Red Sox Trade Addition Immediately Cracks Top Prospects List
The Boston Red Sox's has gotten busy in a hurry over the past week. GM Craig Breslow has pulled off several moves to unclog positions and add talent at the major- or minor-league level.
One of those deals involved sending Alex Verdugo to the New York Yankees in exchange for three pitching prospects, including starter Richard Fitts.
Breslow's made it clear he wants to add talented arms to the Red Sox's farm system, and the Fitts move has done just that.
Interim #RedSox prospect rankings update at https://t.co/isRp8lSjg5! Richard Fitts enters the fray at No. 11, Justin Slaten at No. 24 & Nicholas Judice at No. 57. Happy trails to Rule 5 picks Shane Drohan & Ryan Fernandez. Luis Cohen falls out of the top 60.
— SoxProspects.com (@SoxProspects) December 10, 2023
SoxProspects.com unveiled its updated rankings of Boston's youth on Sunday following the club's several deals, with Fitts immediately slotting in at No. 11. Nicholas Judice -- who came over in the same trade as Fitts -- is now No. 57 in the org. Meanwhile, fellow pitcher Justin Slaten, whom the team acquired from the New York Mets in the Rule 5 Draft, checks in at No. 24.
It's no surprise to see the excitement over Fitts' arrival. The 2021 sixth-round pick has made waves in the minors, with his 2022 campaign showing his potential. He went 11-5 in 27 Double-A starts, recording a solid 3.48 ERA along with a mark of 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings.
At 6-foot-3, 230 pounds and about to turn only 24 years old, there's a ton to like about the righty. Nabbing him in a deal for a player that needed to take his issues elsewhere is quite the return for Breslow, especially as a first-time GM.
Given Breslow's pitching background and his work on player development in that same area once his playing career was over, Boston has the perfect man to lead an overhaul of its farm system.
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