The Boston Red Sox cultivate framework has racked up a few tall positions this offseason. But WEEI radio identity and Ruddy Sox die-hard Tony Massarotti opposes this idea with a few of the numbers. He went as distant as to say the Sox prospect pool is “misrepresented.”

The Red Sox’s greatest require year after year is quality beginning pitching. However, Boston’s cultivate framework produces another to no beginning pitchers, or indeed relievers of note.

Massarotti taken note this, and others have taken note, as well. Zack Scott, a previous Red Sox front office official, famous that Boston’s cultivate framework positions 29th €” yes, next-to-last€” in pitching prospects.

Ian Cundall of Sox Prospects investigated why the Ruddy Sox do not deliver homegrown, quality beginning pitching candidates compared to other groups. The reply is basic: they do not draft pitchers within the early rounds. But this hasn’t continuously been the case.

The final pitcher the Red Sox drafted within the to begin with circular was Leather treater Houck in 2017. Ever since, Boston’s drafting show has intensely favored hitters within the early rounds and pitchers as afterward picks.

The Red Sox draft profundity pitchers and have ordinarily depended on exchanges or free-agent singings to include reinforce to the turn. Presently, Boston doesn’t appear to need to do either since Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell are still sitting on the showcase. In any case of the signings that haven’t been made, drafting pitchers in prior rounds may have lightened a few of the stretch on the beginning turn this year (or any year, truly).

Cundall’s investigate concluded that the Red Sox have went through by distant the slightest sum of cash in MLB on drafting pitchers since 2018. Boston has given fair 19% of its draft reward cash to pitchers within the final five seasons. The Atlanta Braves, on the other hand, have committed about 60% of its reward cash to pitchers since 2018. It appears within the item they put on the field youthful pitchers like Spencer Strider, Bryce Senior and AJ Smith-Shawver will carry Atlanta’s turn this coming year.

Developing starting pitching is a tall task, and just drafting hurlers high doesn’t necessarily get the job done. Boston’s chief baseball officer Craig Breslow overhauled the Red Sox’s big-league pitching system and Worcester’s pitching resources with new coaches and staff.

But, overall, Boston’s lack of pitching depth can be attributed to spending most of its draft resources on hitters in recent years. Eighty-one percent of the Red Sox’s draft bonus money has gone to hitters from 2018-2023 and no pitchers have received a bonus greater than $1 million.

The Red Sox now have a surplus of young position player talent rising through its farm system — Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, Kyle Teel and Ceddanne Rafaela will undoubtedly make the team better someday. But the acquisition of Breslow and the sweeping changes made to Boston’s pitching infrastructure may signal a change in priorities from the front office.