I fell way behind and didn't get to some of my maildays. Plus, this post is going to be huge. I received an email from Adam of Thoughts and Sox saying he had one of my Top 10 Most Wanted cards, specifically the Rico Petrocelli rookie card. He asked about my want list which I provided and he sent a big box of cards. It took awhile to sort through everything.
Enough of that, let's get going. Up first are some over-sized cards. Now, I don't love over-sized cards. I tend not to seek them out because they are hard to store with my cards. I'm a binder guy. But I don't turn them down if I get them.
1. Aaron Sele. This is from the ill-fated Fleer Extra Bases set that lasted just one year. Sele was a first round pick in 1991 and looked like a very good pitcher in his rookie season, finishing third in the Rookie of the Year vote. He had some good years and a lengthy career, but was not an ace.
2. Mo Vaughn. Vaughn was also a first round pick. He did live up to his promise for the entire time he was in Boston.
3. Andre Dawson. The offseason before 1993 saw one future Hall of Famer (Wade Boggs) leave and another (Dawson) arrive. Dawson was well past his prime though and only hit 29 homers over his two seasons in Boston.
4. Mike Greenwell. Greenwell recently died. He was one of my early favorite players. His best season was 1988 when he finished second in the MVP vote. He hit .325/.416/.531 with 22 home runs and 119 RBIs. He also drew an incredible 87 walks to just 38 strikeouts.
5. Carl Yastrzemski. Yaz holds several career records for the Red Sox as a result of being the longest tenured player in team history, but he also holds the highest single-season WAR in team history after his incredible 1967 season (12.5).
6. Jim Rice. Rice was elected to the Hall of Fame in his final year on the ballot. He was the third Hall of Fame left fielder in line behind Carl Yastrzemski and Ted Williams.
7. Carl Yastrzemski.
8. Ted Williams. Williams was a two-time MVP, but should have won at least two, possibly three, more. He did not win in 1942 or 1947 even though he won the Triple Crown, and he did not win in 1941 when he hit .406 (his numbers were better than Joe DiMaggio's, DiMaggio only had him beat in RBIs).
9. Wade Boggs. The Eras Committee vote is coming up and Don Mattingly is considered a favorite to be elected. One of the arguments is that he was the best player in the league for a six-year period, but that is not correct. Boggs was arguably better. Mattingly had more homers and RBIs, but Boggs had the better slash line and a higher OPS+ (152 to 147) and WAR (48.5 to 33.0). I will be annoyed if Mattingly gets elected.
10. Ted Williams.
11. George Kell. Kell is a Hall of Famer who spent most of his career with the Tigers, but did spend a few years in Boston. He was part of a big trade in which he, Dizzy Trout, Hoot Evers and Johnny Lipon were acquired in exchange for Johnny Pesky, Walt Dropo and others. He hit .305/.383/.451 in parts of three seasons and then was traded to the White Sox for Grady Hatton.
12. Bill Buckner. Over time, I have stopped relying on bWAR as the be-all, end-all of a player's value. It's a good guide, but there are obvious issues. Buckner is a good example. First-basemen get some kind of penalty, so his career bWAR is 15. He didn't have much power and didn't walk much, but he had 2,715 hits and a .289 lifetime average.
13. Mo Vaughn.
14. Dwight Evans. I'm still irritated that Evans was not on this Committee ballot. Last time he was on, he came four votes short, a number he could have made up with some more exposure, but he hasn't been on it since, even though the committee puts Mattingly and Dale Murphy on it all the time.
15. Jim Rice.
16. Daisuke Matsuzaka. Boston has not had the best of luck bringing Japanese players over. Matsuzaka was pretty good for two seasons, then injuries derailed his career.
17. Carl Yastrzemski.
18. Josh Beckett. Boston has had some pretty good luck trading for ace starting pitchers. Beckett was one of these, along with Pedro Martinez, Curt Schilling, Chris Sale and now Garrett Crochet. Beckett was acquired along with Mike Lowell and Guillermo Mota (who was immediately sent to Cleveland in the Coco Crisp deal) for a package including Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez. It was a deal that worked for both teams.
19. Josh Beckett.
20. Jon Lester. Lester was a rare ace that Boston developed. Unfortunately, he was traded to Oakland in a deal that brought Yoenis Cespedes to the Red Sox. Lester continued to put up great numbers and is a borderline Hall of Famer.
21. Mike Napoli. Napoli was a big part of the 2013 World Champions. The first-baseman hit .259/.360/.482 with 23 home runs and 92 RBIs and contributed a big home run in the ALCS off of Justin Verlander in Game 3 that won the game.
