SoxProspects.com Red Sox Podcast

Chris and Ian welcome Mike Andrews, the Dude, His Dudeness, or el Duderino - if you're not into the whole brevity thing - to the Podcast just in time to go over the new rankings, because it's May at last. An end to April showers and Pawtucket rainouts. We also crown a new king atop the Sox Prospects ranking leaderboard. Ian, Chris and Mike go over the risers, fallers and all the rankings related news. Ian spends a minute sharing the latest from Pawtucket. And Chris cracks open the mail bag to get to your questions. Listen In! Podcast Show Notes 2:00 - Intros, Housekeeping, email us and Remeber to check us out on Patreon.. 8:00 - May Rankings - The New Top 20 38:30 - May Rankings - Charting 21 - 60 49:30 - It's Mailbag time 1:13:00 - Pawtucket News Got a question? Is it time to challenge the wisdom of the Rankings Committee? Want more depth on Pawtucket and what's up with Henry Owens, Blake Swihart and International man of Mystery Rusney Castillo? Email us. Prospects mentioned at length: Rafael Devers Bobby Dalbec Travis Lakins Josh Ockimey Michael Chavis Roniel Raudes Mike Shawaryn Jalen Beeks Shaun Anderson Aneury Tavarez Ty Buttrey Stephen Nogosek Austin Glorius Lorenzo Cedrola Chandler Shepherd Hector Velazquez Austin Maddox Love the show? Want to help us out while also getting exclusive goodies? Support the podcast by contributing to us on Patreon! Go to Sox Prospects on Patreon for the details. Podcast Twitter Links: @SPChrisHatfield @IanCundall @MikeAndrewsSP @SoxProspects Remember to click over to give a listen to The Ludlow Thieves who kindly provide us with our intro and outro music. Subscribe on iTunes (please rate and review!) Subscribe on Stitcher (please rate and review!) Listen on YouTube Listen on Google Play Music Podcast Archive

Ian and Chris welcome Chaz Fiorino to the Podcast and go deep on Portland. We have an update on Rafael Devers. We go into the intrigue of Aneury Tavarez spend more time as a Sea Dog. Chaz and Ian play bullpen bingo with the Portland 'pen. We peer into the mailbag to find out just what we have in both Ben Taylor and Jamie Callahan and we bid a parting tribute to our friend and now former colleague Matt Heugel. Listen In! Podcast Show Notes 2:00 - We wish our good friend Matt Heugel a fond farewell. 4:00 - Intros, Housekeeping, email us and Remeber to check us out on Patreon. 6:30 - April in Portland 9:30 - Portland Hitters 27:30 - Portland Starters 41:00 - Portland's 'Pen 58:00 - It's the Ben Taylor Mailbag Got a question? Want to hear more detail about what makes Greenville's rotation interesting? Or maybe you're looking for an update on the best outfield in the system. Email us. Prospects mentioned at length: Rafael Devers Nick Longhi Aneury Tavarez Danny Mars Jordan Procyshen Cole Sturgeon Teddy Stankiewicz Jalen Beeks Trey Ball Luis Ysla Jake Cosart Jamie Callahan Ty Buttrey Ben Taylor Jay Groome Love the show? Want to help us out while also getting exclusive goodies? Support the podcast by contributing to us on Patreon! Go to Sox Prospects on Patreon for the details. Remember to click over to give a listen to The Ludlow Thieves who kindly provide us with our intro and outro music. Subscribe on iTunes (please rate and review!) Subscribe on Stitcher (please rate and review!) Listen on YouTube Listen on Google Play Music Podcast Archive

