45 New Cards

Today's trade from TCDB contained 45 new Red Sox cards, and a lot of thoughts. 

1.  Roman Anthony.  Anthony finally made his return to the Red Sox lineup on Sunday and has returned to the form that he showed last season, rather than the slow start he was going through at the beginning of this season.  It will be massively helpful to have his bat back in the lineup, particularly if he is going to produce the way he has.

2.  Franklin Arias.  That didn't take long to add a relic of Arias.  It's not often I get a relic of a player before they even play in the Majors.

3.  Mickey Hall.  Hall was the Red Sox second round pick in the 2003 draft out of high school.  Unfortunately, he never made it to the Majors.

4.  Johnny Damon.  I was looking at 20/20 players recently.  Damon did it as a member of the Yankees, but not with the Red Sox.  The closest he came was in 2004 when he hit 20 home runs, but stole 19 bases.  

5.  Shea Hillenbrand.  Hillenbrand is one of the more random players to be an All Star twice.  He was an All Star with the Red Sox in 2002 when he hit .293/.330/.459 with 18 homers and 83 RBIs and then in 2005 with the Blue Jays.

6.  Keith Foulke.  Foulke had an argument to be the World Series MVP in 2004 when he appeared in all four games, saving one and winning one while striking out eight batters in five innings.  He had a 1.80 ERA.

7.  Roger Clemens.  Clemens was the second of five Red Sox to win the All Star Game MVP in 1986.  That game, he started and pitched three perfect innings, striking out two and getting the win.  There must have been different rules for determining the winning pitcher.

8.  Xander Bogaerts.  The closest Bogaerts came to MVP was fifth in voting in 2019.  That year, he hit .309/.384/.555 with 190 hits, 52 doubles, 33 home runs and 117 RBIs.  It was by far his greatest offensive season.  He won the Silver Slugger and was an All Star.  

9.  Roger Clemens.

10.  Jim Rice.  Rice was probably the first player I remember arguing passionately about for the Hall of Fame.  He took until his 15th year on the ballot to get elected.  He was the third player to wear a Red Sox cap on his plaque since I started watching baseball.  I just missed Carl Yazstrzemski, so the first one was Carlton Fisk in 2000 and then Wade Boggs in 2005.  

11.  Tony Perez.  Perez was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2000, the same year as Carlton Fisk, meaning we had a player from each side of the legendary 1975 World Series elected at the same time.  Which is really cool, but also not the first time that that specific thing happened.  In 1989, both Carl Yastrzemski and Johnny Bench were elected at the same time.

12.  Terry Francona.  One of these years Francona will get elected to the Hall of Fame.  But he has to retire first.  Since he's currently managing the Reds, it won't be real soon.

13.  Jim Rice.

14.  Franklin Arias.

15.  Terry Francona.

16.  Juan Valera.  With the trade of Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, Valera has become Boston's top pitching prospect.  He is still in A-ball though, so he is a ways away.

17.  Yordanny Monegro.  Monegro has had difficulty staying on the field.  He has been a top prospect in the past, but his stock has fallen greatly due to injuries.  Hopefully he can repair his position.

18.  Jedixson Paez.  Paez was taken by the White Sox in the Rule V Draft coming into this season.  I remember a White Sox fan getting pissed at me for speculating that it was likely he would be returned to Boston.  I was right as Paez was not close to ready for the Majors after appearing in three disastrous games.  Tonight, he made his debut in Boston, and showed he is still not close to ready.

19.  Lucas Giolito.  Giolito had a nice season for the Red Sox in 2025 after missing the entire 2024 season due to injury.  I thought he should have been given a chance to come back, but Boston went with Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez instead, which has worked out fine.  Giolito has struggled this season.

20.  Roman Anthony.

21.  Roman Anthony.

22.  Kristian Campbell/Marcelo Mayer.  Here we have two players who were expected to be a big part of the next core for the Red Sox.  A lot has changed.  Campbell seems stuck in the minors, though he has been playing much better lately, and Mayer was traded away.  