22. Pedro Martinez. The trade that brought Martinez to Boston ended up pretty one-sided. Carl Pavano and Tony Armas Jr. went to Montreal. Both were serviceable, but neither ended up that great.
23. Curt Schilling. Schilling was involved in two trades with the Red Sox. He was originally drafted by the team, traded to Baltimore before making his Major League debut along with Brady Anderson for Mike Boddicker. Then, he was traded to Boston with Casey Fossum, Jorge De La Rosa, Brandon Lyon and Michael Goss going to Arizona. Schilling should also be on this Committee Ballot.
24. Jason Place. Place was Boston's first round pick in the 2006 draft but never made the Majors. That draft did produce Daniel Bard and Justin Masterson. I really wanted Boston to draft Joba Chamberlain that year, since he is from Nebraska and is a fellow Cornhusker.
25. Mike Lowell. Lowell was supposed to be a throw-in for the Beckett trade, a contract they would take on to make the deal. But Lowell still had a lot left and in 2007 he was fifth in the MVP race and was an All Star. He also won the World Series MVP.
26. J.D. Drew. I admit that I didn't really understand why Boston wanted J.D. Drew. But I am a Drew apologist. His numbers were not overly flashy, but he was good, sometimes very good, in Boston. He won the All Star Game MVP in 2008.
27. J.D. Drew.
28. Devern Hansack. Hansack was signed as an amateur out of Nicaragua. He was decent in the minors and had a couple of brief stints in the Majors. His biggest moment was giving up no hits in a rain-shortened game at the end of the season in 2006. He didn't get credit for a no-hitter because the game was called after five innings.
29. David Ortiz. Ortiz is one of the more surprising first-ballot Hall of Fame inductees I remember. I thought he had a chance at election right away, but it was very close.
30. Josh Beckett.
31. Mike Lowell.
32. Daisuke Matsuzaka.
33. Jacoby Ellsbury. Ellsbury was another first-round pick by the Red Sox. He had three of Boston's five 50-steal seasons, including the most in a single season by a Red Sox player, by a large margin. Tris Speaker and Tommy Harper are the other two.
34. Dustin Pedroia. After Billy Wagner got elected last year, Pedroia is the player I am watching closest in the Hall of Fame vote. If Mattingly gets elected, I think Pedroia has to be considered stronger.
35. Carl Yastrzemski.
36. Kevin Youkilis. The Red Sox have had five Hank Aaron Awards in their history. David Ortiz won it twice, Manny Ramirez, J.D. Martinez and Youkilis won it once each. Youkilis won it in 2008 when he hit .312/.390/.569 with 29 home runs and 115 RBIs.
37. Daisuke Matsuzaka.
38. David Ortiz.
39. Daisuke Matsuzaka.
40. Josh Beckett.
41. Kevin Youkilis.
42. Manny Ramirez. Ramirez is in his final year on the Hall of Fame ballot and, outside a massive shift in voter attitudes, he will drop off the ballot. It will be a few more years before he makes it onto an Eras Committee ballot.
43. Mike Lowell.
44. Daisuke Matsuzaka.
45. David Ortiz.
46. Julio Lugo. I knew Boston would sign Lugo. Just as I knew they would sign Edgar Renteria, Carl Crawford and Mike Napoli. I won't mention who I "know" they will sign this offseason unless and until they sign him. Lugo didn't play real well in Boston, but he did steal 33 bases and he hit .385 in the World Series.
47. Curt Schilling.
48. George Susce. This box was full of vintage cards. Susce didn't have a long career, lasting five years. His best season was in 1955 when he was 9-7 with a 3.06 ERA in 29 games. He never really came that close to that success again. For his Red Sox career, he was 18-14 with a 4.23 ERA.
49. Blaze Jordan. Jordan was drafted in 2020, but he didn't have a path to the Majors with the Red Sox, so he was traded to the Cardinals in the deal that brought Steven Matz this year.
50. Roger Clemens. Clemens is on the Eras Committee coming up. I am really hoping he gets in, but his PED issues make him a bit of a longshot.
51. Vincent Degifico. Never heard of him. I don't do much with minor league cards for that reason. He was a 17th round pick in 1987. He made it to Double A. He did have a big season in 1989 with Winter Haven.
52. Daryl Irvine. Irvine made it to the Majors from 1990 through 1992, throwing 63.1 innings with a 5.68 ERA, but 27 strikeouts and 33 walks is not getting it done. He was traded in April of 1993 to the Pirates for Nebraskan Jeff Richardson.
53. Jim Orsag. Never heard of him. He was a ninth round pick in 1985. He made it to Triple A in 1989 and later played in the Indians organization.
54. Mickey Pina. Pina, I have heard of. He had a few cards in extended sets in 1990. He made it to Triple A and had some decent power. He looked like he was on the verge of the Majors at one point, but just didn't make it.
