Red Sox Draft Day Diamonds

The July 31^st trade deadline is just around the corner and the Red Sox seem to, once again, be in the desirable position of looking to acquire talent rather than unload it.  Although this appears to be the case more often than not in recent years, a common misconception among other baseball fans is that this is the main tactic the Red Sox employ in constructing these powerhouses.  However, the current roster is packed with several players who were plucked deep within each of their respective drafts and who can also assist in dispelling this incredibly misguided notion.

Here are the top five hidden gems on the current roster for the Boston Red Sox:

5.  Josh Reddick:  While he has yet to reach his full potential or earn a regular, starting role for the Red Sox, his contributions this year have given reason for optimism and have solidified him as a legitimate candidate to replace J.D. Drew after his contract expires at the end of the season.  If that were to happen, his selection as the 523rd pick in the 17th round of the 2006 MLB first-year player draft would be nothing short of remarkable and he would certainly be in a prime position to move up the board in this discussion.

 4.  Jon Lester:  Lester was selected in the second round (57th Overall) of the 2002 MLB draft.  Now I know what you’re thinking: Second round… that’s not a very deep draft pick.  But, when you look at the 56 players drafted before him, there are only two other starting pitchers in that group who have had any type of consistent success at the major league level (Zack Greinke and Cole Hamels).  Therefore anytime a player of that caliber is discovered outside of the top 50 picks, the “diamond in the rough” title is more than appropriate.

 3.  Dustin Pedroia:  Also a second-round selection, Dustin was drafted 65th overall in the 2004 MLB draft by the Sox.  Trying desperately to shed the criticism surrounding his diminutive stature that followed him his entire career, Pedroia used the doubts as motivation to become one of the best players to surface from that year’s draft.  Once again, a second round selection is not that much of a stretch, but in the 64 players selected before him, only four position players now have regular starting gigs for the teams that drafted them and, just in case you were wondering, none of those players were named Rookie of the Year or MVP. 

2.  Jonathan Papelbon:  114^th overall isn’t a bad spot to find the man who would later become the all-time saves leader in the history of the Boston Red Sox.  The keen eye of the Sox scouts and management is almost as impressive as how unimpressive the long list of unknown players was who were taken prior to his selection in the 4^th round of the 2003 MLB draft.  Originally thought to be a starting pitcher, his eccentric personality, intimidating mound presence and fiery competitive nature made him the perfect suitor to fill the void created by Keith Foulke’s departure.  His clutch, late-game results since that time have elevated him as one of the more elite closers in the game and without his contributions it’s fair to assume that the 2007 World Series title would not have been clinched.

1.  Kevin Youkilis:  Before he was dubbed the “Greek god of walks” (even though he is not Greek), Kevin Youkilis was a relatively unknown first baseman out of the University of Cincinnati.  After 242 picks in the 2001 MLB draft, the Boston red Sox decided to take a chance on this Bearcat in the 8^th round.  Needless to say, it was a choice that would not only pay enormous dividends but also go down as one of the great draft day steals in all of modern baseball.  On top of being one of the most popular players among the Fenway faithful, this three-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner personifies the hard-working nature of the city in which he is so beloved.  It would be hard to argue for a more deserving individual to lead this impressive list of players who have had such a significant impact in Boston and it will be fun to see who will headline the next generation of late-round phenoms.