Pair Of Red Sox Prospects Reportedly Poached By Same Japanese Team
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The Boston Red Sox are in the process of losing some organizational depth due to an aggressive overseas team that appears to have spent plenty of time scouting the WooSox.
The Hanshin Tigers, a member of the Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball League, are expected to sign outfielder Johan Mieses and right-hander Brian Keller according to the Yakyu Cosmopolitan, a source that translates NPB news into English.
Mieses hit .271 with 27 extra-base hits including 15 home runs, 35 RBIs and a .923 OPS in just 60 games for Triple-A Worcester last season. At 27 years old, the slugger was not exactly a top prospect for the Red Sox, but has been an intriguing depth piece, showcasing his raw power and solid bat-to-ball skills since joining the organization ahead of the 2020 season.
Keller, 28, is quite the diamond in the rough. He's not exactly a highly-touted prospect but has posted two strong seasons in a row. The former 39th-round pick in the 2016 Major League Baseball draft went 6-5 with a 3.27 ERA, 126-to-53 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a .200 batting average against in 113 innings for the WooSox last season. He posted a 2.77 ERA in the season prior for the Yankees Triple-A affiliate.
Of the two players, Keller appears to be the bigger loss.
The same source noted that the Tigers also are interested in right-hander Phillips Valdez, another former member of the Red Sox organization.
Valdez is the most notable name of the trio, as he appeared in 65 games for Boston over the course of the last three seasons, posting a lackluster 4.67 ERA but showed flashes of brilliance.
None of these potential losses will cripple the Red Sox organization, but they all have proven to be solid players that would have enhanced the depth of the team had they stayed for the 2023 season. Instead, they will all reunite in the NPB.
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