55. Scott Sommers. No, he was not Cyclops. I have not heard of Sommers either. He made it to Double A.
56. Ed Zambrano. Zambrano played in the Majors, but not for the Red Sox. He was an undrafted international free agent out of Venezuela in 1984 and was selected by Cleveland in the 1989 minor league draft. He played for the Cubs in 1993 and 1994 when he was pretty decent in short work.
57. Tito Stewart. Stewart, a Puerto Rican native, played nine seasons in the minors, mostly for the Red Sox. He also played in the Padres and Expos system. He made it to Pawtucket a couple of times, but his success in the lower minors did not translate.
58. Phil Plantier. I am very familiar with Plantier as he was something of a phenom when I first started watching baseball. He was very good in 1991, but disappointing in 1992. Then, the once untouchable prospect was traded to the Padres for middle reliever Jose Melendez. He had a very good 1993, but then crashed down to Earth.
59. Mike Kelly. Kelly was a ninth-round pick for the Red Sox in 1987. I have not heard of him either. He played four years in the system and made it to Double A.
60. John Trautwein. Trautwein was originally an Expos draft pick, but the Red Sox selected him in the 1987 Rule 5 Draft. He made it into nine games with the Red Sox. I had heard of him before.
61. Larry Shikles. I have heard of him because he was in the 1990 Topps TV Test set. He never made it to the Majors though. He pitched in Pawtucket for a few years, just never able to take the next step.
62. Daryl Irvine.
63. Steven Bast. Bast was also in the set with Shikles. He was a fifth round pick by the Red Sox in 1986 and made it to Triple A.
64. John Flaherty. Flaherty had a reasonably long career, primarily as a backup catcher with the Red Sox, Tigers, Padres, Devil Rays and Yankees. He played in 48 games with the Red Sox from 1992 to 1993. He was traded to Detroit prior to the 1994 season for Rich Rowland. He signed back with the Red Sox in 2006, but retired before the season began.
65. John Marzano. Marzano was the Red Sox first-round pick in 1984 and had an impressive start to his career in 1987 when he hit .244 with five home runs in 52 games. He settled into a backup role to Tony Pena in 1990 and was the team's primary backup (and Roger Clemens's personal catcher) into 1992. He later played for the Rangers and Mariners.
66. Gary Tremblay. Another player from the Topps TV Set. Tremblay was a sixth-round pick by the Red Sox in 1983. He played in nine seasons in the minors, eight with the Red Sox organization and one with the Phillies organization. He made it to Triple A for a few years.
67. Scott Cooper. I am well familiar with Cooper, who was above Jeff Bagwell on the organization depth chart. Cooper was a two-time All Star with the Red Sox, but didn't really deserve to be. He was a decent player, but not a star.
68. Angel Gonzalez. Another player from the same set. He had a lengthy career, but never made it to the Majors. He made it to Triple A and later played in the Reds system.
69. Julius McDougal. Yet another player from the set. Yet another player from the set. McDougal bounced around a bit, originally drafted by the Cubs and also in the Twins system. Later, he played in the Blue Jays, Indians and Phillies systems. He made it to Triple A a few times.
70. Rick Lancellotti. Lancellotti was also in the set, but his inclusion was important because he did actually make it to the Majors with the Red Sox. Lancellotti was a Pirates 11th round pick in 1977 and made it to the Majors with the Padres in 1982, Giants in 1986 and Red Sox at 33 years of age, in 1990. He played in four games with Boston but didn't record a hit.
71. Mickey Pina.
72. Phil Plantier.
73. Scott Wade. Wade was also in the set. He was the Red Sox second-round pick in 1984. Despite some good power numbers, he didn't have a great average and never made it past Triple A. He later played in the Phillies, Cubs, Blue Jays, Mets and Twins organizations. He played 12 years in the minors.
74. Mike Dalton. Dalton was the team's 15th round pick in 1983. He was also in the set, but Dalton did make it to the Majors, pitching in four games for the Tigers in 1991 after leaving the Red Sox organization as a minor league free agent.
75. Scott Hatteberg. The 1991 Classic Best set was the first minor league set I picked up and I actually kind of liked it. Hatteberg was a first-round pick by the Red Sox in 1991, alongside his battery mate in college, Aaron Sele. Hatteberg had some success with the Red Sox, and later even more with the Athletics and Reds.
76. Wade Boggs.
77. Roger Clemens.
78. Roger Clemens.
79. Frank Rodriguez. Once Boston's top prospect, Rodriguez was a two-way talent drafted in the second round of the 1990 draft. He made it to the Majors in 1995, but struggled and was shipped to Minnesota in the trade for Rick Aguilera. He stuck around for a few years, but never really lived up to the promise he had when he was drafted.
