As the authoritative
Baseball America points out, the surprising
World Champion Red Sox were able to go from worst to first by adding seven free agents
without sacrificing one chip in their stellar farm system. That may be
Ben Cherington's lasting 2013 legacy—a ring
and an intact organization. The publication goes on to list the top ten prospects in Boston's system—headlined by
Xander Bogaerts,
Henry Owens and
Jackie Bradley, Jr. The team's organizational depth is impressive at nearly every spot on the diamond—but starting pitching, catching and the left side of the infield (which allowed for the
Jose Iglesias deal) are particularly rich. Kudos to Cherington (a guy whose tenure
preceded this ownership group) for setting up this franchise for both short and long-term success.
