Here is this week’s original content from MLB Trade Rumors’ writing staff and contributors:
- MLBTR contributor Chuck Wasserstrom looked back at the Red Sox’ 2005 draft, in which Jason McLeod and Theo Epstein selected Jacoby Ellsbury, Clay Buchholz and Jed Lowrie, all of them first-round picks. “We knew having all those picks early … we had the ability to diversify the portfolio, so to speak, where you could take some high-impact riskier high school kids, college performers that you felt really good about with athletic upside, and a junior college guy like Clay Buchholz,” says McLeod.
- Tim Dillard (a.k.a. @DimTillard) takes us on a minor-league road trip in his latest Inner Monologue, explaining why he owns over 400 hotel pens and relating a memorable story about the parallels between plane turbulence and R.A. Dickey’s knuckleball.
- Jeff Todd reviewed the Rangers’ 2013 signing of Elvis Andrus to an eight-year extension that, unusually for the time, gave the shortstop two opt-out opportunities.
- Steve Adams polled MLBTR readers about the Phillies’ closer situation. 41% of you think Joaquin Benoit should close games for the Phillies, edging out Hector Neris (39%).
- MLBTR’s Offseason In Review series continued with Jeff breaking down the Nationals, Mark Polishuk on the Reds and Dodgers, and myself on the Rangers.
Epstein should have named that draft the Glass house. All 3 were made of it and still are., the there was Boras always sending Ells to the Glass house to hide either real (or imaginary) injuries until he cashed in on that mammoth deal with the Yankees and continues his glass ways.
Imaginary injuries?