Real actual baseball. Minor League season kicked off tonight and with the rains in the northeast, Pawtucket and Portalnd were washed away. And what better time than now to review rosters and dip into the mailbag to answer your questions. Ian and Chris check in on the Portland bullpen quartet. The compare the depth between Salem and Portland. Ian still isn't buying the Roniel Raudes story. Greenville's rotation looks to be the best of the minor league affiliates. Jeremy Rivera's suspension gives the guys a chance to discuss the minor league policies for drug suspensions. And we've got your emails. Listen In! Podcast Show Notes 1:00 - Intros, Housekeeping, email us and Remeber to check us out on Patreon. 10:30 - Ian's Misadventures with the Lowell mascot 12:00 - Pawtucket Roster Review 29:00 - Portland Roster Review 43:00 - Salem Roster Review 58:00 - Greenville Roster Review 1:15:00 - Twitter Mailbag - #AskSP Got a question? Want to hear more detail about what makes Greenville's rotation interesting? Or maybe you're looking for an update on the best outfield in the system. Email us or tweet using the hashtag #AskSP. Prospects mentioned at length: Marco Hernandez Steve Selsky Aneury Tavarez Henry Owens Brian Johnson Blake Swihart Joseph Monge Danny Mars Tzu-Wei Lin Jalen Beeks Jacob Dahlstrand Trey Ball Austin Maddox Jamie Callahan Luis Ysla Jake Cosart Ty Buttrey Michael Chavis Josh Ockimey Travis Lakins Roniel Raudes Jay Jason Groome Bobby Dalbec Darwinzon Hernandez Shaun Anderson Mike Shawaryn Hildemaro Rquena CJ Chatham Jeremy Rivera Lorenzo Cedrola Yoan Aybar Eddy Reynoso Podcast Twitter Links: @SPChrisHatfield @IanCundall @MattHeugel In absentia @SoxProspects Love the show? Want to help us out while also getting exclusive goodies? Support the podcast by contributing to us on Patreon! Go to Sox Prospects on Patreon for the details. Remember to click over to give a listen to The Ludlow Thieves who kindly provide us with our intro and outro music. Subscribe on iTunes (please rate and review!) Subscribe on Stitcher (please rate and review!) Listen on YouTube Listen on Google Play Music Podcast Archive

With Fort Myers in the rearview mirror, Chris and Ian stick a set of chopsticks into Spring Training. Chris sits down with Sox farmhand and member of the upstart Team Israel team, Mike Myers. Ian elaborates on the Jason Groome experience. Chris and Ian review the A-Ball pitchers and hitters from the end of the Spring Training trip. Chris swerves by his standing rant about how the Rule 5 draft hurts Latin players. Tyler Hill makes another Podcast appearance as the Sox continue to trial him in center this spring. Listen In! Podcast Show Notes 1:00 - Intros, Housekeeping, email us and Remeber to check us out on Patreon. 5:30 - Corner Outfielder Mike Myers on his WBC experience 17:00 - Ian's #Winning Spring Training 20:00 - Updates on the Greenville and Salem pitchers 52:00 - Lightning Round on A-Ball Hitters Got a question? Want to hear more about the new rankings? Or maybe you're looking for some more detail on the A-Ball hitters. Email us or tweet using the hashtag #AskSP. Players mentioned at length: Mike Myers Jason Groome Mike Shawaryn Yorvin Pantoja Mitchell Osnowitz Roniel Raudes Darwinzon Hernandez Joan Martinez Austin Glorius Robby Sexton Tyler Hill Ramfis Berroa Nick Hamilton Bobby Dalbec Jake Romanski Tate Matheney Tucker Tubbs Podcast Twitter Links: @SPChrisHatfield @IanCundall @MattHeugel In absentia @SoxProspects Love the show? Want to help us out while also getting exclusive goodies? Support the podcast by contributing to us on Patreon! Go to Sox Prospects on Patreon for the details. Remember to click over to give a listen to The Ludlow Thieves who kindly provide us with our intro and outro music.

From Fort Myers and the delightful Hampton Inn. Chris and Ian deal with the unseasonably chilly weather (for Florida) and talk about the early minors spring training games. We have a Christopher Acosta update. Long-time listener and returning emailer Joe clears the air. Finally, Chris and Ian contemplate the challenge of developing good major league players, even for bullpen positions. Listen In!