23.  Aneudis Mateo.  I remember getting a bunch of cards of Mateo in 2003.  He never made the Majors.  I think he was one of the players who turned out to be older than he claimed at some point.  

24.  Richard Fitts.  Fitts was acquired in the trade with the Yankees that sent Alex Verdugo to New York.  He was then traded away in the deal that brought Sonny Gray to Boston.  In the middle, he had some decent performances, going 2-5 with a 3.97 ERA in 15 games.  He has yet to appear with the Cardinals.

25.  Zach Penrod.  Penrod pitched in just seven games with the Red Sox in 2024, but had a 2.25 ERA.  I am not really sure why he never made it back to the Majors.

26.  Alex Bregman.  I promise I still have a One-Year Wonder post coming for Bregman.  He is one of the better ones, but it won't be enough to unseat Adrian Beltre.

27.  David Hamilton.  Hamilton started the year off hot for the Brewers after being involved in the deal that brought Caleb Durbin to Boston.  He has cooled off, but is still a valuable bench player, especially with his speed.  He stole 34 bases for the Red Sox in 2024.

28.  Cy Young.  The namesake of the pitching award, Young pitched the first no-hitter in Red Sox history, and still the only perfect game in Red Sox history.  

29.  David Ortiz.  This card actually celebrates the 2004 ALCS.  I thought this set was just for World Series victories, so I was a little surprised by this.  

30.  Alex Bregman.

31.  Ceddanne Rafaela.  It's always fun when a Rafaela card sneaks into a big trade package.

32.  Walker Buehler.  I really had high hopes for Buehler when he came to Boston.  After his 2024 World Series performance, I thought he would be a good mid-rotation starter.  He was terrible in Boston though.

33.  Jarren Duran.  Duran could become a 20/20 man this season.  He is currently one home run and two stolen bases away.  The stolen bases SHOULD be easy to get.

34.  Romy Gonzalez.  After his great season in 2025, Gonzalez has been slowed by injuries all season.  He came back briefly, but struggled and is in the minors currently.  Hopefully he rebounds next season.

35.  Payton Tolle.  Tolle has pitched really well this year.  I don't know why he is getting no hype as a potential Rookie of the Year candidate.  I don't think he should win, but he should be mentioned more.

36.  Roger Clemens.

37.  Payton Tolle.

38.  Franklin Arias.

39.  Andruw Monasterio.  This is my first Monasterio card.  He was acquired in the deal with the Brewers along with Caleb Durbin and Anthony Seigler that sent Kyle Harrison, David Hamilton and Shane Drohan to Milwaukee.  Monasterio has had some big clutch hits this season.  He has been much better offensively than I thought he would, though he is prone to errors in the field, particularly at shortstop.

40.  Ranger Suarez.  This is my first Suarez card.  Suarez has struggled lately, but he was an All Star this season after signing a big free agent contract.  Injuries have taken a toll.  Hopefully he can right the ship soon.

41.  Garrett Crochet.  Crochet has missed a huge chunk of the season due to injury after finishing second in the Cy Young vote last year.  

42.  Jhostynxon Garcia.  Garcia was a big prospect, but with a crowded outfield, he was sent to Pittsburgh before the season for Johan Oviedo and Tyler Samaniego.

43.  Aroldis Chapman.  Chapman could be a Hall of Famer when all is said and done.  I think he will wear a Reds cap on his plaque, but if he pitches a couple more years in Boston and keeps up the way he has been pitching, it could make things interesting.

44.  Antonio Anderson.  Anderson was a third-round pick in the 2023 draft and was paid overslot.  He is 21 and in High-A, but he has been playing reasonably well.  Tough to say where he may go at this point.  I don't think it is likely he will make the Majors, but things could change.

45.  Justin Riemer.  Riemer was a fourth-round pick in the 2023 draft and was traded in December for Ryan Watson.

I Got a New Scanner

Now, my pictures of cards will be much clearer.  I don't have to take pics on my phone anymore.  I had an Office Space moment with my previous printer/fax/scanner.  Those that know what I am talking about, know.  It kept jamming.  Much like the printer in Office Space.  It had it coming. 

