The Red Sox and the Rule 5 Draft

The Rule 5 Draft is one of the baffling events during the Major League season.  Held at the end of the Winter Meetings, teams can select a player who has not been placed on the 40 man roster of another team within three or four years after signing their first contract, depending on their age at the time.  Yes, it is confusing.  The catch is that the selecting team has to keep that player on their Major League roster for the entire season in order to keep him, or they must offer him back to the original team.  The original team can elect not to take him back or work out a trade.

There have not been a lot of really good players who get a chance due to being selected in the Rule 5 Draft.  Roberto Clemente is the best example, being selected by the Pirates from the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954.  I'm sure the Dodgers want that one back.  Johan Santana, Kelly Gruber, Jose Bautista, Fernando Vina, and Shane Victorino are some other players who have done well since being selected.  Boston does not have nearly as much success.  In fact, very few players Boston has picked up in the Rule 5 Draft have had much of any success in the Majors.

Since I started watching the team, only four players selected by Boston in the Rule 5 Draft have played in the Majors with the Red Sox.  Boston lost Wil Ledezma, Ryan Pressly, and Josh Fields, who had some success in the Majors, over the years.  Looking back prior to that, there really were not any big name players selected either.

And now, counting down the best players to make it to the Majors selected by the Red Sox since 1991, based on their Major League success:

5.  Matt White

The Red Sox had three picks for some reason in the 2002 Rule 5 Draft.  Their first pick was Javier Lopez (the reliever), who they returned and then re-acquired a few years later.  Their second pick was White from the Indians, who was apparently injured the entire 2002 season.  He did make it into three games with the Red Sox in 2003, but had an 0-1 record and a 27.00 ERA.  He was later traded to the Mariners for Sheldon Fulse, who never made it to the Majors.  He didn't do much better for Seattle and was returned to the Indians, as per the Rule 5 rules.  White was selected again in the 2003 Rule 5 Draft, this time by the Rockies who also ended up returning him to Cleveland.

4.  Adrian Brown

Brown was kind of an unusual choice for the Draft.  He had been a longtime Major Leaguer with the Pirates and had a decent season in 2000.  But after 2002, he was released by the Pirates and signed by the Rays, who failed to put him on their 40 man roster.  So the Red Sox selected him as their third of three picks they had in the Draft.  Brown was actually returned to the Rays, released by the Rays, and signed by the Red Sox in the span of three days in Spring Training, which allowed Boston to send him to the minors, where he spent most of the season.  Brown was an All Star at Pawtucket and eventually played in nine games with Boston, hitting .200/.250/.200 with two stolen bases.  He bounced around after that and was never a full-time regular again.

3.  Adam Stern

Stern was a personal favorite of mine since he was a fellow Nebraska Cornhusker, though he is originally from Canada.  Stern had been in the Braves system and had a decent season in Greenville, yet the Braves did not add him to their 40 man roster.  Stern spent the entire 2005 season in Boston, either on the active roster or on the disabled list and ended up appearing in 36 games, hitting .133/.188/.333, though he did get his first home run and stole a base.  That is obviously the problem with the Draft, Stern was clearly not ready and it likely stunted his growth as a player, because he never played more than 10 games in the Majors again.  Stern played in just 10 games with Boston in 2006 and was traded to the Orioles for Javy Lopez (the catcher).    

2.  Lenny DiNardo

The most likely players to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft are relief pitchers, particularly lefties, and DiNardo is a good example.  Selected in the 2003 Draft from the Mets, DiNardo appeared in 22 games over the course of the season, though he was also injured for a time.  He struck out 21 and walked 12 in 27.2 innings and had a 4.23 ERA.  He made it through the season with Boston, was granted free agency and re-signed, and was able to go back to the minors in 2005.  He made it back to Boston later that season and had a 1.84 ERA in eight games, striking out 15 and walking five in 14.2 innings.  He had a rough season in 2006 though, going 1-2 with a 7.85 ERA and a significantly decreased strikeout rate.  DiNardo was reasonably successful with Oakland in 2007 when he was 8-10 with a 4.11 ERA.  He played another season for Oakland and one for the Royals.  

1.  Vaughn Eshelman

It is pretty close between Eshelman and DiNardo for the title here.  DiNardo likely had the best individual season and had the longest Major League career, but Eshelman was ever so slightly better, mostly on the strength of his decent 1995 season.  The southpaw Eshelman was selected in the 1994 Rule 5 Draft from the Baltimore Orioles.  He won his first three Major League games in 1995, only giving up three earned runs in 18.2 innings.  It was a pretty decent start to the season.  He finished the season 6-3 with a 4.85 ERA.  He walked 36 and struck out 41 in 81.2 innings.  He had an identical 6-3 record in 1996, but with a 7.08 ERA.  He was mostly used in relief, making it into 29 games out of the bullpen versus ten starts.  He was then 3-3 with a 6.33 ERA in 1997, again splitting time between the rotation and bullpen.  He was left exposed in the expansion draft and was selected by the Devil Rays, but he never made it back to the Majors.

Unfortunately, the best player Boston selected in the Rule 5 Draft was immediately traded away.  Marwin Gonzalez was selected in the 2011 Draft from the Cubs but was traded to the Astros for someone named Marco Duarte.  Gonzalez has been with Houston ever since and has been a fairly reliable utility player.  In 2015, he hit .279/.317/.442 with 12 home runs and 34 RBIs.  Duarte, who had been a very good pitcher in the Mexican League, never made it to the Majors.  

This season, Boston's Rule 5 selection was Josh Rutledge, an infielder who has already played for Boston the last couple of seasons.  He is expected to be another utility infielder option along with Brock Holt and Marco Hernandez.  They also lost Justin Haley, a pitcher in Pawtucket.  There is a possibility he could be returned.

So, the Rule 5 Draft is not terribly exciting.  Certainly not historically for the Red Sox.  None of these players are household names, and none should be.  It takes a lot of luck for a player from the Rule 5 Draft to turn into a good player.  There have been a few, but Boston has not been that lucky.

Why I am Not a Prospect Collector (The Red Sox and the Draft)

I have been thinking about this quite a bit with the recent issues with players not getting signed who have qualified offers from their previous clubs.  Drafting players is such a crapshoot.  I have been thinking a lot about Boston's top picks in the draft over the years and there are only a handful of players that really panned out that well.  And only one of those top picks really stands much of a shot at a Hall of Fame career.

That has lead me to rank the top picks Boston has had from 1990 (the year before I started collecting) through 2012 by their contributions to the Red Sox, either through their own stats or the player they were traded for.  I did not rank the players since 2013 because none of them have made it to the Majors yet or been traded away.  Their records are too incomplete.  This is a completely subjective ranking based entirely on my own opinions.

