Red Sox Pick 7th Overall In 2015 MLB Draft
With all of the dealings the Boston Red Sox made in the offseason, it may be incredible to think that they could have such a high first round draft pick as the seventh spot. Then, you come back down to Earth when you await their next pick. You better stick the kettle on, because it’s going to be a long wait.
After their first pick, general manager Ben Cherington and the Red Sox will not be on the clock till the 81st pick, after the dominoes fall between June 8th and June 10th.
Nick O’Malley recently reported that “the logistics are the tricky part. The Red Sox lost two of their top picks as a result of signing two of the biggest free agents on the market this offseason (Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez). However, they got to hold on to their top 10 pick — protected since it fell in the upper half of the first round. As a result, the Red Sox lost their two next picks (No. 47 and No. 72)” (MassLive.com).
In any sports draft, there are varying opinions as to what will be the best strategy. Some people want the number one overall pick, and do not care about the rest of the draft. Some people want as many first rounders as a team can obtain. Some people even want their picks traded with a veteran in a package to move higher in the draft. Since nobody has complete control over how the draft will play out, it’s hard to say what is the best strategy. General managers have to do what’s best for the team, no matter where their picks fall in the order. The fact that the Red Sox still have a top ten draft pick, after signing elite veteran talent and making multiple trades, is pretty astounding.
Yet, you never know who you will get until they play professionally. In the last National Football League draft, the Cleveland Browns traded up to get another first round pick, taking quaterback Johnny Manziel, who is now in a rehabilitation clinic for undisclosed reasons. His regular season was plagued with controversy and some poor play, after being hyped as well as pooh-poohed as the possible future of the NFL. Meanwhile, quarterback Russell Wilson was drafted by the Texas Rangers baseball team after he found success on the Seattle Seahawks football team, on the off-chance that he makes the move to Major League Baseball later in his career. When that will be, nobody knows, if it even happens.
Both of the Red Sox’ top prospects, catcher Blake Swihart and pitcher Henry Owens, were picked out of the top ten in the 2011 MLB Draft. Swihart was picked 26th and Owens was picked 36th, overall. Meanwhile, pitcher Trey Ball was picked 7th in the first round in 2013, but has yet to crack the top 10 Red Sox prospects list for Baseball America or MLB.com. Anything could happen this season, as statistics and scouting reports need to be updated for 2015, but nothing is guaranteed. You could draft well in a low position or draft poorly in a high position. Boston faithful know that story well: four-time Super Bowl quarterback Tom Brady was picked 199th overall, in the sixth round by the New England Patriots. Anything can happen in a draft.
Later, this season, BoSox Injection will be examining some of the potential draft picks for Boston and the other American League teams. The Red Sox should know where their deficiencies will be by the end of Spring Training and the start to the regular season. Stay tuned!
** Check out the following link for details to the entire MLB Draft order: