It has now been a couple weeks since the Red Sox made their blockbuster trade to acquire Chris Sale.
Leaving the organization were 4 prospects, including two of the top 5 in the system. Those were MLB’s number 1 overall prospect Yoan Moncada, and the number one pitching prospect in Boston’s system, Michael Kopech.
Kopech was selected in the 1st round by Boston in 2014 and has shot up the farm system ever since. A tall, lanky righty who is able to throw his fastball regularly in the triple digits, he has been making headlines for his dominant velocity. In a game this year, he got his fastball up to 105 MPH. He also has made headlines for some off-field incidents as well.
In 2015, he missed 50 games due to a suspension for taking a banned stimulant. In Spring Training this season, he was sidelined due to breaking his hand in a fight with a teammate. When asked about this incident, this is what then-GM Mike Hazen had to say about Kopech’s actions:
"No, it’s disappointing, very disappointing. It was stupid. He’s going to have to grow up with the things that have happened."
While Kopech has had some off-field incidents, he has been a great asset on the field. In 11 starts with high-A Salem, Kopech went 4-1 with a 2.25 ERA and an astronomical 14.2 K/9. Had he stayed in the organization, Kopech probably factored into spending most of the year at Portland to try and develop a third dominant pitch behind his fastball and slider.
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Michael Kopech has had both highs and lows during his short time in the Red Sox organization. And he probably would have stayed with the organization if Boston did not draft Jason Groome with the 12th overall pick in this year’s draft. Groome projects to be a top-level starter who already has 3 dominant pitches under his belt, all while only being 18 years old.
Getting one of the best pitchers in baseball is going to require a team to give up some good players in return. To get Chris Sale, it was very likely that either Kopech or Groome was required to be a part of the deal. If you have to trade one of these two young guns away, it should be Kopech.
Jason Groome had some maturity issues that caused him to fall in the draft, but that seems to have worked itself out. Groome seems to project to be the better prospect, and some scouts see Kopech excelling as a reliever. When you add the reoccurring incidents off the field, it starts to become very apparent who had to be dealt. Michael Kopech should be a very successful player in Major League Baseball, just not for the Red Sox.