Sox Get Whitlock in Rule 5 Draft (12/10/20)

The Rule 5 draft rarely ever gets you an important puzzle piece for your team moving forward but this may be the exception for the Boston Red Sox. Today the Sox selected New York Yankees pitching prospect Garrett Whitlock in the draft. The 24 year old is a flamethrowing right handed pitcher who can hit 95 on the gun and throws a pretty good sinker. For some reason the Yankees didn't think he was developing fast enough even though a whole year was wiped out due to COVID. The Sox are desperate for young starting pitching and he was on the fast track to Triple A and possibly a September call-up if 2020 didn't go up in smoke. Getting him could be the steal of the century if he pans out the way the Yankees thought he would when he was drafted in the fourth round of the 2018 draft.

In lesser news, the Sox also selected 23 year old infielder Tyreque Reed from the Texas Rangers and 28 year old career minor leaguer Kaleb Ort from the Yankees. Reed is a power hitting first basemen that's built like a tank and he either hits it out or not at all. He lost a year of development due to COVID but was with Texas' High A team by the end of 2019. If nothing else maybe he'll hit a few homers for Salem or Greenville this coming season.

Ort is a career minor league journeyman who's best season was in 2018 as a reliever for the Trenton Thunder at age 26. If he doesn't get cut in Spring Training, maybe he'll fill out some depth in Worcester when the minor league season starts.....if there is one.

Bottom line is the Sox picked up 2 more young prospects in Whitlock and Reed, whether or not they develop or not is anyone's guess but at least Sox GM Chaim Bloom is trying to build something here.

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