Boston Red Sox prospects: Analyzing the Rule 5 Draft protections
By Hunter Noll
Boston Red Sox outfield prospect – Wilyer Abreu
Wilyer Abreu (number 25 on my prospect list) was a part of another recent trade for the Red Sox. The outfielder came over from the Houston Astros in the Christian Vazquez deal.
The left-handed hitter slashed .247/.399/.435 with 29 doubles and 19 home runs between the two teams in Double-A. He drove in 73 runs, scored 106 more, and stole 31 bases in 34 attempts. That OBP wasn’t an error either, as Abreu drew an absurd 114 walks.
There’s a fun combination of power and speed with Abreu. And his ability to work counts and draw walks will play at every level. His solid defense with a really strong arm pulls it all together beautifully.
This makes sense for a few reasons. First of all, Abreu will likely start 2023 in Triple-A. Just one stop from the Majors, there’s a chance he’ll be playing in Boston at some point next year.
However, there’s another reason and, honestly, I think this played just as much of a role in it. The Red Sox wouldn’t want to lose Abreu after trading for him so recently. Abreu and Enmanuel Valdez were the two players sent back to Boston from Houston for Vazquez. That’s a fantastic package right there.
Valdez is already on the 40-man roster and put up monster numbers in Triple-A last season. Now Abreu is joining him there.
The 23-year-old brings something to the table in every facet of the game and could be an interesting option for the Red Sox outfield at some point in 2023. It made too much sense to protect him.