With winter weather clinging bitterly to Boston, Chris, Matt and Ian look ahead to their spring training trip. Up first is an overview of what the guys are looking forward to seeing when they get to the balmy summer climes of the Fort. And then from the mailbag, listener Joe calls out the lack of statistical context when judging the flukiness of Rusney Castillo's winter revival. Finally, they lament the end of the beloved Blue Sushi and wonder whether Brahma Sushi can compare.

After a winter hibernation, Chris, Matt and Ian have a backlog of questions and a lot to cover in advance of the staff trip to Fort Myers. It's Spring Training At Last. And many recent top Sox Prospects are in Arizona with the Padres or the White Sox. The time has come to survey the state of the system and some of the Non Roster Invitees to camp. Andrew Benintendi has bulked up. Rafael Devers is in Big League camp along with an interesting mix of post-prospect guys, like Blake Swihart. The guys also review the AFL and discuss the players who were dealt this winter. Plus, Chris Acosta is back. Listen in!

Sound the emergency podcast siren! Dealin' Dave was at it again today, acquiring Tyler Thornburg from Milwaukee for Travis Shaw, Mauricio Dubon, and Josh Pennington, then coming back hours later and landing the white whale from the White Sox in Chris Sale, giving up the system's top prospect, Yoan Moncada, along with Michael Kopech, Luis Alexander Basabe, and Victor Diaz. In all, four of the team's top nine prospects coming into the day, with two more on the fringes of the top 20, are headed out, but for a couple of major pieces. What did Chris and Ian think? And how did they answer your questions? Listen in!

Making his fourth appearance on the podcast, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe and Baseball America joined the guys to discuss his recently released Red Sox Top 10 list. How did he pick between Andrew Benintendi and Yoan Moncada? Michael Kopech and Jason Groome? Plus we hit on some other topics, like a potential Mookie Betts extension and what players might be trade fodder for the next Dave Dombrowski deal.

Chris, Ian, Matt, and the returning Mike Andrews marked the end of the season by breaking down the debates that led to our end-of-season rankings! Topics discussed included ranking Yoan Moncada over Andrew Benintendi at number 1 and Jason Groome over Michael Kopech as the system's top pitching prospect, how the system looks compared to past seasons, and highlights from each of the guys' top 60 rankings.

On what proved to be the final day of the Boston Red Sox 2013 season, Chris and Ian recapped the latter's trip to Instructs. Scouting reports included Jason Groome, CJ Chatham, Victor Diaz, Roldani Baldwin, Bryan Mata, and others… even Pablo Sandoval! Plus, we answered a slew of listener questions: Which players might get surprising, aggressive assignments next year? What will the Sox do with all of their minor league third basemen, and will Rafael Devers move off of the position? Who is the next Robby Scott… and what do you take that question to mean? These and more discussed herein!

Coming down the stretch in MLB, that doesn't mean there isn't anything to talk about in the world of SoxProspects! In this episode, the guys wrap up each affiliate's season, discuss the Fall Instructional League roster, and the Padres trade scandal. Plus your emails! Which players might get protected from the Rule 5 draft this offseason (take 2)? What mechanical flaws are immediate red flags? What's the deal with Rafael Devers' 18 steals? Plus, thoughts on Jake Cosart, Austin Glorius, Matt Kent, and more!

Moncada to the majors? September call-ups? First-hand Jason Groome, Bobby Dalbec, CJ Chatham, and Mike Shawaryn reports? And even new rankings? Sounds like a recipe for a podcast, so Chris and Ian got into the kitchen to cook up some prospect talk.

Since the last episode, we've seen Andrew Benintendi make his debut in the majors and Yoan Moncada make his debut at third. Could the latter join his former Portland teammate in Boston, and is anyone else in the minors ready to come up and help the big league club? Like say... in the bullpen? Plus quick hits on why Rafael Devers and Michael Kopech won't get promoted, the trade of Pat Light, Arizona Fall League assignment predictions, and first-hand reports from Lowell. Plus your emails led to discussion of Kyri Washington, Nick Hamilton, Christopher Acosta, Luis Alexander Basabe, and more.

