Most of us view the Clay Buchholz trade as a pure salary dump, but the Boston Red Sox believe Josh Tobias is more than just a throw-in.
When the Boston Red Sox were looking to trade Clay Buchholz they had to expect they weren’t going to receive much in return.
The deal that they ultimately reached with the Philadelphia Phillies was primarily about clearing the logjam in the starting rotation and shedding enough salary to dip below the luxury tax threshold. Boston accomplished both of those goals, which should make them content with the trade no matter what they were getting back from Philly.
With that being said, it doesn’t mean that the Red Sox are getting a bag of used baseballs and a box of sunflower seeds in return for Buchholz. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski wasn’t merely throwing darts at a board made up of low-level prospects, he made the decision based on feedback from his scouting department that Josh Tobias has some potential.
Red Sox director of professional scouting Gus Quattlebaum was responsible for scouting Philadelphia’s farm system and witnessed Tobias play a few times in 2016. What he saw convinced him to recommend the 24-year old second baseman.
"“He’d definitely not just another body,” Quattlebaum told WEEI’s Rob Bradford. “We see him as having potential as a versatile, switch-hitting guy with make-up and a feel to hit. Whenever you can find someone who can hit that guy is going to standout.”"
Tobias hit .294 with a .784 OPS and 9 home runs between two levels of Single-A ball in 2016. He squares up on the ball to make solid contact, with more power coming from the right side.
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Quattlebaum’s report was a factor in Dombrowksi pulling the trigger on the deal, but it certainly doesn’t hurt that he was also able to consult with Red Sox first base coach Ruben Amaro, who was the general manager of the Phillies when Tobias was drafted in 2015.
While this scouting report offers a sliver of optimism, we have to remember that there are reasons why Tobias wasn’t drafted until the 10th round and ranked outside of the Top 30 prospects in the Phillies system.
His lack of athleticism leaves scouts skeptical that he can remain at second base in the long run, which could limit his value depending on which position he may be forced to shift to. He’s proven he can hit at the lower levels of the minors, but prospects that aren’t highly touted are difficult to predict having success as they move up through the system.
His big league debut would be years away, if he ever makes it that far. He’s not exactly young either, at least for a prospect still playing A-ball. The Red Sox have as handful of position players on their 40-man roster that are the same age or younger than Tobias.
Tobias doesn’t have the high ceiling of the top prospects the Red Sox have parted with in the past year under Dombrowski’s watch. He’s a lottery ticket, a prospect that has shown the ability to hit, which could lead to him eventually becoming a contributor for this franchise.
Boston’s scouting department likes his potential and believes he is a prospect that could have a bright future. The odds may be stacked against him, but he has enough qualities to warrant keeping an eye on his rise through the organization.
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For a prospect acquired in a deal that was essentially meant to be a salary dump, that’s about as much as they could have hoped for.