80. Frank Rodriguez.
81. Mike Greenwell.
82. Otis Nixon. I remember being very excited when Nixon was signed. Boston didn't really have many great base stealers for a long time, and certainly not since I had been a fan. There was some buzz that he could challenge Tommy Harper's then-record of 54 stolen bases. Unfortunately, the strike happened and he ended up with 42. He was traded to Texas after the season in the deal that brought Jose Canseco to Boston.
83. Mike Greenwell.
84. Scott Cooper.
85. Tim Naehring. Naehring looked like a rising star in 1997 when he was hurt, ultimately leading to the end of his career. He had hit .295/.387/.451 with 36 home runs over the prior three seasons when he was hurt.
86. Mo Vaughn.
87. John Valentin. One of the most underrated players in Red Sox history. His 1995 season saw him become a 20/20 member, win the Silver Slugger and lead the league in WAR. He finished ninth in the MVP race.
88. Tim Wakefield. Wakefield's best season was 1995 when he went 16-8 with a 2.95 ERA and finished third in the Cy Young race and 13th in the MVP race. He is still one of my all-time favorite pitchers in Red Sox history.
89. Mike Stanley. Stanley was not a great defensive catcher, but he could really hit. In 1996, he hit 24 homers for the Red Sox.
90. Nomar Garciaparra. If Mattingly gets in to the Hall of Fame, Nomar better get elected.
91. Jose Canseco. Canseco was on the verge of one of his best seasons in 1996 when he got hurt and missed the rest of the year. In 96 games, he hit .289/.400/.589 with 28 home runs and 82 RBIs. His 146 OPS+ was fifth in his career.
92. Roger Clemens.
93. Mo Vaughn.
94. Wade Boggs.
95. Maurice McDermott. McDermott looks like a zombie in this pic. This is my first 1952 Topps card. McDermott had a ton of talent, but could never really harness it. His best year was in 1953 when he went 18-10 with a 3.01 ERA in 206.1 innings pitched. He was traded for Jackie Jensen after the season, which worked out well for Boston.
96. Team Card.
97. Dennis Bennett. Bennett was a pretty good pitcher for the Phillies when he was traded to the Red Sox in the deal that sent Dick Stuart to Philadelphia. Unfortunately, he was hurt and never made much of an impact for the Red Sox.
98. Dick Stigman. Stigman was an All Star for the Indians his rookie season and had a few good seasons with the Twins. He was traded to the Red Sox for Russ Nixon and Chuck Schilling before the 1966 season. He had a 5.44 ERA in 34 games. He was sent to the Reds for Hank Fischer after the year.
99. Ted Williams. One of my favorite things from this package was the pile of cards from the 1959 Fleer Ted Williams set. There were eight.
100. Ted Williams.
101. Ted Williams.
102. Ted Williams.
103. Ted Williams.
104. Ted Williams.
105. Ted Williams.
106. Ted Williams.
107. Bill Wight. Wight was acquired in a trade with the White Sox along with Ray Scarborough for Joe Dobson, Al Zarilla and Dick Littlefield. He was 7-7 with a 5.10 ERA. He had a 2.96 ERA the next season when he was sent to Detroit in the deal that brought George Kell to the Red Sox.
108. Randy Gumpert. Gumpert had a ten-year career in the Majors with the Athletics, Yankees, White Sox, Red Sox and Senators. He made it into just ten games with the Red Sox in 1952 with a 4.12 ERA. The Red Sox acquired him and Don Lenhardt in a deal for Chuck Stobbs and Mel Hoderlein. He was then traded to the Senators with Walt Masterson for Sid Hudson.
109. Ray Scarborough. Scarborough was an All Star in 1950 with the White Sox. He was traded to the Red Sox after the year and was 12-9 with a 5.09 ERA in 184 innings pitched. He was sold to the Yankees during the 1952 season.
110. Walt Masterson. Masterson had a 14-year career, primarily with the Senators. He was an All Star in 1947 and 1948. He played in Boston for parts of four seasons, going 15-11 with a 5.02 ERA. He was originally acquired by the Red Sox for a package of Sam Mele and Mickey Harris.
111. Gus Niarhos. Niarhos was a backup catcher who played in 45 games for the Red Sox over parts of two seasons. He was acquired from the Browns along with Joe Wood (son of Smoky Joe Wood) for Les Moss and Tom Wright.
112. Billy Herman. Once a great hitter (and a Hall of Famer), Herman didn't have much success as a manager. He managed the Pirates one season to a 61-92 record, but was fired at the end of the year. He spent parts of three seasons as the Red Sox manager, going 128-182.