In this week's episode, we have new first-hand updates on Yoan Moncada, Andrew Benintendi, Rafael Devers, and Michael Kopech! Plus, we hit a ton of listener emails: Why can't the Red Sox develop starting pitching? Which Travis - Sam or Shaw - is more likely to be the club's first baseman in two years? How might the Red Sox break in Andrew Benintendi when he gets called up? All this and more await, so hit the download button!

So a few things have gone down over the past 10 days, eh? The guys had a ton to talk about - the trades of Luis Alejandro Basabe and Jose Almonte for Brad Ziegler and, more importantly, Anderson Espinoza for Drew Pomeranz showed why the Prez of Baseball Ops is becoming known to many as Dealin' Dave. Plus, the Red Sox were able to get Jason Groome signed before the July 15 deadline, along with fellow draftees Bobby Dalbec and Mike Shawaryn, so the guys ran down what they thought of the full draft haul and how the Groome signing may have played into the club's willingness to move Espinoza. And with the deadline past, the SoxProspects Rankings were updated - where did all of the new guys fall? And who moved based on what the guys have seen in Lowell, Greenville, Salem, Portland, and Pawtucket over the past few weeks? Listen for all this and more!

The news in this episode was big enough to take up most of the conversation. First, just hours before we recorded, RHP Aaron Wilkerson and 2B Wendell Rijo were dealt to Milwaukee for infielder Aaron Hill and cash. And earlier in the week, Major League Baseball imposed unprecedented penalties on the Red Sox organization for rules violations relating to their acquisition of several international amateur free agents last season. Between those big stories, a draft signings update, and the Top 4 Update, we've got a packed episode!

With all of that draft craziness out of the way, it's time to get back to the grind, and with promotions afoot and new seasons beginning, there was plenty for the guys to talk about. In the Top 4 Update, Yoan Moncada (and his friends Mauricio, Jalen, and Ben) got promoted, Andrew Benintendi is getting his footing, and Rafael Devers is finally coming out of his funk. Meanwhile, the Lowell and GCL seasons have started, and Ian sat on the Spinners' first five games, giving him plenty to report about the best pitching staff that team has had in recent memory. And of course, we read and answered your emails!

With the 2016 MLB draft in the books, our friend Jim Callis of MLB.com came on the podcast to dissect the draft as a whole and the selections made by the Red Sox over the event's three days. Why did Jason Groome fall, will he sign, and what other team might he have had a deal with before the Red Sox plucked him at number 12 overall? How do the five college juniors selected by the Red Sox in rounds 2-6 compare to their selections in that range in past years? Will any of the well-regarded late-round picks sign? Jim answered these questions and more! Help support SoxProspects.com during our annual fundraising drive! Go to http://news.soxprospects.com/2016/06/2016drive.html for the details.

Chris, Ian, and Senior Staff Writer Will Woodward got on the horn quickly to react to the Red Sox selecting prep lefty Jason Groome out of New Jersey and Florida Atlantic shortstop C.J. Chatham in the first two rounds of the MLB Draft on Thursday night. Given that Groome was ranked by many as the top talent in the draft and reportedly fell due to signability and makeup concerns, there was plenty to talk about (and will be in the coming weeks).

It's draft week! To prepare for this year's MLB First-Year Player Draft, which starts on Thursday, June 9, Chris spoke to Baseball America Managing Editor JJ Cooper about a number of topics, including BA's history of draft coverage, the general strengths and weaknesses of this year's draft class, some players who could be on the radar for the Red Sox at pick 12, and whether the club might re-draft some past selections. Plus, in lieu of the Big 4 Update, we spoke with JJ about his thoughts on their starts to the season. Remember, during the draft, be sure to check out our News Page at http://news.soxprospects.com for up-to-the-minute news throughout the draft's three days!