1.  DUSTIN PEDROIA (2nd Round, 2004)

His stats may not be as gaudy as #2's, but Pedroia stands the best chance at being inducted into the Hall of Fame when all is said and done.  He has been with Boston since 2006, won the Rookie of the Year in 2007 and the AL MVP in 2008.  He has been to the All Star Game four times, won four Gold Gloves, and one Silver Slugger, and he has been a part of two World Championship teams.  He needs a few more good seasons but he looks to be on his way.  Pedroia, by the way, was a second round pick but was Boston's first pick because they signed Keith Foulke from the Athletics.  Sometimes those second-rounders are just as good as the first-rounders.

2.  NOMAR GARCIAPARRA (1st Round, 1994)

If only he hadn't completely broken down, Nomar might be looking at a better Hall of Fame argument.  He was a monster in Boston, winning two batting titles, the 1997 Rookie of the Year, and making the All Star team five times, but injuries decimated his career and he was traded a few months before Boston finally won the World Series.  The trade worked out well for Boston, getting Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz, who solidified Boston's defense.  He will always be a personal favorite of mine, but he falls just short of #1 on this list due to Pedroia's tenure and two World Championships.

3.  JON LESTER (2nd Round, 2002)

Boston lost their first round pick to Oakland in 2002 as well after signing away Johnny Damon.  Lester made it to Boston in 2006 and was instrumental in helping Boston win World Championships in 2007 and 2013.  Lester was a three-time All Star and finished in the top five in Cy Young Award voting in 2010 and 2014 (when he was traded to Oakland at the trading deadline).  Boston acquired Yoenis Cespedes in trade from Oakland for Lester.

4.  JACOBY ELLSBURY (1st Round, 2005)

Ellsbury was a monster in 2011 and probably should have won the MVP with his 30/30 season (the first ever by a Red Sox player).  But that was his only real great season, and most other years he was merely decent.  He did help Boston to two World Championships though and set a Red Sox record for stolen bases in a season with 70.  Ellsbury lead the league in stolen bases three times.  

5.  TROT NIXON (1st Round, 1993)

Nixon was actually a very good player for a number of years, but might have been better had he been able to hit left-handers and not been injured as often.  Nixon put together some terrific years in the early 2000's and helped Boston immensely in the postseason.  An underrated player, Nixon's contributions were often lost in the shadow of players like Garciaparra, Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez, and David Ortiz.

6.  AARON SELE (1st Round, 1991)

You can tell we are already circling the drain here.  Sele finished third in the Rookie of the Year vote in 1993 and was an injury-prone and inconsistent starter for Boston through the 1997 season.  He looked like a star early on, but injuries derailed him in 1995.  He was traded to Texas for Damon Buford and Jim Leyritz prior to the 1998 season and blossomed into a pretty decent starter for Texas and Seattle.

7.  MATT BARNES (1st Round, 2011)

This is optimistic because Barnes has not done much, but he has done more than the next few guys and he is still with the team with the chance to make the bullpen in 2016.  Boston had four picks early in the 2011 draft and the worst of them was Barnes (the others were Jackie Bradley Jr., Blake Swihart, and Henry Owens).  Barnes made it to the Majors briefly in 2014 and then made it into 32 games in 2015 and showed flashes of brilliance.  He is a dark horse candidate to crack Boston's bullpen this year.

8.  KELLY SHOPPACH (2nd Round, 2001)

And now we are running into players who spent very little time in Boston before getting traded away.  Shoppach was Boston's top pick in 2001 because they lost their first-round pick to Cleveland after signing Manny Ramirez.  Shoppach made it to Boston for all of nine games in 2005 before being traded to Cleveland (oddly) in the Coco Crisp trade.  Shoppach though made it back to Boston after being signed as a free agent to be their backup catcher in 2012 and did fairly well before being traded to the Mets.

9.  DAVID MURPHY (1st Round, 2003)

I grappled with the #8 and #9 picks quite a bit before deciding on their rankings.  Shoppach came back to Boston and played well, whereas Murphy only had his pre-trade stats to go on, and Shoppach's trade resulted in a better player coming to Boston.  Murphy made it into 20 games in 2006 and hit a home run with a .227/.346/.409 line and then came back for three games in 2007.  He was one of the pieces sent to Texas for Eric Gagne (ugh).

10.  DEVEN MARRERO (1st Round, 2012)

Marrero made his Major League debut in 2015 and played in 25 games.  He has a chance to make it back to Boston as a utility player, but is most likely blocked in that department by Brock Holt.  He is blocked around the infield at virtually every position.  He is most likely a defensive specialist, though he did hit a home run last year.  He has the potential to climb this list a little bit.

11.  FRANKIE RODRIGUEZ (2nd Round, 1990)

I remember Rodriguez being a huge deal when I started collecting.  He was supposed to be the next big Red Sox star.  Well, it did not quite work out that way.  Rodriguez made it to the Major Leagues in 1995 and pitched in nine games for Boston, going 0-2 with a 10.57 ERA in just over 15 innings.  He was traded at the trading deadline for Rick Aguilera, who helped solidify Boston's bullpen.

12.  CASEY KELLY (1st Round, 2008)
And now we are getting into players who never actually played for Boston.  Kelly was a very good prospect and looked ready to make the leap to the Major Leagues after the 2010 season, but then he was traded to San Diego in the Adrian Gonzalez trade.  The injuries slowed things down a little bit.  He has made it to the Majors finally but has failed to impress so far.  But he did get Boston one terrific season of Adrian Gonzalez and one half of another good season as well.  That trade also cost Boston Anthony Rizzo though.

14.  NICK HAGADONE (1st Round, 2007)
Hagadone was technically a supplemental first rounder.  Boston lost their top pick to the Dodgers for signing away J.D. Drew.  Not much was ever really expected of Hagadone but he has turned into a fairly reliable middle reliever.  Of course that has occurred after being traded away in midseason 2009 to Cleveland in exchange for Victor Martinez.  That trade also worked out pretty well for Boston.

14.  REYMOND FUENTES (1st Round, 2009)

I never really thought much of Fuentes.  I was taken aback when I saw that Boston drafted him with their first pick.  Unfortunately Mike Trout was taken just two picks ahead of Fuentes.  Tanner Scheppers, Chris Owings, Garrett Richards, and Brad Boxberger were all drafted after Fuentes.  But Fuentes was also used in the Adrian Gonzalez trade, which worked out reasonably well for Boston.  Fuentes made it to the Majors briefly in 2013 but has not made it back since and is now in the Kansas City system.

