I miss the days when companies released commemorative sets for the World Series-winning teams. I have a number of cards of players that only appeared in commemorative sets like Ricky Gutierrez, Curtis Leskanic, Bobby Kielty and Royce Clayton. We did not get a commemorative set in 2013 and we did not get one in 2018. There are not many players missing from the 2018 World Champions though. And none of them appeared in more than a few games.
JALEN BEEKS
This is probably the biggest surprise here. Not because he was a major member of the team, but he was a fairly highly-rated prospect with some good numbers in the minors. So why did Bowman never include him in a set before he was traded away? That is kind of odd. Beeks was drafted in the 12th round of the 2014 draft by the Red Sox and impressed at each level. Beeks made his Major League debut in 2018 and pitched in just two games with the Red Sox, starting one. He threw 6.1 innings with five strikeouts and four walks, but had a 12.79 ERA. Nonetheless, he was pretty good in the minors. He was traded to the Rays at the trading deadline for Nathan Eovaldi, which worked out pretty well for Boston due to Eovaldi's postseason performance. Beeks has been a solid, if unspectacular, reliever in Tampa Bay since the trade, going 11-3 with a 4.36 ERA and 126 strikeouts in 148.2 innings. Beeks does have minor league cards from his time in the Red Sox organization.
JUSTIN HALEY
Haley moved around a lot in the time leading up to the 2018 season. Originally drafted by the Red Sox in sixth round of the 2012 draft, Haley had an inconsistent minor league career in the Red Sox organization. He was selected by the Angels in the 2016 Rule 5 Draft, then immediately sold to the Padres, then immediately traded to the Twins. The Twins kept him for a little while, long enough for him to make his Major League debut in 2017 and play in ten games with a 6.00 ERA, striking out 14 and walking six in 18 innings. Minnesota returned him to Boston in July. Haley spent most of the 2018 season in the minor leagues with Boston again, but made it into four games as a reliever, striking out none and walking three in 7.2 innings. He had a 4.70 ERA. After the season, he was granted free agency and eventually signed with the Giants, but has not appeared in the Majors since. Haley also appears in minor league sets from his time in the Red Sox organization.
TONY RENDA
Renda did not play much with the Red Sox, but he had a very important moment in 2018. Renda bounced around quite a bit, starting out with the Nationals before being traded to the Yankees. He was then part of the return package the Yankees sent to the Reds in return for Aroldis Chapman the first time. He made his Major League debut in 2016 with the Reds, playing in 32 games as a utility player, hitting .183/.246/.217 with three RBIs. He then played in the Diamondbacks organization before being acquired by Boston. Renda spent most of the season in the minors, appearing in just one game in Boston as a pinch runner for Sandy Leon in extra innings against the Yankees. He scored the winning run in one of the team's biggest wins of the season when the team came back from being down 4-1 in the bottom of the ninth. He has not appeared in the Majors since. Renda also appears in minor league sets with the Red Sox organization.
None of these guys played much for Boston. Haley appeared in the most games, and he only made it into four. Renda had the biggest moment, and it would have been cool to see a card of his headfirst slide into home. Nonetheless, I think Beeks is probably the most important player, a pitcher who had been a legitimate prospect, yet somehow never appeared in a Bowman set. I am still not sure how that happened.
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