Red Sox Prospect Watch: Players starting to heat up
By Mike El-Far
Salem and Greenville
If you are a casual fan, you probably know about Sam Travis. You probably also know about Rafael Devers. Travis was a second-round draft pick, and Devers was a highly touted international free agent. Let me introduce you to someone who is going to shoot up the system over the next couple years.
Michael Chavis, the 11th best prospect in the system, has started the season better than almost all minor league players. MLB Pipeline made a prospect team of the week, and the member of the Salem Red Sox was named to it. Here is a quick clip explaining why, as told by Jim Callis:
In the clip, you can clearly see the raw power Chavis has. Chavis was the 1st-round selection by Boston in 2014. Chavis is a third baseman, but can play corner outfield positions as well as shortstop. He was taken out of high school, and hasn’t been this monster prospect as of yet. His best average in roughly 2+ seasons has been .237.
I think this is the year he turns the corner. Obviously transitioning from high school to professional baseball is something that is very tough. But, he was a highly sought after recruit for top collegiate programs. Chavis did commit to Clemson, but Boston was able to convince him to play professionally.
Now, you might notice a trend that Boston has a lot of good prospects who all play similar positions. Chavis, Bobby Dalbec, and Devers all are third basemen. This is not a problem at all. Having a rich prospect pool, especially at the same position, is something that could yield both current and future returns.
If Chavis and Dalbec both have great seasons, it is very likely that if Boston needs help at the MLB level, one of them could be a key trade asset. Just recently, Boston had to make the decision to trade their young OF prospect Manuel Margot to San Diego for Craig Kimbrel in the 2015 offseason. They were able to swing that trade for one reason.
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That was drafting Andrew Benintendi just 6 months earlier. Had that not happened, it is hard to believe that Margot gets traded. While Margot, JBJ, and Mookie Betts would have been a great outfield trio, Boston would still be without a dominant closer.