Off Day News: 2023 Draft Revisited (6/26/25)

Its an off day and since we're under three weeks away from the MLB Draft, its time to take a look at former Red Sox GM Chaim Bloom's final draft back in 2023.

1st Round - C Kyle Teel

The Red Sox scored with their first round pick, 14th overall in Virginia University catcher Kyle Teel. He made an immediate impact driving in 20 runs in 23 games between the Greenville Drive and Portland Sea Dogs to end 2023. In 2024 he was part of the "Goldust Trio" with Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony hitting 13 home runs and driving in 78 runs between Portland and the Worcester Red Sox. Then he was shipped out along with Chase Meidroth, Wilkeman Gonzalez and 2024 first round pick Braden Montgomery to the Chicago White Sox for ace pitcher Garrett Crochet. Teel slugged his way through AAA then made his Major League debut on June 6th for Chicago. Currently he's hitting .250 with no home runs but there's still 3 months left in the year. Ex-Sox GM Chaim Bloom scored with this pick and current Sox GM had to trade him to get the ace the Sox needed. Its business.

Currently - Chicago White Sox

2nd Round - SS Nazzan Zanatello

One of the reasons the Red Sox have a lack of depth at first base and catcher is Chaim Bloom drafting nothing but shortstops in the top 50 for 4 consecutive years. Nazzan Zanatello was taken in the second round out of Christian Brothers High School and hit just .156 for the Salem Red Sox last year in his first professional season. This year with the Greenville Drive he's hitting just .174 but with 5 home runs and 27 rbis. He's only 20 years old so he's got time to get his bat on the ball more often. I won't bother comparing him with other draft picks of the round because that would be unfair, maybe next year.

Currently - Greenville Drive

3rd Round - SS Antonio Anderson

Once again, Chaim Bloom took another high school infielder in an early round when he took North Atlanta High School shortstop Antonio Anderson in the third round. He hit just .186 for Salem last year but with 5 home runs and 34 rbis. This year he had 29 hits in 84 at-bats to get promoted to Greenville where he's currently hitting .252 with 2 home runs. He turns 20 in two days so the jury is still out on him as well, no sense comparing him to other draft picks yet.

Currently - Greenville Drive

4th Round - RHP Matt Duffy

The Sox didn't take their first pitcher until the fourth round when they tabbed Canisius University right handed pitcher Matt Duffy. Duffy had a 4.32 ERA his senior year in 14 starts and pitched in just 3 games to finish 2023. Last year his record was just 4-5 but had a 2.83 ERA in 21 starts for the Salem Red Sox. Unfortunately he had Tommy John surgery in March and won't pitch this year. Hopefully he'll bounce back next year.

Currently - Full Season Injured List

4th Round Compensation - SS Kristian Campbell

Talk about the end of one era starting another. When the Red Sox lost Xander Bogaerts to the San Diego Padres, they got an extra pick in the fourth round. Bloom scored when he picked Georgia Tech shortstop Kristian Campbell. The 22 year old (23 in two days) hit .306 for Greenville last year with 8 home runs before getting promoted to Portland. He hit 8 home runs and drove in 35 runs to finish the season. If the "Goldust Trio" was Kyle Teel, Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony, then Kristian Campbell was not far behind. As it was, he was the first to make his MLB debut as a torrid hot streak in spring training had Kristian on the opening day roster. He tore it up in April becoming one of the top rookies, but faltered in the last two months dropping to a .223 batting average. He got demoted to Worcester where he's only hitting .200, but there's still time to turn it around. Still, even if he stays in Worcester for the next few months, at least he got to the dance. That's more than a lot of others in his draft class will say.

Currently - Worcester Red Sox

4th Round Compensation - SS Justin Reimer

The Sox received another fourth round compensation pick for losing Nathan Eovaldi to the Texas Rangers and selected yet another shortstop in Wright State's Justin Reimer. Reimer was a crapshot because he tore his ACL for Wright State before the draft and played in just 38 games for the Florida Complex Sox and Salem to end 2024. This year so far he's hitting .229 with no home runs in 39 games for Greenville. That's not good, especially when you're supposed to sacrifice average for power. He was never a power guy in college so his average better improve soon.

Currently - Greenville Drive

5th Round - LHP Connelly Early

Bloom finally got his head out of his ass and took a left handed pitcher in the fifth round, Virginia University's Connelly Early. Early went 12-3 for the Cavaliers but pitched in just 1 game for Salem to end the season. Last year he had some bad luck going 1-6 for Greenville in 15 starts but with a 3.72 ERA, earning a promotion to Portland. He was 2-3 with a 4.50 ERA to end the season. This year he's arguably been Portland's best pitcher, going 6-2 with a 2.70 ERA. The Sox haven't drafted a great lefty since Jon Lester, maybe Early will be the next one. Time will tell.