As the calendar turns to June, we've got a new set of rankings to dissect and a bunch of listener emails to answer! We check in on the Big 4, chat about the hard luck that has taken the top two prospects on the Pawtucket Red Sox out of action, analyze Josh Ockimey's great start to the season and corresponding climb to the top 20, review the bullpen arms in Pawtucket and Greenville, and more!

In the unofficial second part of the crew's roundup of the first month-plus of the season, the guys looked at the goings-on in Portland and Greenville. The Sea Dogs are struggling in the standings, but noteworthy mound performances by Aaron Wilkerson and Chandler Shepherd merit discussion and further looks at Williams Jerez, Luis Ysla, Henry Ramos, and Jake Romanski were undertaken. Greenville has been home to many of the season's early pleasant surprises. Among the members of the Drive discussed are Michael Chavis, Josh Ockimey, Roniel Raudes, the Basabe twins, Kyri Washington, Tate Matheny, Austin Glorius, Jake Cosart, and Bobby Poyner. And in the Big 4 Update, the topics included which days - precisely - we might see an Andrew Benintendi promotion (could it be this week?), how much longer Yoan Moncada might spend in Salem (longer than Benintendi, at least), and Anderson Espinoza's record-tying start for the Drive (he gooooood).

It's been a month, but Chris came back from being a big shot andgot back on the horn with Matt and Ian to discuss the season'sfirst month. Things kick off with the first edition of the Big 4Update, looking at whether Yoan Moncada's strikeouts are a concernand why Andrew Benintendi and Rafael Devers flipped in the siterankings update on May 1. Then the guys gave us their notes fromthe field from the first month. Chris had the latest from Salem,with reports on Moncada, Benintendi, Devers, Trey Ball, and others.Then Ian and Matt responded with the word from Pawtucket on SamTravis and Deven Marrero. Finally, the guys aired it out on whetherit is a good idea for Blake Swihart to start getting reps in leftfield, and what's gotten into the big riser in the May 1 rankings,Teddy Stankiewicz.

Another successful trip to minor league spring is in the books for the SoxProspects.com crew. With fresh scouting and other intel to share, Chris, Matt, Ian, and Chaz got on the horn to talk about what they saw, as well as the All-New, All-Different SoxProspects Rankings! How did the big four of Moncada, Devers, Espinoza, and Benintendi look? What led to big jumps in the standings from Travis Lakins, Christopher Acosta, and Luis Alejandro "Not Just the Other" Basabe? Why has Yankory Pimentel made Chaz rethink everything he knows about scouting? All of this and more await in this episode.

In preparation for our trip to Fort Myers, the guys cleaned out the mailbag, answering your questions about the state of the farm system! Who would they pick for their All-Underrated Red Sox prospect team? How well would Mookie Betts do if he were to go down to A-ball? Conversely, what if Anderson Espinoza were called up to the majors right now? Is Travis Shaw a hall of famer? How does a team develop power arms? These questions and more await!

The guys are pumped that their trip to Spring Training is drawing near, but first, they got on the horn with Friend of the Site Jim Callis of MLB.com to talk about the state of the farm system! MLB.com released its Top 30 Red Sox prospects last week, so we had plenty of questions for Jim, and he had answers. Do the Sox have the best quartet of prospects in the game? Where was Andrew Benintendi on the club’s draft board last June? How will his hand injury affect Michael Kopech’s development and prospect stock? This and more await in another great episode!

Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe has had all the coverage of the early stages of spring training, and he joined us for a conversation about what's been going on! What minor leaguers have already caught Pete's eye? How much work has Yoan Moncada been doing with the major leaguers? Are there really competitions for spots in the rotation and the back of the bullpen? Plus, Peter had a great story about his introduction to covering minor league baseball. The SoxProspects.com Podcast is sponsored by SeatGeek. Download the SeatGeek app and use our code, SP20, to get a $20 refund on your first purchase!

