baseball America, and 32nd by Baseball Prospectus. The Red Sox hope that Crosby has surpassed his injury-plagued days, and can play at the level that the healthy hurler is capable of.
Crosby, who Boston is clearly taking a gamble on, will join the Red Sox at a minor league spring training camp. The Red Sox are certainly playing the tough odds on Crosby, who says he’s pain-free, however, the team feels that it’s worth giving him a shot.