113. Carl Yastrzemski.
114. Sparky Lyle. Lyle was an up-and-coming reliever when he was traded to the Yankees. He had a 2.85 ERA over five seasons with 69 saves, including a high of 20 in 1971. Of course, the best was yet to come after he was traded. Not a good trade for the Red Sox.
115. Danny Cater. Cater was the player the Red Sox got in the deal for Lyle. He hit .262/.301/.384 with 14 home runs and 83 RBIs in parts of three seasons for the Red Sox. He was then traded to the Cardinals for someone called Danny Godby.
116. Diego Segui. Segui was a decent reliever for several years. He was with the Red Sox from 1974 to 1975 after being acquired in a trade with the Cardinals along with Reggie Cleveland and Terry Hughes for John Curtis, Lynn McGlothen and Mike Garman. Segui went 8-13 with a 4.32 ERA and 16 saves.
117. Bob Montgomery. Montgomery was the backup catcher for the Red Sox from 1970 through 1979. He hit .258/.296/.372 with 23 home runs and 156 RBIs in his career.
118. Dwight Evans.
119. Jim Rice.
120. Wade Boggs.
121. Roger Clemens.
122. Pat Dodson. Dodson was a sixth-round pick for the Red Sox in 1980. He hit four home runs over the course of three seasons with the Red Sox. Not quite what was expected based on the Rated Rookie label on this card.
123. Spike Owen. Owen was acquired along with Dave Henderson from the Mariners for Rey Quinones, Mike Brown, Mike Trujillo and John Christensen. Owen was a solid defensive shortstop that didn't hit much. He was later traded to the Expos for Luis Rivera and John Dopson.
124. Dave Henderson. Henderson had a very good postseason, including a major home run in the ALCS, but his regular-season numbers were not as good in 1986 and 1987. He was traded away to the Giants for Randy Kutcher.
125. Calvin Schiraldi. Schiraldi looked like a really good reliever in 1986. He was acquired prior to the year along with Wes Gardner for Bob Ojeda. He had a 1.41 ERA during the season. Then, he struggled in the postseason. He struggled in 1987 and was then traded to the Cubs, along with Al Nipper, for Lee Smith.
126. Jeff Sellers. Sellers was the eighth-round pick of the Red Sox in 1982. He pitched parts of four seasons with the Red Sox, going 13-22 with a 4.97 ERA. After the 1988 season, he was traded along with Todd Benzinger for Nick Esasky and Rob Murphy.
127. Marty Barrett. Barrett had a pretty decent career as the team's second-baseman in the 1980's. He was a monster in the 1986 postseason when he was named the ALCS MVP and had 24 hits in the postseason.
128. Don Baylor. Baylor's only full season in Boston saw him win the Silver Slugger for designated hitter when he hit 31 home runs and drove in 94 runs. He was acquired in a trade with the Yankees for Mike Easler and was then traded to the Twins in 1987 for a prospect that never made it to the Majors.
129. Bill Buckner.
130. Jim Rice.
131. Oil Can Boyd. The greatest nickname in team history. Boyd had some great talent, but some off-field issues.
132. Bruce Hurst. The Red Sox developed some great pitching in the 1980's. Hurst joined John Tudor, Bob Ojeda, Oil Can Boyd and Roger Clemens as some great pitchers developed by the Red Sox. Hurst would have won the World Series MVP had Boston held on in Game 6.
133. Rich Gedman. Gedman was a two-time All Star in 1984 and 1985 when he hit 42 home runs over the two seasons. He seemingly forgot how to hit after the 1986 season and just kind of hung around for a few more season.s
134. Andy Araujo. Araujo was in the minors for nine seasons and never made it to the Majors. He reached Triple A.
135. Tony Cleary. Cleary was the trainer for Pawtucket. This is the first trainer card I have ever gotten.
136. Mike Dalton.
137. Ed Nottle. Nottle was the Pawtucket Red Sox manager from 1986 through 1990.
138. Chuck Davis. Davis was the Red Sox 12th-round pick in 1981. He made it to Triple A in 1987, but that was as far as he got.
139. Chris Cannizzaro. I am guessing that this is the son of the long-time catcher in the 1960's and 1970's. He was the ninth-round pick in 1983 and made it to Pawtucket, playing there for four years, but not making it to the Majors.
140. Walt Masterson.
141. Bernie Friberg. Another amazing card from the package. This is a 1933 Goudey card. I have the reprint. Friberg had a long career in the Majors, finishing it with 17 games for the Red Sox in 1933, hitting .317.