Pitchers and catchers have reported, so it must be time to fire the podcast machine back up! Chris, Matt, and Ian got back on the horn to discuss the (current and former) Red Sox prospects ranked among the game's top 100 prospects by various outlets. Can we learn anything by the rankings of Yoan Moncada, Rafael Devers, Andrew Benintendi, Anderson Espinoza, and Michael Kopech? Also, we got some great reader questions about Moncada, Henry Owens and Brian Johnson, Austin Glorius, Karsten Whitson, the 2016 draft class, and more! Who were our picks for sleeper breakout seasons? Who from last year's draft class are we excited to see in 2016? Listen to find out!

It's ranking season, and that gave us an excuse to get our friend Alex Speier of the Boston Globe and Baseball America to discuss his recently released list of the top 10 Red Sox prospects! We discuss the organization's first-class top 10 and potentially worrisome lack of depth after the top 7, whether the Red Sox gave up too much in the Craig Kimbrel deal, and much more! And as always, thanks to The Ludlow Thieves for our music! Get their new EP Sing Me Back, released Dec. 18, on iTunes!

Well, it did not take very long into the offseason for Dave Dombrowski to make a blockbuster move, as the Red Sox traded four of their top 25 prospects on Friday for Padres closer Craig Kimbrel. If there ever was a time for an emergency podcast, this is it, so Chris, Matt, and Ian got on the horn to discuss the ins and outs of the deal. We have scouting reports on Manuel Margot, Javier Guerra, Logan Allen, Carlos Asuaje, and even Kimbrel. Was it an overpay, and even if it was, does it still make sense for the Sox? How much does it matter that the system is so deep and the Sox are set at shortstop and center field? How did the free agent market influence the deal? We leave no stone unturned in our debate!

The long-awaited second half of our season wrap-up hits three of your emails, then goes through our season-end rankings! How high did upstart Venezuelan Anderson Espinoza push into the top five, and why? What led to Luis Alexander Basabe and Logan Allen pushing into the top 15? What else did Ian see at Fall Instructs? Plus, we close with Chris’s interview with 2013 first-round pick Trey Ball, looking back on his season in Salem and the pressures of being the #7 overall pick.

On this episode of the SoxProspects.com Podcast: - It’s time to wrap up the season! We start by taking your listener questions. What players would be the best converting to or from the mound? Do the Red Sox promote players more aggressively than they used to? Why has the top prospect changed so often over the last two years? These questions get answered and more! - We recap the 2015 SoxProspects.com All-Stars. Who did our Forum members vote as the best at their positions in 2015? The answers may … actually they probably won’t surprise you really. - Lastly, we debate our picks for each of the 2015 SoxProspects.com Awards, such as Offensive Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Breakout Player of the Year, and more! Some tough choices here led to some good debate.

In this episode of the SoxProspects.com Podcast: - In Notes from the Field, Chris, Ian, and Chaz share their reports on Pawtucket’s Matt Barnes, Marco Hernandez, and William Cuevas; Salem’s Wendell Rijo, Mauricio Dubon, Teddy Stankiewicz, and Ty Buttrey; and Lowell’s Logan Allen, Travis Lakins, and Yankory Pimentel. - Reviewing the September rankings update, we discuss Yoan Moncada overtaking Rafael Devers at the top and comparing the fast-rising Anderson Espinoza and Andrew Benintendi against the “old guard” of the Top 10. - Finally, we share Chris’s interview with Salem Red Sox second baseman Wendell Rijo. Wendell discussed his rise through the minors so far, changes he’s made to his swing, the difficulties international players face coming to the U.S., and more.

We've got a backlog of listener emails to get to, so what better time than the present to talk about what you want to hear? You guys had some outstanding questions that gave us plenty to talk about. What are the odds of a top prospect becoming a good major leaguer? Which pitchers have the highest ceilings in the system? What players rank as the best in each of the five tools? And of course there's current events: What can we expect from Dave Dombrowski as President of Baseball Ops, and is Jackie Bradley's rebound for real? All of this and more awaits!