15.  ADAM EVERETT (1st Round, 1998)

Weirdly, Adam was traded for another Everett, Carl Everett, before the 2000 season.  He was never much of an offensive player, being an elite defensive shortstop, though he never won a Gold Glove.  Everett never played in the Majors before being traded to Houston, but spent several seasons in the big leagues.  Carl Everett though was an All Star in 2000 and then terrible in 2001 and was a bit of a distraction the whole time.

16.  PHIL DUMATRAIT (1st Round, 2000)

Dumatrait was traded to the Reds during the 2003 season in order to acquire Scott Williamson.  Williamson was lights-out in the postseason during the 2003 season, in particular against the Yankees in the ALCS, but had trouble staying healthy.  Dumatrait finally made his Major League debut in 2007 with the Reds and then spent some time in the Majors with the Pirates and Twins.

17.  RICK ASADOORIAN (1st Round, 1999)

Boston's first round pick in 1999 didn't last long in their system before being sent off to St. Louis in a trade for Dustin Hermanson.  Asadoorian was not exactly ripping the cover off the ball and never really came around.  He bounced around the minors for years and eventually started pitching.  But he never did make it to the Major Leagues.  Hermanson pitched in 12 games for Boston in 2002 with a 7.77 ERA.

18.  JOSH GARRETT (1st Round, 1996)

And now we get to players who never played in the Majors, but were not traded before stagnating.  Garrett pitched for several seasons in the minor leagues with Boston but never made it above AA ball.  He also never won more games than he lost and other than a short time after he was drafted, never had an ERA below 4.50.  The best Red Sox player Boston drafted in 1996 was Shea Hillenbrand and Jason Marquis, who had a long career in the Majors, was picked after Garrett in the first round.

19.  JASON PLACE (1st Round, 2006)

Despite some impressive power numbers, particularly in 2008, Place just never developed enough as a hitter to make it past AA ball.  Injuries may have played a role.  Place was eventually released and picked up by the Yankees but continued to struggle and was out of baseball by 2012.  Justin Masterson and Daniel Bard (another first-rounder) are two players from the 2006 draft class that made more of an impact in Boston.  I personally wanted Boston to draft Joba Chamberlain because he was from Nebraska, but Chris Coghlan was a first-rounder who was more successful in the Majors drafted after Place.

20.  KOLBRIN VITEK (1st Round, 2010)

It is hard to imagine now but Vitek was considered an elite prospect when he was drafted.  He was one of the top college hitters available that year.  Unfortunately, after a very good season in Class A in 2011, Vitek stagnated and never made it past AA.  Boston's most successful draft pick from 2010 is Brandon Workman so far, though Sean Coyle has been impressive in the minors.  Boston missed out on Christian Yelich, Taijuan Walker, and Noah Syndergaard in picking up Vitek, though they had two other first-round and supplemental picks.  Bryce Brentz and Anthony Ranaudo have both made it to the Major Leagues, albeit not as full-time Major Leaguers, yet.

21.  JOHN CURTICE (1st Round, 1997)

Curtice was a bit of a wild child and a free spirit when he was drafted out of high school.  He also never progressed above High-A ball despite encouraging seasons in 1997 and 1998.  Injuries probably played a part in this.  He was out of baseball by 2001 at just 21 years of age.  This was a bad draft class for Boston.  Only Angel Santos spent any time with the big league club, although David Eckstein was the most successful draftee of the year for Boston.  They were pretty foolish in letting him go on waivers.  Players picked after Curtice in the first round included Adam Kennedy, Jayson Werth, and Jack Cust.

22.  TONY SHEFFIELD (2nd Round, 1992)

No relation to Gary, Tony Sheffield never made it above High-A ball.  He never stole more than 11 bases, nor hit better than .263.  He was a complete bust.  Boston lost their first-round pick to the Mets due to the free agent signing of Frank Viola.  Lou Merloni was probably Boston's best draft pick that year, which really shows how bad this draft was for Boston.  Jason Giambi was picked just two spots behind Sheffield.  Ouch.

23.  ANDY YOUNT (1st Round, 1995)
Yount might have made it, but we will never know.  After visiting the grave of a friend who died senselessly in an accident, he squeezed a bottle in anger so tightly that it shattered lacerating several tendons in his pitching hand.  Several surgeries later and Yount was eventually released.  He attempted a comeback a few years later in the Tigers system, but never made it above High-A.  He pitched in just 13 games in the Red Sox system.  Boston's most successful signee in 1995 was Paxton Crawford, so yet another bad draft.  Juan Pena looked to be a star but injuries ended his career.  Boston drafted Pat Burrell but he did not sign.  Roy Halladay was picked just two places after Yount.

Since 2012, Boston's top picks were Trey Ball, Michael Chavis, and Andrew Benintendi, respectively.  Ball and Chavis have struggled, though it is still too early to give up on them entirely.  Benintendi, on the other hand, looks like he could make it to the Majors sooner, rather than later.  It is obvious that a variety of things can happen to make drafting top talent an iffy proposition.  That is why I think teams frequently over-value their draft picks and why I don't spend a ton of time and money collecting players before they make it to the Major Leagues.

Red Sox Year by Year Hall of Famers

I was curious as to which Hall of Famers played for the Red Sox each year.  Here is the breakdown:

1901: Jimmy Collins, Cy Young
1902: Jimmy Collins, Cy Young
1903: Jimmy Collins, Cy Young
1904: Jimmy Collins, Cy Young
1905: Jesse Burkett, Jimmy Collins, Cy Young
1906: Jimmy Collins, Cy Young
1907: Jimmy Collins, Tris Speaker, Cy Young
1908: Tris Speaker, Cy Young
1909: Jack Chesbro, Tris Speaker
1910: Harry Hooper, Tris Speaker
1911: Harry Hooper, Tris Speaker
1912: Harry Hooper, Tris Speaker
1913: Harry Hooper, Tris Speaker
1914: Harry Hooper, Babe Ruth, Tris Speaker
1915: Harry Hooper, Herb Pennock, Babe Ruth, Tris Speaker
1916: Harry Hooper, Herb Pennock, Babe Ruth
1917: Harry Hooper, Herb Pennock, Babe Ruth
1918: Harry Hooper, Babe Ruth
1919: Harry Hooper, Waite Hoyt, Herb Pennock, Babe Ruth
1920: Harry Hooper, Waite Hoyt, Herb Pennock
1921: Herb Pennock
1922: Herb Pennock
1923: NONE
1924: Red Ruffing
1925: Red Ruffing
1926: Red Ruffing
1927: Red Ruffing
1928: Red Ruffing
1929: Red Ruffing
1930: Red Ruffing
1931: NONE
1932: NONE
1933: Rick Ferrell
1934: Rick Ferrell, Lefty Grove, Herb Pennock
1935: Joe Cronin, Rick Ferrell, Lefty Grove
1936: Joe Cronin, Rick Ferrell, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Heinie Manush
1937: Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Rick Ferrell, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove
1938: Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove
1939: Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Ted Williams
1940: Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Ted Williams
1941: Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Ted Williams
1942: Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams
1943: Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Al Simmons
1944: Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr
1945: Joe Cronin
1946: Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams
1947: Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams
1948: Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams
1949: Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams
1950: Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams
1951: Lou Boudreau, Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams
1952: Lou Boudreau, George Kell, Ted Williams
1953: George Kell, Ted Williams
1954: Ted Williams
1955: Ted Williams
1956: Ted Williams
1957: Ted Williams
1958: Ted Williams
1959: Ted Williams
1960: Ted Williams
1961: Carl Yastrzemski
1962: Carl Yastrzemski
1963: Dick Williams, Carl Yastrzemski
1964: Dick Williams, Carl Yastrzemski
1965: Carl Yastrzemski
1966: Carl Yastrzemski
1967: Carl Yastrzemski
1968: Carl Yastrzemski
1969: Carlton Fisk, Carl Yastrzemski
1970: Carl Yastrzemski
1971: Luis Aparicio, Carlton Fisk, Carl Yastrzemski
1972: Luis Aparicio, Carlton Fisk, Carl Yastrzemski
1973: Luis Aparicio, Orlando Cepeda, Carlton Fisk, Carl Yastrzemski
1974: Carlton Fisk, Juan Marichal, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski
1975: Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski
1976: Carlton Fisk, Fergie Jenkins, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski
1977: Carlton Fisk, Fergie Jenkins, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski
1978: Dennis Eckersley, Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski
1979: Dennis Eckersley, Carlton Fisk, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski
1980: Dennis Eckersley, Carlton Fisk, Tony Perez, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski
1981: Dennis Eckersley, Tony Perez, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski
1982: Wade Boggs, Dennis Eckersley, Tony Perez, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski
1983: Wade Boggs, Dennis Eckersley, Jim Rice, Carl Yastrzemski
1984: Wade Boggs, Dennis Eckersley, Jim Rice
1985: Wade Boggs, Jim Rice
1986: Wade Boggs, Jim Rice, Tom Seaver
1987: Wade Boggs, Jim Rice
1988: Wade Boggs, Jim Rice
1989: Wade Boggs, Jim Rice
1990: Wade Boggs
1991: Wade Boggs
1992: Wade Boggs
1993: Andre Dawson
1994: Andre Dawson
1995: NONE
1996: NONE
1997: NONE
1998: Dennis Eckersley
1999: NONE
2000: NONE
2001: NONE
2002: Rickey Henderson
2003: NONE
2004: NONE
2005: NONE
2006: NONE

Some notes:

1.  I only went through 2006 because players who retired after 2006 are not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame.

2.  Red Ruffing only pitched in eight games in 1924 and never really hit his stride as a good pitcher until after he was traded to the Yankees.

3.  Joe Cronin only played in three games in 1945, his last season as a player.

4.  Jack Chesbro, Heinie Manush, Al Simmons, Juan Marichal, Tom Seaver, and Rickey Henderson were all well past their prime before joining the Red Sox.  None of them were regular players or played all that much.  Henderson was still useful as a backup outfielder however.

5.  Waite Hoyt was just getting his career started when he was with the Red Sox.

6.  Dick Williams is in the Hall of Fame as a manager, not as a player.

7.  The years with no current Hall of Famers are 1923, 1931, 1932, 1995-1997, 1999-2001, and 2003-2006.  There are no potential Hall of Famers in 1923, 1931, or 1932 to be elected by the Veterans Committee.  Roger Clemens still has a shot at being elected covering 1995 and 1996.  Pedro Martinez will likely be elected covering 1998-2004.  Curt Schilling looks like a decent shot for 2004-2007.  That leaves 1997.  I would still argue that Nomar Garciaparra stands a chance given his dominance at a prime position from 1997-2003.  From 2008 forward, Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz look like outside shots.

Catchers

I have always been partial to catchers. It's probably due to the fact that a catcher's job is markedly different and much more difficult than perhaps any other position. A catcher is in charge of calling the pitches and keeping an eye on the baserunners. He is also the last obstacle between a baserunner and scoring a run. It could also be the cool equipment.

Anyway, as a Red Sox fan and a fan of catchers in general, I always keep a close eye on the player behind the plate. I have been paying close attention since 1991. In that time, Boston has had a number of different starting catchers and backups. Out of pure boredom, I wanted to look at them.

THE STARTERS:
TONY PENA
Tony Pena was the Red Sox starting catcher when I first started paying attention to baseball. Pena was not much with the bat, but he was a tremendous defensive catcher with a strong throwing arm. Beyond that, he had such an interesting catching stance that it was hard not to be intrigued by him. Pena won the Gold Glove in 1991 as the best fielding catcher in the league that year.

DAVE VALLE
Dave Valle was brought to the Red Sox for the 1994 season. Pena was allowed to leave as a free agent the prior year and Valle was supposed to be his replacement. Valle had a reputation as having a decent bat, but not being a real great defensive catcher. But in Boston, he was not able to contribute on either side of the plate. He was ultimately traded to Milwaukee after 30 games for Tom Brunansky.

DAMON BERRYHILL
Damon Berryhill, like Dave Valle, was acquired for the 1994 season. Unlike Valle, Berryhill was able to stick through the year. He was also not a great hitter, although he did bat .263/.312/.416/.727 with six home runs. Adequate numbers for a more defensive position. Berryhill was not a terribly effective defensive catcher though and did not hit well enough to make up for it. He was gone after the year.

MIKE MACFARLANE
Longtime Royal Mike Macfarlane was the next player brought in to be the starting catcher. Macfarlane also lasted only one year with Boston, but he brought significantly more home run power. His 15 home runs in 1995 were the most by a Red Sox catcher since Rich Gedman hit 16 in 1986. Unfortunately that was about the only part of his offensive game that was an improvement. He did catch 35% of runners attempting to steal, the best mark by a Red Sox catcher since Pena.

MIKE STANLEY
Next up was Mike Stanley who was one of the best players the Red Sox took from the Yankees in decades. Stanley had been an All Star with New York when he hit 26 home runs in 1993. He almost matched his power numbers in his first year with Boston, hitting 24 home runs with a slash line of .270/.383/.506/.889. Unfortunately, he was not nearly as impressive behind the plate and the next year became a first-baseman/designated hitter.