142. Randy Gumpert.
143. Jonathan Papelbon. Papelbon still currently holds the title of the All Time Best Relief Pitcher in Red Sox history. In seven seasons, he was an All Star four times and had a 2.33 ERA and 219 saves.
144. Fenway Park.
145. J.D. Drew.
146. Kevin Youkilis.
147. Daisuke Matsuzaka.
148. Jonathan Papelbon.
149. Lance McClain. McClain was the 12th-round pick from the Red Sox in 2008. He played three seasons and never made it past High-A.
150. David Ortiz.
151. Josh Beckett.
152. David Ortiz.
153. Kevin Youkilis.
154. Kevin Youkilis.
155. Jonathan Papelbon.
156. Jason Bay. One of the bigger Trading Deadline acquisitions in Red Sox history, which is interesting because he was acquired in the deal that sent Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers. But Bay hit .293/.370/.527 with nine homers and 37 RBIs. He was really good in 2009 when he was an All Star, hitting .267/.384/.537 with 36 homers and 119 RBIs. He won the Silver Slugger and seventh in the MVP race.
157. Josh Beckett.
158. David Ortiz.
159. Carson Blair. Blair was drafted in the 35th round in the 2008 draft. He made it to the Majors in 2015 with the Athletics after leaving the Red Sox organization as a minor league free agent.
160. Dustin Richardson. Richardson was the fifth-round pick of the Red Sox in 2006. He made it to the Majors in 2009 and actually had a lengthy look in 2010, appearing in 26 games with a 4.15 ERA. He was traded to the Marlins after the season for Andrew Miller, a deal that worked out well for Boston.
161. Daisuke Matsuzaka.
162. Pesky Pole. Yep, a card of the Pesky Pole. Pesky hit just 13 career home runs with the Red Sox. I don't know how many wrapped around the pole.
163. Carl Yastrzemski. No, this is not the actual rookie card.
164. Jacoby Ellsbury.
165. David Ortiz.
166. Victor Martinez. Another of the greatest Trading Deadline pickups for the Red Sox. Martinez was acquired in exchange for Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone and Bryan Shaw. Martinez hit .336/.405/.507 with eight homers and 41 RBIs down the stretch. The next season he was an All Star and hit .302/.351/.493 with 20 home runs and 79 RBIs.
167. Jon Lester.
168. David Ortiz.
169. Kevin Youkilis.
170. John Lackey. Lackey looked like a horrible free agent signing when he was 26-23 with a 5.26 ERA through his first two seasons, then missed the entirety of the third with Tommy John surgery. He came back strong in 2013, going 10-13 with a 3.52 ERA in 189.1 innings, then shined in the postseason, winning the decisive Game 6 of the World Series. He was traded to the Cardinals in 2014 for Joe Kelly and Allen Craig.
171. Kevin Youkilis.
172. Kolbrin Vitek. One of the worst first-round picks in recent Red Sox memory. He never made it past Double A and only had one real successful season.
173. Jacoby Ellsbury.
174. Hideki Okajima. One of the players that came from Japan to Boston directly that was a true success. Okajima had several seasons as an above-average reliever, particularly in his All Star rookie season of 2007. Okajima was a favorite.
175. Carl Crawford. One of the worst free agent signings in team history. Crawford was nothing like the player he was in Tampa Bay. In his only full season with Boston, he hit .255/.289/.405 with 11 home runs, 56 RBIs and just 18 stolen bases. Just a year after he stole 47. He was part of the big trade with the Dodgers the next year along with Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and Nick Punto for James Loney, Allen Webster, Rubby De La Rosa, Ivan DeJesus and Jerry Sands.
176. Tris Speaker. Speaker was the first huge star that the Red Sox traded away due to money. It would become an unfortunate pattern. He was traded to Cleveland for Sad Sam Jones and Fred "Pinch" Thomas.
177. Austin Maddox. Maddox never got a second shot at the Majors, which is odd because he had a 0.52 ERA in 17.1 innings with 14 strikeouts and just two walks.
178. David Ortiz.
179. Marcelo Mayer. Hopefully Mayer will have his first full Major League season in 2026. He has some big power, but could fix his approach at the plate. Defensively, he is already terrific.
180. Rico Petrocelli/Jerry Stephenson. This is the card that started this package. Petrocelli was a career Red Sox who hit a then-unheard-of 40 home runs as a shortstop in 1969. Stephenson played parts of five seasons with the Red Sox with a 5.54 ERA. He was signed away as a free agent by the expansion Seattle Pilots in 1969.
181. Brian Rose. Rose was a third-round pick by the Red Sox in 1994 and was a top pitching prospect by the time that 1997 rolled around. He made his Major League debut that season. Unfortunately, he never lived up to his promise. In parts of four seasons with the Red Sox he was 11-15 with a 5.73 ERA. He was traded to Colorado as part of the deal that brought Rolando Arrojo and Mike Lansing to Boston.