This week, we're hitting you with a couple of interviews with members of the Greenville Drive: third baseman Michael Chavis and first baseman/outfielder Nick Longhi. Chavis, a 2014 first-round pick, discussed what it was like sharing third base with Rafael Devers, the pressures of being a first-rounder, and what's with the whole "11:11" thing. Longhi talked about what most listeners of the podcast could probably only dream about - being a Red Sox fan drafted by the Red Sox - as well as a number of other topics including visiting the Dominican Instructional League.

It's now August, and we've got our second straight new top prospect! Why did Rafael Devers leapfrog Yoan Moncada to take the top spot? How about the jumps made by the likes of Anderson Espinoza, Marco Hernandez, and Luis Alexander Basabe? Plus the guys talked about the (then-pending) debut of Henry Owens, the injury to Brian Johnson, the move of Matt Barnes back to the rotation, and the promotion of Kevin Steen to Lowell. To cap the episode, we present Chris' interview with Salem right-hander Teddy Stankiewicz, talking about pitching, bus rides, and the shocking discovery from his pre-signing physical.

Chris and Ian just spent some time watching the Greenville Drive, and they had plenty to talk about! The guys chatted with Matt about their thoughts on Yoan Moncada, Rafael Devers, Javier Guerra, Michael Chavis, Nick Longhi, and more! While he was in town, Chris also checked in with Drive manager Darren Fenster to discuss what's been going on with these players behind the scenes, as well as getting the manager's take on life in the minors. Plus, the guys talk about Brian Johnson's MLB debut, and your listener emails hit on players from throughout the system and beyond: How does Devers compare to Xander Bogaerts at the same age? Where have Karsten Whitson and Christopher Acosta been? Which players might move positions? All this and more herein!

It's another action-packed edition of the SP Pod, featuring an interview with Salem Red Sox right-hander Ty Buttrey! Chris sat down with him recently in Frederick and talked about his bounce-back season, injuring his hand last year, Clash of Clans, and more! Plus, Chris brought back his scouting notes from seeing a pair of Salem games dishing on Buttrey, Daniel McGrath, Aaron Wilkerson, German Taveras, Wendell Rijo, Mauricio Dubon, Jordan Procyshen, and more. Not to be outdone, Ian countered with notes from Lowell on Andrew Benintendi('s BP), Austin Rei, Tate Matheny, Jake Cosart, Ben Taylor, Luis Alexander Basabe, Victor Acosta, and Jeremy Rivera. Plus, your emails!

With the calendar turning to July, Chris and Ian got on the horn and had plenty to talk about, starting with a slew of recent promotions, including those of Manuel Margot, Sam Travis, and Mauricio Dubon to new affiliates and Deven Marrero, Jonathan Aro, and Jackie Bradley to the majors, among others. Plus the Red Sox are now mostly done with draft signings - after inking Andrew Benintendi, how much money is left? And of course, new month, new rankings, including a new number one prospect and debates aplenty! We close, as usual, with your emails.

Many outlets have noted the abundance of prospects on the Pawtucket Red Sox roster this season. So what about it then? We're past the midway point of June, and after getting plenty of looks at what the Triple-A club has to offer, Chris, Matt, and Ian talked about who's up and who's down for the PawSox, including Travis Shaw, Garin Cecchini, Jackie Bradley, Brian Johnson, Henry Owens, Pat Light, Dayan Diaz, Jonathan Aro, and more. At the other end of the ladder, the Lowell Spinners started their season on Friday, and the GCL Sox will start on Monday. What did the guys think of the season-opening Lowell roster, and what that probably means down at the complex? Listen and find out. And as always, we answered your listener emails, which led to a discussion regarding the development of Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts.

On Monday, the Red Sox selected Arkansas sophomore center fielder Andrew Benintendi with the seventh overall pick in this year's MLB Draft. Chris, Ian, and Matt quickly hopped on for their reactions: Did they like the pick? Where might he debut in the rankings? Where will he play this year and next? Those answers, plus video game music!