SCOTT HATTEBERG
Scott Hatteberg was the first starting catcher developed by the Boston Red Sox since Gedman. Hatteberg came up at the end of 2006 and became the starting catcher in 2007. Hatteberg had the rare ability in catchers to draw a lot of walks. With Boston, his OBP was an impressive .357. Hatteberg's problem though was his inability to throw out baserunners, his caught-stealing percentage was a low 21%.

JASON VARITEK
When it was determined that Hatteberg simply could not throw out runners attempting to steal, Jason Varitek became the starting catcher. Varitek was acquired in a terrific trade with the Seattle Mariners in 1997 and quickly became a rising star. Varitek could draw a walk, hit with power, and was a strong defensive catcher. Injuries curtailed his promising career somewhat in 2001 and it took until 2003 before he started to really impress again. He was a 3-time All Star, Boston's first All Star catcher since Gedman, won a Silver Slugger, and a Gold Glove. He has caught a record four no-hitters, and is considered a great game-caller. He gracefully moved to a backup role in 2009. Varitek will one day be in the Red Sox Hall of Fame.

VICTOR MARTINEZ
Victor Martinez was acquired in a blockbust deadline deal from Cleveland in 2009. Boston wanted a better hitter behind the plate as Varitek's best days were behind him. Martinez certainly qualified. Though he had a little trouble with throwing out runners early in 2010, Martinez's bat carried him. He batted .313/.368/.497/.865 with 28 home runs and 120 RBIs in his short season and a half with Boston. He was not brought back after 2010 due to his expense and the unlikelihood that he would be able to continue at catcher.

JARROD SALTALAMACCHIA
Jarrod Saltalamacchia was long coveted by the Red Sox front office. Theo Epstein saw an opportunity to acquire him at the deadline in 2010 and swooped in, giving up three minor leaguers with little chance of developing into stars to the Texas Rangers in one of the quieter moves of the deadline. Saltalamacchia did not play much in 2010 and started off very slowly in 2011. Since then, he has started to come into his own. He currently has 13 home runs and has become a much better defender as the season has worn on. One of the great questions is whether Saltalamacchia will continue to have a chance in Boston due to the development of Ryan Lavarnway.

THE BACK UPS:
JOHN MARZANO
Hard to imagine but at one point John Marzano was a first round draft pick. I am not sure he really fulfilled the expectations of the front office. Marzano was a serviceable backup for several years with the Red Sox, though it was not until 1990 that he really stuck with the big league club. He did not have a lot of power outside of hitting five home runs in 1987, his first chance with the team. He was an adequate defensive catcher and that is the only thing that kept him with the team. After being released by Boston in 1993, he did not make it back to the Major Leagues until 1995.

BOB MELVIN
Bob Melvin became the backup to Tony Pena in 1993 after Marzano was released. Melvin was a journeyman catcher with the Tigers, Giants, Orioles, and Royals before joining Boston. Melvin really did not provide much more than a warm body behind the plate in his short time with Boston. He was not particularly good at any aspect of the game. He and Pena provided pathetic offense at the position in 1993.

RICH ROWLAND
Rich Rowland was acquired in a challenge trade of young catchers from Detroit. Boston gave up John Flaherty who had some promise but had yet to harness it. Rowland was already 30 and a career minor leaguer to that point, but he had some power. Rowland hit nine home runs as the backup catcher in 1994 with a .483 slugging percentage. His defense was decent as he caught 36% of attempted base stealers. Unfortunately he did not hit at all in 1995 and was quickly forgotten.

BILL HASELMAN
Bill Haselman, the longtime Rangers backup and Nolan Ryan's personal catcher, came to Boston after the 1994 season and cemented the backup catcher position. Haselman was decent with the stick and adequate behind the plate. He hit .252/.313/.409/.722 in parts of four seasons. He once hit a broken-bat home run over the Green Monster in left. He started the 1997 season as the starting catcher before injuries caught up with him. At the time, he was among the league leaders in doubles, but did not play much the rest of the year. After the year he was traded to Texas. He returned briefly in 2003.

DOUG MIRABELLI
Doug Mirabelli is perhaps the most famous backup catcher in Red Sox history. Acquired in 2001 when Jason Varitek went down with an injury and Scott Hatteberg's throwing problems became too glaring, Mirabelli settled into a decent role. He had a good year in 2001, hitting .270/.360/.518/.877 with nine home runs down the stretch. He became Tim Wakefield's personal catcher with his ability to catch the knuckleball and was one of the best-hitting backup catchers for several years. He and Varitek made quite the pair. Mirabelli put up am .893 OPS in 2004. His bat slowed after that, but he was still highly-regarded. He was traded after the 2006 season, but was re-acquired after Josh Bard could not catch a knuckleball and was famously police-escorted to the ballpark to catch Wakefield. He was released for good prior to the 2008 season.

KEVIN CASH
During the 2007 season, Kevin Cash proved he too could catch the knuckleball. Cash was not much of a hitter but became the backup catcher for the 2008 season after Mirabelli was released. Cash was a better defensive catcher than Mirabelli and at the point was a bit more reliable with the bat. He hit a dramatic postseason home run for the Red Sox during the ALCS against Tampa Bay. He moved on to the Yankees after the season but returned briefly during the 2010 season.

GEORGE KOTTARAS
Originally acquired from the Padres in 2006 when the Red Sox traded David Wells, it took Kottaras until 2008 to make his Major League Debut. He became the principal backup in 2009 when he also showed the ability to catch Wakefield's knuckler. Kottaras did not hit much, hitting only .237/.308/.387/.696 with one home run, but he was a decent defensive catcher. He developed a bit more power after being selected off waivers by the Brewers.

Feature: Relatives to Play for Red Sox

With the Red Sox recent signing of Tony Pena Jr. to a minor league contract, I wondered how many relatives have played with the Red Sox. I also wondered who the best family to play for the Red Sox is.