182. Dernell Stenson. I think Boston failed Stenson. He made it to Pawtucket, but seemed stuck there for way too long, never getting a shot. He finally made it to the Majors after the Reds signed him as a minor league free agent. He was tragically murdered after he finally made it.
183. Mo Vaughn.
184. Nomar Garciaparra.
185. Dernell Stenson.
186. Sun-Woo Kim. In the late 1990's, Red Sox GM Dan Duquette tried really hard to start bringing pitching over from South Korea. Kim was one of several promising prospects he brought from overseas, and ultimately the one who had the longest Major League career. In parts of two seasons, he was 2-2 with a 6.50 ERA before he was traded to Montreal for Cliff Floyd along with Seung-Jun Song, who was supposed to be the best of the arms from South Korea. Kim played a few more seasons with middling success for the Expos/Nationals, Rockies and Reds.
187. Sun-Woo Kim.
188. Cesar Saba. Saba was a shortstop prospect that was sent to the Padres in the trade for Ed Sprague in 2000. Dennis Tankersley was also part of that trade. Saba never makde it to the Majors.
189. Pedro Martinez.
190. Rick Asadoorian. Asadoorian was the team's first-round pick in 1999, but he never made it to the Majors. After the 2000 season, he was traded to the Cardinals in the Dustin Hermanson trade. Asadoorian also played in the Rangers, Reds and Dodgers systems. At one point, he attempted to reinvent himself as a pitcher.
191. Troy O'Leary. One of the more shrewd moves Dan Duquette made was selecting O'Leary off of waivers from the Brewers prior to the 1995 season. O'Leary turned into a quite productive player through the 1999 season and hung around Boston through 2001. In 1999, he hit 28 home runs and drove in 103 runs.
192. Nomar Garciaparra.
193. Carl Everett. Everett was acquired in a trade with the Astros for Adam Everett and Greg Miller. Everett had a great season in 2000 when he hit .300/.373/.587 with 34 home runs and 108 RBIs. But, he had a temper and was not a great teammate. He struggled a bit in 2001 and was then traded to the Rangers for Darren Oliver.
194. Corey Spencer. Spencer pitched four seasons in the Red Sox minor league system, but never made it to the Majors. He had a couple decent seasons in the lower minors and saved 20 games for Trenton in 2001.
195. Nomar Garciaparra.
196. Jin Ho Cho. Cho was another South Korean pitcher Boston brought over in the late 1990's. In 13 games, he was 2-6 with a 6.52 ERA.
197. Phil Dumatrait. Dumatrait was Boston's first-round pick in 2000. He was traded to the Reds in the deal that brought over Scott Williamson in 2003. Dumatrait eventually pitched for the Reds, Pirates and Twins. He was a serviceable reliever for the Twins in 2011.
198. Manny Ramirez.
199. Pedro Martinez.
200. Nomar Garciaparra.
201. Pedro Martinez.
202. Manny Ramirez.
203. Kenny Perez. Perez was a sixth-round pick in 2000. He was traded to the Diamondbacks in 2005 for Jose Cruz Jr. He also played in the White Sox and Rockies systems, but never made it to the Majors.
204. Tim Wakefield.
205. Scott Williamson. Williamson was acquired in the 2003 season to solidify the bullpen. He had a rough go in the regular season, but shined in the postseason with a 1.13 ERA, 2-0 record, 14 strikeouts and just three walks in eight innings pitched. He saved all three wins for the Red Sox in the ALCS. IN 2004, he had a 1.28 ERA, but was plagued by injuries and appeared in just 28 games.
206. Dick Hoblitzell. Hoblitzell played five seasons in Boston after being selected off waivers from the Reds in 1914. His best season was in 1915 when he hit .283/.351/.396.
207. Bill Mueller. Mueller won the batting title for the Red Sox in 2003, hitting .326. He also won the Silver Slugger that season. He had a game in which he hit grand slams from each side of the plate. He was a hero in particular against Mariano Rivera against whom he launched a game-winning home run in the famous game on July 24, 2004 and then drove in Dave Roberts to tie Game 4 of the ALCS, which turned the tide of that series.
208. Curt Schilling.
209. Johnny Damon. Damon played four seasons for the Red Sox and was an All Star in both 2002 and 2005. Those were the only All Star appearances of his career. He was a huge part of the 2004 World Championship team and one of the most visible stars on the team.
