Why Did The Red Sox Not Protect Thad Ward?
This is a decision that we cannot forget about. Why did the Red Sox not protect Thad Ward? I don’t have an answer for you and I’m not sure the Red Sox do either. Ward was the first pick in the 2022 Rule 5 Draft by the Washington Nationals. I just can’t seem to fathom why the Sox were okay with losing him for nothing.
Sox Prospects is a really good resource for following along with Boston’s farm system. For those who keep track of the Red Sox prospects like I do, you know that Ward is a starting pitcher that shouldn’t have just been thrown in the trash. Yes, he’s struggled with injuries in the past but those seem to be behind him.
Ward, 25 (soon to be 26 in January), has pitched in the Arizona Fall league this Winter and showed out in a big way. The fastball doesn’t blow you away at 91-94 mph but his slider (81-85 mph) has some late life to it. He’s someone that projects to be a 4-5 starter at the MLB level.
Yes, the Sox have a lot of these back end starter types. At that same token, you can never have too many arms. Ward is listed as Boston’s 15th overall prospect and just lost him for nothing. There were obvious solutions that could have been taken here. Why not DFA Ryan Brasier, Kaleb Ort, or Josh Taylor to make sure you didn’t lose him?
Better yet, why not trade Ward at the deadline? Are you telling me nobody would have taken a guy that was just picked first overall in the Rule 5? Say whatever you want about Chaim Bloom but it’s very clear he’s a prospect hoarder. Either way, it’s bad asset management.
All I’m going to say is the Red Sox better be right here. If Ward turns into a guy that provides valuable innings for Washington in their rotation, it’s a decision that needs to be held against this Bloom led front office.