Here are the results:

BROTHERS:
Marty Barrett: 9 years, .278/.338/.347/.684, 17 home runs, 311 RBIs, 57 stolen bases
Tommy Barrett: 1 year, 3 at-bats, 0 hits

Roy Carlyle: 2 years, .311/.345/.454/.798, nine home runs, 65 RBIs
Cleo Carlyle: 1 year, .234/.324/.345/.669, one home runs, 28 RBIs

Tony Conigliaro: 7 years, .267/.331/.488/.819, 162 home runs, 501 RBIs
Billy Conigliaro: 3 years, .269/.329/.461/.740, 33 home runs, 98 RBIs

Rick Ferrell (HOF): 5 years, .302/.394/.410/.804, 16 home runs, 240 RBIs
Wes Ferrell: 4 years, 62-40, 4.11 ERA, 17 home runs

Alex Gaston: 2 years, .223/.277/.285/.562, 2 home runs, 30 RBIs
Milt Gaston: 3 years, 27-52, 3.95 ERA, 215 Ks

Johnnie Heving: 5 years, .268/.315/.326/.641, 0 home runs, 68 RBIs
Joe Heving: 3 years, 31-11, 3.83 ERA, 132 Ks

Long Tom Hughes: 2 years, 23-10, 2.69 ERA, 127 Ks
Ed Hughes: 2 years, 3-2, 4.78 ERA, 11 Ks

Roy Johnson: 4 years, .313/.386/.458/.844, 31 home runs, 327 RBIs, 48 stolen bases
Bob Johnson: 2 years, .302/.395/.476/.872, 29 home runs, 180 RBIs

Pedro Martinez: 7 years, 117-37, 2.52 ERA, 1,683 Ks, 0.978 WHIP
Ramon Martinez: 2 years, 12-9, 5.70 ERA, 104 Ks

Ed Sadowski: 1 year, .215/.284/.333/.618, 3 home runs, 8 RBIs
Bob Sadowski: 1 year, 1-1, 5.40 ERA, 11 Ks

FATHER/SON
Ed Connolly: 4 years, .178/.239/.229/.469, 31 RBIs
Ed Connolly Jr.: 1 year, 4-11, 4.91 ERA, 73 Ks

Dick Ellsworth: 2 years, 16-7, 3.07 ERA, 110 Ks
Steve Ellsworth: 1 year, 1-6, 6.75 ERA, 16 Ks

Walt Ripley: 1 year, 0-0, 9.00 ERA, 0 Ks
Allen Ripley: 2 years, 5-6, 5.36 ERA, 60 Ks

Haywood Sullivan: 4 years, .150/.245/.226/.471, 3 home runs, 10 RBIs
Marc Sullivan: 5 years, .186/.236/.258/.494, 5 home runs, 28 RBIs

Smoky Joe Wood: 8 years, 117-56, 1.99 ERA, 989 Ks
Joe Wood: 1 year, 0-1, 6.52 ERA, 5 Ks

GRANDFATHER/GRANDSON
Shano Collins: 5 years, .271/.302/.366/.668, 5 home runs, 168 RBIs
Bob Gallagher: 1 year, 5 ABs, 0 hits

UNCLE/NEPHEW
Dom Dallessandro: 1 year, .231/.351/.293/.643, 11 RBIs
Dick Gernert: 8 years, .252/.352/.436/.788, 101 home runs, 377 RBIs

I think the winner is between the Conigliaros, the Ferrells, and the Johnsons.

Feature: WAR League Leaders

Today's feature, Red Sox players who lead the league in WAR:

POSITION PLAYERS
1995 John Valentin 8.5
1988 Wade Boggs 8.7
1987 Wade Boggs 9.1
1986 Wade Boggs 8.6
1970 Carl Yastrzemski 9.1
1968 Carl Yastrzemski 10.1
1967 Carl Yastrzemski 12.2
1951 Ted Williams 6.5
1947 Ted Williams 10.3
1946 Ted Williams 11.8
1942 Ted Williams 11.0
1941 Ted Williams 11.3
1938 Jimmie Foxx 7.5
1919 Babe Ruth 10.6
1912 Tris Speaker 11.0

What we take away from this is that John Valentin had a hell of a year that went almost completely unnoticed in 1995. Wade Boggs was a lot more valuable than people really realized, and Yaz was amazing in 1967.

PITCHERS
2000 Pedro Martinez 10.1
1999 Pedro Martinez 8.4
1992 Roger Clemens 7.9
1991 Roger Clemens 7.5
1990 Roger Clemens 9.5
1987 Roger Clemens 8.4
1979 Dennis Eckersley 6.8
1966 Earl Wilson 5.3 (pitched with Detroit as well)
1957 Frank Sullivan 6.3
1949 Mel Parnell 8.0
1942 Tex Hughson 5.6
1936 Lefty Grove 8.9
1935 Lefty Grove 7.7
1902 Cy Young 8.9
1901 Cy Young 11.2

Pedro Martinez was as good as we suspected and Roger Clemens was better. I was surprised that Clemens did not lead in 1986, his 24-4 season. The big surprise here is Frank Sullivan, an underrated pitcher in the 1950's. I am also surprised by the absence of Babe Ruth and Smoky Joe Wood.

OVERALL LEAGUE LEADERS
1999 Pedro Martinez (lead Majors)
1995 John Valentin
1992 Roger Clemens
1988 Wade Boggs (lead Majors)
1987 Wade Boggs (lead Majors)
1986 Wade Boggs (lead Majors)
1970 Carl Yastrzemski
1968 Carl Yastrzemski
1967 Carl Yastrzemski (lead Majors)
1951 Ted Williams
1949 Ted Williams
1947 Ted Williams (lead Majors)
1946 Ted Williams (lead Majors)
1942 Ted Williams (lead Majors)
1941 Ted Williams (lead Majors)
1938 Jimmie Foxx
1919 Babe Ruth (lead Majors)
1916 Babe Ruth
1903 Cy Young
1901 Cy Young (lead Majors)

For three years, Wade Boggs was the best player in the Major Leagues, that's kind of surprising.

Feature: Red Sox Stars from 1920-1932

The Red Sox were pretty terrible in the years 1920 through 1932. That was the year after the sale of Babe Ruth to the Yankees through the year before Tom Yawkey took over the team. It was a time of inconsistency, although Boston did have some bright spots.

Here are some of the best individual seasons from the years 1920-1932.

1920: Boston finished fifth (72-81)
OF Harry Hooper: .312/.411/.470/.881 with seven home runs, 16 stolen bases, 17 triples, and 53 RBIs
C/OF Wally Schang: .305/.413/.450/.862 with four home runs, 51 RBIs
OF Tim Hendryx: .328/.400/.413/.814 with 73 RBIs
OF Mike Menosky: .297/.383/.393/.776 with three home runs, 23 stolen bases, and 71 RBIs
SP Herb Pennock: 16-13 with a 3.68 ER

1921: 75-79 (fifth)
2B Del Pratt: .324/.378/.461/.839 with five home runs, 102 stolen bases, and only ten strikeouts
SP Sad Sam Jones: 23-16 with a 3.22 ERA
SP Bullet Joe Bush: 16-9 with a 3.50 ERA

1922: 61-93 (eighth)
OF Joe Harris: .316/.364/.478/.842 with six home runs and 54 RBIs
2B Del Pratt: .301/.361/.427/.788 with six home runs, 86 RBIs
1B George Burns: .306/.341/.446/.787 with 12 home runs, 73 RBIs
SP Jack Quinn: 13-16 with 3.48 ERA
SP Rip Collins: 14-11 with 3.76 ERA