The Draft is in two days, so Chris and Ian got on the horn with Fangraphs Lead Prospect Analyst Kiley McDaniel to preview who might be on the Red Sox radar with the seventh overall selection on Monday. We discussed the players in play, as well as the club's strategy with their second pick not coming until the third round at 81st overall. Plus, Kiley talks about his recent viewing of the Greenville Drive, focusing on Michael Kopech, Rafael Devers, Javier Guerra, Nick Longhi, and Michael Chavis.

Following the big debut of Eduardo Rodriguez and the Boston rotation's continued struggles, it's sure looking like it's time for the Red Sox to start leaning on that stacked Triple-A rotation we heard about in the preseason. But what can we expect from Rodriguez, Brian Johnson, and Henry Owens, both now and in the future? Chris, Matt, and Ian talked about that, as well as when it's time to promote a player in the minors - spurred by 18-year-old Rafael Devers's hot month of May in Greenville - as well as the latest update to the site rankings!

With Chris returning from the other side of the world, he got Ian and Matt on the horn to look back at the season's first month. The guys talked about the new rankings' movers and shakers, as well as some recent MLB call-ups and the outlook for players like Blake Swihart, Jackie Bradley, and Matt Barnes. The guys also had plenty to report from the field(s), having seen Pawtucket, Portland, and Greenville already in this young season. Listen for reports on Henry Owens, Rafael Devers, and more! Finally, in response to reader questions, the guys quickly discussed the Red Sox' potential plans for the number 7 pick in next month's draft.

With the season underway, Chris, Ian, Matt, along with podcast rookie Chaz Fiorino had plenty to chat about in this extra-large episode! First, the guys examined the affiliate rosters, picking superlatives and discussing surprises. Then, taking advantage of having both Ian and Chaz on, they talked about scouting: what they do when they're at a game, what they look for in players, and decoding scout-speak. Finally, the guys emptied the listener mailbag.

It's that time! Chris and Ian welcomed special guest Matthew Kory of Over the Monster, Forbes, Baseball Prospectus, and sundry other publications of varying repute to talk about what storylines we're looking forward to following in the minor league system in 2015. How will all the infielders in Greenville get playing time? How many of the prospect-laden PawSox have a future in the organization? Are Portland and Salem as bad as the rosters look at first glance, or is there intrigue there? Listen and learn! Plus, the debut of Turkey Facts! (Note: we recorded on Saturday, 4/4, so forgive the couple of outdated comments.)

The boys are back... from Fort Myers! Chris, Ian, and Matt had a ton of stuff to report back from the SoxProspects.com staff's annual trip to Spring Training. We got our first look at Yoan Moncada, as well as updated looks at Rafael Devers, Michael Chavis, and others! Which sleepers looked poised to break out? What new guys impressed? All that and more in this action-packed episode!

A couple of bombshells dropped on the SoxProspects landscape Monday morning, so naturally we had to get on the horn post haste! First, we talked to Baseball America's Ben Badler about the Red Sox reaching an agreement to sign Cuban phenom Yoan Moncada, discussing the ins and outs of who Moncada is and what the impact is of his signing. Then, we discussed a few things about the Moncada signing that have really been grinding our gears before talking a bit about the sale of the Pawtucket Red Sox and their potential move to Providence.

Well, that was a week wasn't it? With the Red Sox trading Allen Webster, Rubby De La Rosa, Raymel Flores, Yoenis Cespedes, Alex Wilson, Gabe Speier, and Myles Smith in deals for Wade Miley, Rick Porcello, and Zeke Spruill, as well as signing former SoxProspects.com number 1 prospect Justin Masterson (oh, and there was the failed pursuit of Jon Lester), Chris and Matt had plenty to talk about. Plus, your emails asked about who will lead off and about the defensive prowess of Christian Vazquez and Blake Swihart.