Last night the Boston Red Sox made steps to fill out their 40-man roster and one of which will move on of their top prospects closer to the majors.
The offseason is underway and the Red Sox are doing what they need to in order to get the roster ready for Opening Day. Last night Chaim Bloom moved a handful of prospects to the 40-man roster in order to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft. One of the names now in the lineup is that of Bobby Dalbec, someone that the Fenway Faithful are keeping a close eye on.
Bobby had a shot during the 2019 spring training season in Fort Meyers and made some waves. He would then split his time between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket. Now that there’s a wide-open path to first base this will be his best chance at earning a major league spot.
As the World Series concluded the Red Sox saw several key players make their way to free agency. One of which was veteran first baseman Mitch Moreland and there isn’t a clear heir apparent to fill the vacancy. There’s always the option of having Michael Chavis slide over to first but now that Brock Holt is also on the market, he’ll likely be staying at second base.
The only real competition that Dalbec may run into is against Sam Travis, but Bobby has a higher ceiling as far as potential is concerned. Alex Cora wasn’t strict with when and where he used Travis last season and that could become his new role within the team going forward. A strong Spring Training could lead to a full-time gig for the young prospect.
There hasn’t been an opening like there is right now in a long while for the young talent in Boston’s farm system. Not only will the pitchers have a chance to stake their claim but so will the position players. If’s a massive sign of confidence in Dalbec’s progression that Bloom made sure he was on the roster.
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Now some of you may say that it doesn’t mean a damn thing to be on the roster in November, and you’re right. For all we know, Bobby could have a horrendous Spring Training and get sent back to Pawtucket to sort things out. Baseball can be a cruel mistress that will not only giveth but taketh away in the blink of an eye. However, if he takes any slumps in stride then he can have a hell of a year in 2020.
If we had to look at anything from 2019 to give us some optimism it’s how he handled his promotion to Triple-A. He wasn’t fazed whatsoever by the increased level of talent he was facing and continued to rake. Then there’s how Chavis took to the big leagues, both were at the head of the class when it comes to the Red Sox and their prospects.
I have just as much faith in Dalbec taking to the MLB like a fish to water just as the Ice Horse did in 2019. Adding more youth to the lineup won’t hurt Boston’s chances either as they’ll be shaving a lot of years off from Moreland. Under Bloom, I expected a big shift towards the farm system and youth and this is a step in that direction.
This winter will prove dire for the Red Sox as they not only need to fill the gaps they now have in the lineup but they have to do so while not adding to the payroll. It’s not the easiest task but if anyone were to tackle it, it’d be Chaim Bloom. He’s the man with the plan and will take this team back to where it needs to be in order to succeed. Having Bobby Dalbec in the lineup on a nightly basis can only aid Boston in their desires to return to the Fall Classic.