1923: 61-91 (eighth)
OF Joe Harris: .335/.406/.520/.925 with 13 home runs, 76 RBIs
1B George Burns: .328/.386/.470/.856 with seven home runs, 82 RBIs
OF Ira Flagstead: .312/.380/.455/.835 with eight home runs, 53 RBIs
SP Howard Ehmke: 20-17 with 3.78 ERA, 121 strikeouts
SP Jack Quinn: 13-17 with 3.89 ERA

1924: 67-87 (seventh)
OF Ike Boone: .337/.404/.497/.901 with 13 home runs, 98 RBIs
1B Joe Harris: .301/.406/.430/.835 with three home runs, 77 RBIs
OF Ira Flagstead: .307/.401/.421/.823 with five home runs, 43 RBIs
OF Bobby Veach: .295/.359/.426/.785 with five home runs, 99 RBIs
SP Howard Ehmke: 19-17, 3.46 ERA, 119 strikeouts
SP Jack Quinn: 12-13, 3.27 ERA
SP Alex Ferguson: 14-17, 3.79 ERA

1925: 47-105 (eighth)
OF Ike Boone: .330/.406/.479/.885, nine home runs, 68 RBIs
OF Roy Carlyle: .326/.365/.496/.862, seven home runs, 49 RBIs
SP Howard Ehmke: 9-20, 3.73 ERA

1926: 46-107 (eighth)
OF Ira Flagstead: .299/.363/.429/.792, three home runs, 31 RBIs
SS Topper Rigney: .270/.395/.377/.772, four home runs, 53 RBIs, 103 BBs

1927: 51-103 (eighth)
OF Ira Flagstead: .285/.374/.401/.775, four home runs, 69 RBIs
SP Slim Harriss: 14-21, 4.18 ERA

1928: 57-96 (eighth)
OF Doug Taitt: .299/.350/.434/.784, three home runs, 61 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, 14 triples
3B Buddy Myer: .313/.379/.390/.769, one home run, 44 RBIs, 30 stolen bases
OF Ken Williams: .303/.356/.413/.769, eight home runs, 67 RBIs
OF Ira Flagstead: .290/.366/.392/.758, one home run, 39 RBIs, 12 stolen bases
SP Ed Morris: 19-15, 3.53 ERA, 104 strikeouts
SP Red Ruffing: 10-25, 3.89 ERA, 118 strikeouts
SP Jack Russell: 11-14, 3.84 ERA

1929: 58-96 (eighth)
OF Jack Rothrock: .300/.361/.408/.769, six home runs, 59 RBIs, 24 stolen bases
SP Danny MacFayden: 10-18, 3.62 ERA
SP Milt Gaston: 12-19, 3.73 ERA

1930: 52-102 (eighth)
OF Earl Webb: .323/.385/.523/.908, 16 home runs, 66 RBIs
SP Milt Gaston: 13-20, 3.92 ERA, 99 strikeouts

1931: 62-90 (sixth)
OF Earl Webb: .333/.404/.528/.932, 14 home runs, 103 RBIs, 67 doubles (record)
SP Danny MacFayden: 16-12, 4.02 ERA, 74 strikeouts

1932: 43-111 (eighth)
1B Dale Alexander: .372/.454/.524/.978, eight home runs, 56 RBIs
OF Roy Johnson: .298/.378/.484/.862, 11 home runs, 47 RBIs
OF Smead Jolley: .309/.345/.480/.825, 18 home runs, 99 RBIs

In addition, 1B Phil Todt had some decent power and led the team in home runs during this time period. Todt hit 52 home runs for the Red Sox from 1924 through 1930 and was the best power threat in those years. His other numbers were not as impressive though.

Boston had some decent hitters and a few decent pitchers, but this was a very lean time. While the Yankees were lead by power hitters such as Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, the top home run season for the Red Sox during this time was Smead Jolley's 18.

Feature: From Yankees to Red Sox

The Yankees and Red Sox have been in competition for players for a long time. Even when there is a player that one team does not want, they tend to make things difficult for the other team to get him. Recent examples include Carl Crawford, Cliff Lee, and others. The teams have also often signed players away from the other team. The Yankees have had a bit more success than the Red Sox in this regard, taking Johnny Damon and Wade Boggs away from the Red Sox in the last twenty years. Some Yankees players have left that team to join the Red Sox, and here are some of the most recent such players:

MIKE TORREZ
Mike Torrez was a Yankee for part of one season, in 1977. He was part of the purge of the Oakland Athletics and was traded to the Yankees for Dock Ellis and a couple of other players. Torrez turned in a fine season, going 14-12 with a 3.82 ERA and 90 strikeouts. After the season, Torrez signed a free agent contract with the Red Sox and spent five seasons for them. His first two seasons were his best as he won 16 games in each of them. Unfortunately, injuries took their toll. Torrez delivered the pitch that Bucky Dent hit over the Green Monster to take the one game playoff in 1978.

DON BAYLOR
Prior to the 1986 season, the Red Sox and Yankees traded designated hitters with the Red Sox sending Mike Easler to New York for Don Baylor. Baylor was pretty good in 86 as he hit .238/.344/.439/.783. Baylor crushed 31 home runs and drove in 94 runs. He was also wildly popular in the clubhouse. Easler put up a better slash line, but less than half as many home runs and fewer RBIs.

RICK CERONE
Rick Cerone joined the Red Sox as a backup catcher after his second stint with the Yankees. Cerone had not been a valuable starter in several years, but he spent most of his two years with the Red Sox as a starter since incumbent Rich Gedman was suffering through injuries. Cerone hit .255/.323/.352/.675 with the Red Sox. Cerone later returned to the Yankees for a third time in 1990.

MIKE STANLEY
Mike Stanley won a Silver Slugger for the Yankees in 1993 after hitting 26 home runs and was an All Star in 1995. In 1996, Stanley joined the Red Sox and had a great year as the Red Sox catcher. He hit .270/.383/.506/.889 with 24 home runs. In 1997, Stanley also played first base and designated hitter and was again putting up big numbers. He was traded back to the Yankees late in the season for Jim Mecir and Tony Armas, Jr., who was later packaged to the Expos for Pedro Martinez. Stanley returned to the Red Sox the next year in a midseason trade with the Blue Jays, and he continued his hot hitting.

DAVID CONE
David Cone had transformed into a finesse pitcher while with the Yankees and won 20 games in 1998 and even pitched a perfect game. He had a horrendous year in 2000, losing 14 games with an ERA of 6.91. He left the Yankees to try to resurrect his career with the Red Sox in 2001. He went 9-7 with a 4.31 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 135.1 innings. A decent year, but Cone continued to have injury problems.

