I have not done one of these for awhile. I think it is time to look back at 2019. The Red Sox had a disappointing year in 2019, suffering a major hangover after the amazing 2018 season. They finished in third place at 84-78. The team suffered a lot of injuries to key players, which meant there was quite a bit of fluctuations in the roster. Players like Gorkys Hernandez, Ryan Weber and Bobby Poyner were among the short-time players who did appear on cardboard. Then there are the players that follow.
JUAN CENTENO
Centeno has never been able to break through into the Major Leagues for long. Since being drafted in the 2007 draft out of high school, Centeno has spent the bulk of every season in the minor leagues. He made appearances in the Major Leagues each year from 2013 through 2019 with the Mets, Brewers, Twins, Astros, Rangers and Red Sox. The only time he played in more than 25 games though was 2016 with the Twins. He had a decent year as a backup catcher, hitting .261 with three home runs. The Red Sox signed him as a minor league free agent after the 2018 season. He spent the majority of the 2019 season in the minors, except for seven games. He had 18 plate appearances and hit .133/.278/.133 with just two singles and two walks. He drove in two runs and stole a base, odd for a catcher. Centeno was re-signed by Boston for the 2020 season, but did not play due to the COVID situation. He has played in the Tigers and Diamondbacks systems the last two seasons, but has not played in the Majors since his Red Sox stint. Centeno does have minor league cards for the Red Sox organization.
JHOULYS CHACIN
The biggest name player in this post is Chacin, who has had a lengthy, and sometimes very successful career. Chacin came up with the Rockies and spent his first six seasons there before starting on a trek across Major League Baseball with stops in Arizona, Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Diego, Milwaukee, Boston, and then back to Atlanta and Colorado. His best season was in 2013 when he had a 14-10 record with a 3.47 ERA in 197.1 innings pitched for the Rockies. It was a legitimately good season for a pitcher in the mountains. He also won 15 games for the Brewers in 2018. 2019 saw him start the season with the Brewers, but he struggled with a record of 3-10 and a 5.79 ERA. The Brewers released in late August and the Red Sox took a flyer to try to stabilize their rotation. Chacin appeared in six games, making five starts. His numbers did not improve and he turned in a record of 0-2 with a 7.36 ERA. He did strike out 21 batters in 14.2 innings, but also walked seven. Chacin pitched for the Braves in 2020, then returned to Colorado as a reliever. He was still active as of late 2022.
TREVOR KELLEY
A side-arming right-handed reliever, Kelley was originally drafted by the Red Sox in the 36th round of the 2015 draft. Kelley moved steadily through the minor league system of the Red Sox by posting low ERAs and decent strikeout numbers. He only once had an ERA above 3.00 in the minors before 2019, and that was his first professional season. Kelley had been 5-5 with a 1.79 ERA in the minors in 2019, saving 12 games and striking out 63 batters in 65.1 innings. The Red Sox brought him up and he appeared in ten games, pitching 8.1 innings. His ERA though was 8.64 and he had a record of 0-3. He struck out six and walked five. Kelley was placed on waivers after the season to make room for other signings and the Phillies took a chance on him. Since 2019, Kelley has appeared in 22 Major League games with the Phillies and Brewers. He was with the Brewers in 2022, but had a 6.08 ERA. Kelley recently signed a deal with the Rays for the 2023 season. If anyone can turn him around, it's the Rays.
CHRIS OWINGS
Owings was once a reliable utility man with the Diamondbacks, filling in at both middle infield positions and in the outfield. He also won a batting title in the minors. He played in more than 100 games three times and even led the league in triples in 2016. That year, his best in the Majors, he hit .277/.315/.416 with five home runs, 49 RBIs and 21 stolen bases. Owings signed with the Royals before the 2019 season, but was released in June after hitting .133 in 40 games. The Red Sox brought him in and he split time between the Majors and minors. In Pawtucket, he hit .325 with 11 home runs in 44 games, which gave him a chance at the Majors. He spent 26 games with the Red Sox and hit .156/.255/.267 with two doubles, a home run, five RBIs and a stolen base. He played second, short, third, designated hitter and outfield. He has bounced around several organizations since leaving Boston, appearing in the Majors with the Rockies and, last year with the Orioles. Owings has minor league cards showing him with Pawtucket.
ERASMO RAMIREZ
Nicaraguan-born righty Ramirez has had some varying success in the Majors. He originally came up with the Mariners in 2012 and spent a few seasons trying to crack the rotation for good. He was then traded to the Rays and won 11 games with a 3.75 ERA and looked like he had finally met his promise. Unfortunately he struggled the next season. The Rays eventually traded him back to the Mariners. Boston signed him prior to the 2019 season and he spent the entire season, except for one game, in the minors. He was 6-8 with a 4.74 ERA in Pawtucket. His only game in Boston occurred early in the season. He pitched three innings, finishing a game against the Yankees. He pitched three innings, giving up four runs, striking out one and walking one. He has bounced around since 2019 and had a very impressive season in Washington in 2022 as a reliever. He had a 2.92 ERA in 60 games for the Nationals. Ramirez also appears in minor league sets with Pawtucket.
JOSH A. SMITH
Smith was drafted by the Reds in 2010 draft in 21st round. He spent several seasons in the minors, making his Major League debut in 2015. He pitched in nine games that season, starting seven, with an 0-4 record and a 6.89 ERA. The next season he appeared in a career-high 32 games, throwing 59.2 innings. He only made two starts and struck out 48 while walking 26. The A's snagged him off of waivers the next season and kept him in their bullpen for 26 games. Smith signed with the Red Sox early in the 2018 season, but spent the entire year in the minors. He spent most of 2019 in the minors as well, other than an 18-game stint in Boston. Smith started two games and pitched in relief in the others. He threw 31 innings, striking out 29 and walking eight, but had a record of 0-3 and a 5.81 ERA. He did notch his first career save. Smith was allowed to leave as a minor league free agent and pitched for the Marlins in 2020. He has not appeared in the Majors since, and did not pitch in 2022.
Once again, none of these guys played much for Boston. Chris Owings played in the most games, followed by Josh Smith. None of the players even provided a positive WAR. Three of these players (Owings, Jhoulys Chacin and Erasmo Ramirez) have had lengthy Major League careers though. I suppose if I had to pick one player I would have liked to have seen on a card, it would be Jhoulys Chacin, just because he has had the most successful Major League career. At times, he looked like a potential ace.
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