Currently - Portland Sea Dogs

6th Round - RHP CJ Weins

In the sixth round, the Sox took right handed pitcher CJ Weins out of Western Kentucky University. He was 0-2 with a 4.81 ERA last year for Salem when he was traded just before the trade deadline to the Detroit Tigers for veteran reliever Trey Wingenter. Weins began to pitch better, going 1-0 with a 2.20 ERA for the Lakeland Flying Tigers and 1-1 with a 1.69 ERA for the Western Michigan Whitecaps. He finished 2024 with the Erie Seawolves allowing 1 run in 3 innings. This year he's 3-0 with a 3.26 ERA for the Whitecaps and appears to be knocking on the door to AA again. Its too bad the Sox gave up his career for less than a month of Wingenter.

Currently - Western Michigan Whitecaps

7th Round - OF Caden Rose

In the 7th round, the Sox took Alabama University outfielder Caden Rose. Rose finished 2024 hitting .187 for Greenville but with 4 home runs. This year so far he's hitting just .162 in 56 games, albeit with 5 home runs. That's not gonna get it done, especially with other outfielders in the system such as James Tibbs and "The Password" coming up. He better start making some contact or he might be out of here in a year or two.

Currently - Portland Sea Dogs

8th Round - RHP Trennor O'Donnell

In the 8th round, the Sox tabbed right handed pitcher Trennor O'Donnell out of Ball State University. Trennor was 3-7 with Salem with a 4.00 ERA last year when he had shoulder surgery in July to end his season. This year he's 1-3 with a 4.70 ERA for Salem which isn't good. He turned 24 on June 6th so it'll be worth it to keep him around another year, but struggling to get Low A batters out is concerning. Worse yet, four picks after O'Donnell was chosen, the Milwaukee Brewers took Indiana University pitcher Craig Yoho. Craig made his debut for the Milwaukee Brewers on April 21st and is currently dominating AAA with the Nashville Sounds. This might be an oops when all is said and done.

Currently - Salem Red Sox

9th Round - RHP Blake Wehunt

The Sox once again drafted a mediocre pitcher when they took right handed pitcher Blake Wehunt in the ninth round. He was 4-4 with a 4.83 ERA for Kennesaw State before rising through the ranks in 2024. He was 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA for Salem but was 1-6 with a 4.42 ERA for Greenville. He ended the season pitching a game for Portland. This year he's 2-6 with a 3.72 ERA for Portland. The ERA is starting to look better but he turns 25 in November. He better get to Worcester real quick because other pitchers are going to pass him by.

Currently - Portland Sea Dogs

10th Round - LHP Ryan Ammons

It was a case of give up something to get something when it comes to 10th round pick, left handed pitcher Ryan Ammons out of Clemson University. Ammons never played a minor league game for the Sox before he was traded in December for current Sox reliever Justin Slaten. Slaten has been one of their reliable bullpen arms the last two seasons while Ammons is 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA for the Brooklyn Cyclones in the New York Mets system. He's 24 years old at High A, but at least he looks like he has High A figured out. Still, the Sox would rather have Slaten for sure, nothing against Ammons.

Currently - Brooklyn Cyclones

11th Round - OF Nelly Taylor

In the 11th round, the Sox tabbed Polk State University outfielder Nelly Taylor. He looked pretty good last year when he belted 8 home runs and drove in 54 runs between Salem and Greenville before starting this season in Greenville. He's currently hitting .242 but with 5 home runs so far. The power is there, hopefully he can get that average up to make it to Portland. Time well tell on this one.

Currently - Greenville Drive

12th Round - RHP Max Carlson

The Sox selected North Carolina University right handed pitcher Max Carlson with their 12th round pick. Carlson looked like another bum as he was 5-2 with a 5.45 ERA in college, but turned it around in the pros. He was 5-1 with a 2.81 ERA and 6 saves out of the bullpen for Salem last year before going 1-1 with a 2.31 ERA for Grenville to end the season. This year he's slipped going 3-1 with a 4.08 ERA in 36 games. Still, he's only 23 and might pick it back up as the season goes on. The problem is, 9 picks after Carlson, the Seattle Mariners took current starting pitcher Logan Evans who's 3-2 with a 2.97 ERA for Seattle. Carlson has some work to do.

Currently - Greenville Drive

13th Round - RHP Cade Feeney

Life isn't fair for 13th round pick, right handed pitcher Cade Feeney out of North Dakota State University. He was 0-1 with a 3.66 ERA for the Greenville Drive last season before he had Tommy John surgery in October, knocking him out of this season. Let's see if he bounces back in 2026.

Currently - Greenville Drive

14th Round - LHP Jojo Ingrassia

In the 14th round, the Sox went with Cal State Fullerton left handed pitcher Jojo Ingrassia. He utterly dominated Salem in 2024 going 3-1 with a 1.85 ERA in 21 games. The problem was he missed the rest of the season due to an elbow injury. This year in Greenville he's 0-2 with a 3.18 ERA in just 17 innings. Let's see what he looks like when his elbow is properly healed.

Currently - Greenville Drive

15th round - OF Phoenix Call

The Sox first "did not sign" didn't occur until the 15th round when they took Calabasas High School outfielder Phoenix Call. Call ended up going to play college ball for the UCLA Bruins. He just finished his sophomore year at second base and hit .256 with 31 rbis. Not exactly eye popping numbers but then again. he's only a sophomore. He might get drafted at the end of next year or at least in 2027.