RAMIRO MENDOZA
Ramiro Mendoza was a big part of the Yankees bullpen for the dynasty years of 1998-2001. He left the Yankees for a free agent contract with the Red Sox in 2003 and spent two seasons in the Red Sox bullpen. Inconsistency and injuries were a problem for Mendoza. His ERA in 2003 was 6.75. He improved considerably in 2004 but was limited due to injuries and did not pitch in the postseason. He returned to the Yankees in 2005.

JOHN OLERUD
John Olerud was picked up late in the 2004 season by the Yankees, but he did not produce much for them. He was let go as a free agent after the season. The Red Sox picked him up in May to platoon with Kevin Millar at first base. Olerud played 87 games with the Red Sox and hit .289/.344/.451/.795 with seven home runs in his last hurrah as a Major Leaguer.

Feature: Red Sox for About 5 Minutes

A lot of players have played for the Red Sox. But there are some players that have been signed to the Red Sox that never actually played in a Major League game with them. Sometimes players are acquired in trade and immediately traded away. Sometimes players are picked up and sent to the minors, but just never make it to the Majors.

Let's look at some of these surprising players, who for about five minutes, were Boston Red Sox:

ROGER PECKINPAUGH
Roger Peckinpaugh was a great shortstop during the Dead Ball Era for the Yankees. He was even the league's MVP in 1925 when he was with the Washington Senators, though that was a few years after his very brief stint with the Red Sox. Peckinpaugh had a very good 1919 for the Yankees, hitting .305/.390/.404/.794, good numbers for a middle infielder at the time. Peckinpaugh was traded to the Red Sox as one of the better pieces the team acquired when they were trading their best players to the Yankees in the early 1920's. Peckinpaugh was acquired along with Rip Collins, Bill Piercy, Jack Quinn and $100,000.00 for Bullet Joe Bush, Sad Sam Jones, and Everett Scott in 1922. It was one of the few decent deals for the Red Sox, as Quinn was the best player from that point on. It would have looked even better had the Red Sox actually kept Peckinpaugh, but two weeks later, they shipped him off to Washington for Jumpin' Joe Dugan and Frank O'Rourke. Of course a few months into the season, the Red Sox would trade Dugan, a fine player in his own right, to the Yankees.

ROLLIE FINGERS
The story of Rollie Fingers's very brief stint with the Red Sox in 1976 is well-known. The Oakland Athletics were having money problems and owner Charles Finley was attempting to purge the team to help. Finley sold Fingers, one of the league's top relievers and a future Hall of Famer, along with Joe Rudi to the Red Sox for $1 million apiece. Just a few days later, Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn voided the sales as "against the best interests of baseball". Fingers and Rudi were in uniform at one game, but never appeared. If they had, perhaps things would have been different. Rudi eventually played for the Red Sox in 1982, but Fingers never did.

TOM HENKE
I remember this vividly, but I cannot for the life of me find anything about what happened. I had a newspaper article from late 1992 that stated the Red Sox had signed both Henke and Andre Dawson. But the deal must have fallen through or something and Henke later signed with the Texas Rangers. I was upset because I was only 12 and I really liked Henke with the Blue Jays and was looking forward to seeing him with the Red Sox.

SAMMY SOSA, KEVIN APPIER, and JOHN WETTELAND
After the Players' Strike of 1994 began, several free agents switched teams. But later, it was decided that the free agent contracts would be voided and contract negotiations disallowed. Sammy Sosa, Kevin Appier, and John Wetteland had all signed free agent contracts with the Red Sox that were voided as a result. Link.

BOB HAMELIN
The former Rookie of the Year with the Kansas City Royals was basically washed up, but was brought to Spring Training with the Red Sox in 1999. This sometimes happens with players. He was signed with the hope of replacing some of the lost offense of Mo Vaughn. He never made it out of Spring Training with the Red Sox.

MARTY CORDOVA
See above for Bob Hamelin. Cordova was the Rookie of the Year the year after Hamelin. Cordova though, at least was able to continue in a reserve role for a number of other teams after his failed tryout with the Red Sox in 2000.

QUILVIO VERAS
The former speedster Quilvio Veras was picked up by the Red Sox in late August 2001 as a free agent after a couple of injury-plagued seasons. He played only three games in AAA Pawtucket that year due to continuing injury problems. But hey, he has a Red Sox baseball card despite not playing a single game at the Major League level with the Red Sox.

MIKE GONZALEZ
He was not a well-known player at the time, but he has had some big years out of the bullpen recently. In 2002, Gonzalez and Scott Sauerbeck were acquired by the Red Sox from Pittsburgh for Brandon Lyon and Anastacio Martinez. Sauerbeck was the big piece and Gonzalez had not yet appeared in the Majors. He was sent to AAA Pawtucket. A little more than a month later, the Pirates discovered some problems with Lyon's shoulder and the Red Sox, in order to appease them, returned Gonzalez in exchange for Lyon and Martinez as part of a larger deal that also resulted in Boston trading Freddy Sanchez and getting Jeff Suppan. This really did not work out well for Boston as Sanchez went on to become an All Star and batting champ, and neither Suppan nor Sauerbeck pitched well for Boston down the stretch. At least Lyon was included in the Curt Schilling deal.

CHARLES JOHNSON
The former All Star and great defensive catcher Charles Johnson was acquired along with Chris Narveson in a trade by the Red Sox from the Colorado Rockies for pitcher Byung Hyun Kim. It was a salary dump and Johnson was released the same day. He later found his way to Tampa Bay, but his career was basically over.

GUILLERMO MOTA and ANDY MARTE
Reliever Guillermo Mota and third-baseman Andy Marte were acquired in different trades in the offseason after 2005 and then traded away in the same deal. Mota was acquired along with Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell from Florida for Hanley Ramirez, Anibal Sanchez, Jesus Delgado, and Harvey Garcia. Marte was one of the top prospects in the game when he was traded from the Braves to the Red Sox for Edgar Renteria. Both players were packaged a short time later with Kelly Shoppach and a player to be named later for Coco Crisp, David Riske, and Josh Bard.

HEE-SEOP CHOI
Hee-Seop Choi carried a lot of hype for years in his time with the Cubs, Marlins, and Dodgers. He was supposed to be a big power hitter, but never managed to stay on the field long enough to reach his full potential. When the Dodgers tired of this, they placed him on waivers and the Red Sox took a flyer. He never made it out of AAA for Boston though.

CARLOS DELGADO
The former big-time slugger with Toronto, Florida, and New York, was signed late in the 2010 season after coming off of an injury. He began rehabbing in Pawtucket, but was injured again and never appeared in a Major League game with the Red Sox.