Sox Top 10 Prospects

Been a busy couple days, I apologize for the lack of content. We’ll get going again. Tomorrow Ryne’s supposed to post the first part of the Top 50 free agents and later today we’ll have a Red Sox blog roundtable for you all.

First things first: Baseball America came out with the Top 10 prospects. Here’s the list plus my reaction to each name:

1. Lars Anderson, 1b — Really no surprise here. The Red Sox may hold back on going crazy on Mark Teixeira because of this guy here. Anderson might even see a call-up this September. Either way, the long-term plan has got to be letting Mike Lowell walk after 2010 and inserting Lars at first. (Fire Brand interview here.)

2. Michael Bowden, rhp — One of the better pitching prospects in the game, I can’t see how he doesn’t get better as he matures and and gets stronger. Trade bait, though. (Fire Brand interview here.)

3. Nick Hagadone, lhp — I’m surprised to see him rank this high, especially after losing a year to Tommy John surgery. Might be a fantastic under-the-radar move that looks like genius in a few years.

4. Daniel Bard, rhp — Bard had a ton of control problems as a starter, but since being shifted to the bullpen has become a real flamethrower. Could be what Craig Hansen was supposed to be. (Fire Brand interview here.)

5. Josh Reddick, of Reddick has some plate discipline issues, but possesses above average power and athleticism. Could replace J.D. Drew in right field. (Fire Brand interview here.)

6. Casey Kelly, rhp/ss — Just drafted, Kelly is a two-way player that the Sox prefer to see pitching. Kelly will split his development time between the two positions. (Fire Brand interview here.)

7. Ryan Westmoreland, of — A big signing in the later rounds of the draft, Westmoreland is a local product that could end up being a big player. (Fire Brand interview here.)

8. Michael Almanzar, 3b — Heaps of potential on this kid, perhaps too much expectations. There’s no limit for this kid, but will he reach that high?

9. Yamaico Navarro, inf — Young, athletic shortstop who could be the answer to our shortstop issues once he’s ready. Still too young to accurately project.

10. Stolmy Pimentel, rhp — Don’t know much about this guy, but he has the best changeup in the system according to Baseball America. He was found in the Dominican.

Erm, no Will Middlebrooks? Che-Hsuan Lin? Luis Exposito? Maybe Exposito needs another good season but if he does, he’s definitely in the Top 10 next year.