Currently - NCAA

16th Round - RHP Isaac Stebens

The Sox finally drafted a pitcher with good stats when they chose right handed pitcher Isaac Stebens out of Oklahoma State University. Stebens had a good showing last season, allowing just 1 earned run in 11 innings for Salem before going to Greenville where he was 3-3 with a 3.68 ERA. This year he's Greenville's closer, going 2-0 with a 1.97 ERA with 6 saves. Good closers are hard to find so hopefully he can keep this up when he reaches Portland.

Currently - Greenville Drive

17th Round - OF Dylan Schlaegel

The next non-signee was in the 17th round when the Sox took Legacy High School outfielder Dylan Schlaegel out of Texas. He chose to play college ball for Dallas Baptist instead. This season he hit .250 with 1 home run and 8 rbis in just 24 games. Maybe the Sox dodged a bullet with him not signing, but it was still a wasted draft pick.

Currently - NCAA

18th Round - LHP Zach Fogell

In the 18th round, the Sox took left handed pitcher Zach Fogell who had a miserable college experience. His first year at Brown in 2019 sucked and not only did Covid wipe out 2020, famously the Ivy League refused to play in 2021 as well. Fogell could have been drafted in 2022 but instead due to heavy rust, he went 0-4 with a 6.46 ERA. He transferred to UConn for 2023 to finish out his career and dominated, going 8-1 with a 1.89 ERA. Fogell ended 2023 not allowing an earned run for the Complex or Salem. Last year he was 5-2 with a 3.32 ERA for Greenville and this year he's allowed just 7 earned runs in 16 innings for the Drive. A promotion to Portland is imminent, just a question of when.

Currently - Greenville Drive

19th Round - OF Stanley Tucker

What a sad turn of events for 19th round pick, outfielder Stanley Tucker. He had just 10 hits in 67 at-bats for the Complex and Salem in 2023 after being chosen out of Texas A & M University. Last year he hit just .195 with 2 home runs for Salem. Some pundits thought he'd have a breakout in 2025, instead he hurts his wrist in Spring Training and hasn't played since. With the draft less than a month away, this was a crucial year of developing he's missing. Its a shame, can't fault a guy for being hurt but he wasn't playing well even before that.

Currently - Salem Red Sox

20th Round - RHP Robert Orloski

With the final pick in the 20th round, the Sox took Middleton High School right handed pitcher Robert Orloski from the state of Idaho. Orloski didn't sign with the Sox and chose to go to college at University of Texas San Antonio. He was 3-5 with a 5.94 ERA his freshman year but turned it around to go 8-0 with a 3.36 ERA with 9 saves out of the bullpen. He could be the UTSA closer next year which will greatly improve his draft stock. He would have made 150 grand if he signed with the Sox, maybe he'll make more next year. Either way, another wasted pick.

Currently - NCAA

Undrafted Rookie Free Agent - 1B Drew Ehrhard

Back in 2021, the Red Sox drafted Florida prep school shortstop Zach Ehrhard who ended up not signing with the Sox. Two years later, the Sox signed his older brother Drew out of Tampa University as a rookie free agent. Drew played 21 games for the Portland Sea Dogs last year and did hit .265 with 2 home runs. This year playing with his brother, Drew is hitting .245 with 2 home runs in 33 games. For a guy who wasn't even drafted, getting some playing time and getting some hits here and there in AA is further than a lot of guys drafted will reach. Keep fighting, Drew.

Currently - Portland Sea Dogs

Undrafted Rookie Free Agent - RHP Cooper Adams

Another undrafted crap shot the Sox took was right handed pitcher Cooper Adams out of Mt. St Mary's College where he was 8-3 but with a 5.03 ERA. He was 2-5 with a 5.08 ERA last year for Greenville and this year he's 2-3 with a 4.35 ERA for Greenville so far. He may not be putting up eye popping numbers but he's not getting lit up either. Other undrafted and late round picks in previous years couldn't even say that. Let's see how long he can hang, keep on trucking Cooper.

Currently - Greenville Drive.

Of the 22 players the Sox selected or signed, 3 never signed, 1 is currently in the majors, 1 made the majors but is currently in AAA, 12 are in High A, 3 are in Single A and 2 are in AA. Chaim Bloom's final draft produced two major leaguers in just two years and time will tell on the rest. Connelly Early is currently the one out of this group with the most potential to join Kristian Campbell and Kyle Teel but others might step up as well. Chaim Bloom's legacy does include Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, Kyle Teel, Niko Kavadas, Nick Yorke, Chase Meidroth, Kristian Campbell, Luis Guerrero and Hunter Dobbins already in the majors so it wasn't a total loss. Unfortunately drafting nothing but infielders in the first few rounds every year came back to bite the big club in the pitching department. Having to sacrifice Meidroth, Yorke, Teel and Kavadas for pitching is the price you pay for mistakes like that. Hopefully Craig Breslow doesn't make the same mistake next month.