Boston Red Sox prospects: Analyzing the Rule 5 Draft protections

The Boston Red Sox made five additions to their 40-man roster to protect prospects from the upcoming Rule 5 Draft. Those prospects were Ceddanne Rafaela, Chris Murphy, Brandon Walter, Wilyer Abreu, and David Hamilton.

All of those players are ranked inside my top 30 Boston Red Sox prospects after the 2022 season.

On the surface, those are phenomenal protections. All five aren’t too far off from the big leagues and could make some impactful contributions to the team. We’ll get into that later though.

First, let’s talk about some of the players that weren’t protected. There were some big names left off that list, so some fans might be wondering why that is.

Pitcher Wikelman Gonzalez was a name some people threw around. The 20-year-old has just four games pitched in High-A, though. No team is going to add him knowing he’ll have to be on their 26-man roster immediately. It feels like a very safe bet to keep him off.

The same can be said for shortstop Brainer Bonaci and utility man Eddinson Paulino. Both enjoyed breakout years in 2022 and became personal favorites of mine. Watching them hit at the top of the order in Salem was fun (especially because they seemed to try and outdo each other when it came to celebrating home runs).

Both spent all year in Low-A, though. It’s unlikely anyone’s putting them on a Major League roster.

Gilberto Jimenez is in the same boat as those two. He was in High-A all year. But had the worst hitting season of his career, and with no Double-A experience yet, it seems unlikely a team would jump on him.

Catchers Kole Cottam and Stephen Scott could interest teams. Cottam is a plus-defender with good hit tools. And he even made it to Triple-A last season, where he put together a nice run at the end of the year. Scott made it to Double-A last year, and even though he struggled overall, had good numbers with Portland. He also dominated the AFL (Arizona Fall League), making the All-AFL team.

Both seem like moderate risks, and I don’t like that.

The biggest risk is Thad Ward, who worked seven games in Double-A before the end of the year. The right-handed pitcher dominated in that run. And he even had experience in Double-A in 2021. However, Ward suffered an injury and missed nearly the entire 2021 season (two games) and half of the 2022 season after having Tommy John surgery.

Boston must feel safe that teams will steer clear of him with that in mind. But don’t be surprised if someone scoops him up. There’s a lot to like about Ward, who possesses a nasty slider.

Now, let’s move on to those staying with the Red Sox.

Boston Red Sox second base prospect – David Hamilton

David Hamilton (number 30 on my prospect list) was brought to Boston in the trade that sent Hunter Renfroe to the Milwaukee Brewers. He stole 70 bases in Double-A (a Portland Sea Dogs record)? So maybe fans can stop acting like the Red Sox got nothing in return for Renfroe now?

Hamilton wasn’t just a base stealer, either. He bounced back from a rough middle-of-the-season to put together a strong campaign. The left-handed hitter slashed .251/.338/.402 with 16 doubles, nine triples, and 12 home runs in 119 games in Double-A. He drove in 42 runs, scored 81 more, and stole those 70 bases on just 78 attempts.

Hamilton showed off some good patience too, managing 56 walks. And with his absurd speed, it never hurts when he’s getting on base.

Meanwhile, Hamilton is a really strong defensive second baseman. His speed allows him to get to a lot of balls that not many others would be able to.

Hamilton makes perfect sense as a protection pick. He spent all of 2022 in Double-A after spending a portion of his 2021 season there too. That would lead you to believe Triple-A will be his starting spot in 2023. There’s potential with his offense, and even if a few issues are never ironed out perfectly, that speed impacts games. He could help the Red Sox at some point next year.