210. Curt Schilling.
211. Manny Ramirez.
212. Chris Turner. Turner was the 15th-round pick in 2003. He never made it above High-A,
213. Tim Wakefield.
214. David Ortiz.
215. Tyler McDonough. McDonough was the third-round pick by Boston in 2021. He is still active, playing in Triple-A for the Red Sox organization. Time is running out for him to make it.
216. Team Card.
217. Andrew Benintendi. Benintendi was Boston's first-round pick in 2015 and looked like a solid player, perhaps even a star, early in his career. He was second in the Rookie of the Year vote in 2017, but declined dramatically after 2018. He was traded to the Royals in a three-team deal that brought Josh Winckowski and Franchy Cordero to Boston.
218. Jackie Bradley Jr. A first-round pick in 2011, Bradley was part of the same draft class that produced Mookie Betts. Bradley was an All Star in 2016 and won a Gold Glove in 2018. He was the ALCS MVP in 2018 as well. After the 2020 season, he was allowed to leave as a free agent, but was re-acquired prior to 2022 along with David Hamilton for Hunter Renfroe.
219. Jackie Bradley Jr.
220. Eduardo Rodriguez. Originally acquired in a deadline deal from the Orioles for Andrew Miller in 2014, E-Rod turned into a decent starting pitcher for a few seasons. His best year was in 2019 when he was 19-6 with a 3.81 ERA and 213 strikeouts.
221. David Ortiz.
222. Dustin Pedroia.
223. Andrew Benintendi.
224. Rafael Devers. I probably don't need to discuss much about Devers. He was a three-time All Star and two-time Silver Slugger with Boston. They still haven't replaced his bat in the lineup.
225. Andrew Benintendi.
226. Xander Bogaerts. There is a legitimate argument for Bogaerts as the Red Sox all-time best shortstop. In ten seasons, he hit .292/.356/.458 with 1,410 hits, 156 home runs and 683 RBIs. He was a four-time All Star and five-time Silver Slugger. He has not come close to that production since leaving for San Diego. He could be headed for the Hall of Fame.
227. Dustin Pedroia.
228. Ted Williams. I love this picture.
229. Chris Sale. Sale is back on track for the Hall of Fame. He was acquired in a trade with the White Sox for Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech and a couple other prospects. His best season in Boston was 2017 when he was 17-8 with a 2.90 ERA and 308 strikeouts. He was traded to the Braves for Vaughn Grissom.
230. Chris Sale.
231. Jarren Duran. Duran was an All Star in 2024 and won the game's MVP. He is likely on the trading block this offseason.
232. Nick Yorke. Boston's first-round pick in 2020 was traded to the Pirates for Quinn Priester in 2024. He has played a little bit for the Pirates, but not shown much yet.
233. Masataka Yoshida. It is tough to say what will happen to Yoshida this offseason. He has not been great so far in his Major League career, hitting .282/.337/.425 and having quite a bit of injury problems.
234. Trevor Story. Story finally had a season worthy of his contract in 2025, reaching 25 home runs, 96 RBIs and 31 stolen bases. The stolen base mark was a career high.
235. Triston Casas. Casas was the team's first-round pick in 2018. He is another player at a crossroads. Boston has shown interest in upgrading the first base position. Casas could be moved.
236. Chris Murphy. Murphy was recently traded to the White Sox for a pretty good catching prospect named Ronny Hernandez.
237. Masataka Yoshida.
238. Isaiah Campbell. Campbell was acquired in a deal for Luis Urias prior to 2024. Unfortunately, he struggled with his command and was never able to put together any sustained success. He was released recently.
239. Rafael Devers.
240. Brandon Walter. I always get Walter and Murphy cards together.
241. Wilyer Abreu. Abreu won his second Gold Glove Award this year. He could be traded if Duran is not, but I am hoping he sticks around.
242. Rafael Devers.
243. Tanner Houck. Houck was an All Star in 2024 and was the team's first-round pick in 2017. He will likely miss the entire 2026 season with Tommy John surgery.
244. Masataka Yoshida.
245. Nomar Garciaparra.
246. Nomar Garciaparra.
247. Vaughn Grissom. Grissom hasn't made any impact on the team after being acquired for Chris Sale. I cannot imagine Boston holding on to him going into 2026.
248. Wade Boggs.
249. Rafael Devers.
250. Carl Yastrzemski.
251. Jarren Duran.
252. Willard Nixon. Nixon spent his entire nine-year career with the Red Sox. He was 69-72 with a 4.39 ERA. His best season was in 1957 when he was 12-13 with a 3.68 ERA in 191 innings pitched.
253. Gene Stephens. Stephens played eight years with Boston, hitting .247/.327/.362 with 24 home runs as primarily a fourth outfielder. He was traded to Baltimore for Willie Tasby.
Well, that's it. I'm exhausted. Thanks so much Adam!
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