Red Sox News: Boston earns fourth pick thanks to terrible 2020 season

Red Sox earn the fourth pick with miserable 2020 season

In a bit of news that will get the ball rolling for the Red Sox as they work to rebuild towards the future finally hit the newswire today. For much of the season, we’ve been waiting to see how MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred was going to play the 2021 draft. The most logical plan would be based on the records for 2020, but there was a clause in the labor agreement that would combine 2019 and 2020’s records if the season ended early.

As both the ALCS and NLCS have gotten underway, it feels like a certainty that we will see the campaign through. With that picture now more clear than ever, it was made official that the 2021 draft order will be based upon the standings from this year alone, per Stephen J. Nesbitt of The Athletic. So, what does that mean for the Red Sox, you ask? Well, I’ll tell ya!

Thanks to the absolute embarrassment that was Boston’s 2020 season, the team will have the fourth pick in the upcoming draft. The draft order through the first five picks will be the Pirates, Rangers, Tigers, Red Sox, and Orioles. Pretty much a rogues gallery of trash teams from this past season.

For much of 2020, it was clear that we had bought into the idea of tanking to get the first pick in the draft. Once it was clear that the Red Sox were going to be a massive disappointment we had to turn our attention to the horizon. For a few weeks, it felt like the team had a solid chance at the first pick but then they messed it up by going and winning a bunch of games. Idiots! It’s ok though, picking in the top five for 2021 can still yield a great talent.

Vanderbilt’s Kumar Rocker has garnered the most attention from the baseball world as he’s a fireball throwing machine and will not be long for the Minors. The righty will be turning 21 in a few weeks and with his potential, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Pirates expedite his development through their system. Rocker’s Vandy teammate Jack Leiter has also gotten plenty of attention as 2020 has progressed and will likely go within those first five picks as well.

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It’s no secret that the Red Sox could use some pitching depth and gaining a high-level prospect in either Rocker or Leiter would be fantastic. Sadly, they may be out of reach since they’re lining up to the belles of the ball. With that said there are other pitching options being projected by MLB.com to go early in the draft.

Brady House out of Winder-Barrow HS in Georgia has the potential to not only be a solid pitcher but can also play the hot corner and could be groomed either way. Then there’s Christian Little out of Christian Brothers HS in Missouri has committed to Vandy and has a 94 mph fastball with a changeup and breaking ball to back it up. Some time working through Boston’s developmental system could be great for him.

It would’ve been nice if the Red Sox could’ve sought out the mission and totally screwed this season but they had to go and remember that they’re actually good at baseball. With that said, finishing within the first five picks is still pretty good and could allow them to gain a great prospect for the future. Pitching is surely at the front of Chaim Bloom’s mind with everything he does this offseason so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him target plenty of arms at the draft in July.