Is Ceddanne Rafaela the team MVP this year?  I think there is a very good argument that he is.  He leads the team in WAR, though it's been a lot closer lately with Wilyer Abreu.  He leads the league in doubles, and is among the top ten in average and hits.  He is playing his typical elite defense.  If he finishes strong, there is no doubt he is right up there.  I have not been getting as many of his cards lately (though this post would seem to argue otherwise) just because his stuff is in higher demand.

1.  Kevin Youkilis.  I love it when Panini thinks outside the box a little bit for player selection.  Youkilis was a very good player for several years, but he's pretty far removed from Hall of Fame-worthy.  It's a lot of fun to see him make it into a recent set though.  He was certainly a fan favorite.  He won a Gold Glove and was an All Star a few times, and he was in the top ten in MVP voting twice.

2.  Franklin Arias.  It's safe to say Arias is going to be getting a lot of cards soon.  Boston's top prospect hasn't made his Major League debut yet, but if his minor league play translates in the Majors, he is going to be exciting. 

And here are a bunch more Ceddanne Rafaela cards to round out the post.  

2001 Fleer Red Sox 100th

 

NAME: Boo Ferriss

POSITION: Starting Pitcher

WHY IS HE HERE? Ferriss was one of the two top pitchers on the team during the 1946 season in which the Red Sox steamrolled their way to the World Series.  His Major League debut was delayed a bit due to service in World War II, but he won 20+ games in each of this first two seasons and finished in the top ten in the MVP vote both years.  

WOULD I PUT HIM IN IN 2001?: Yes.

ANY BETTER CHOICES IN 2001?: Any of the better choices are already here.

WOULD I PUT HIM IN NOW?: Yes.

ANY BETTER CHOICES NOW?: Of course there are other pitchers that should be in, but Ferriss was a big part of the team at a certain point. In order to tell a full history of the team, he has to be in.  He was one of the aces of a team that went to the World Series and that means something.

The Worst Red Sox Team of All Time Pt. 38: Johnny Watwood

Failure is often even more fascinating than success. I am definitely intrigued by the 1932 Boston Red Sox, the worst Red Sox team of all time. The team finished with a record of 43-111, for a winning percentage of .279 and very little went right.

Watwood had a couple good years with the White Sox in the early 1930's, including hitting .302 in 1930.  He played a variety of positions, including first base and center field.  He started the 1932 season still with the White Sox, but after playing 13 games, he was sent to the Red Sox as part of the trade that brought Smead Jolley to Boston.  The full details were Watwood, Jolley, Bennie Tate and $75,000.00 to the Red Sox for Charlie Berry and Jack Rothrock.  Watwood finished the 1932 season with the Red Sox.

Unfortunately for Boston, Watwood was not very good in 1932.  After a couple of seasons of decent hitting lines, he hit just .248/.301/.289.  He also had a power outage, not homering and contributing just eleven doubles.  He stole seven bases and walked 20 times versus eleven strikeouts, but that was about the most positive thing about his season.  

Watwood played in only 13 games in 1933 and his numbers were awful.  In May, he was traded along with Marv Olson to the Yankees for Dusty Cooke, a deal that worked out much better for Boston.  Watwood never played for the Yankees and later appeared in a couple games with the Phillies in 1939 after several years in the minor leagues.    

Donruss Elite Blaster

A few days after my three-blaster purchase, I went back and the only thing available was Donruss Elite.  And so I grabbed one.  Chances were pretty low on this.  I think there were only 32-40 cards in the entire thing.  But, as with most Panini products, I tend to have decent luck. 

I said before I seem to be pulling a lot of Marcelo Mayer cards.  It's kind of annoying since he is no longer with the team, but I never turn down Red Sox cards.  Obviously.  This is the Green Disco parallel.  So, my one Red Sox card was not even a base card, it was a parallel.  I will definitely take that.

A Bunch of Trades

Just putting a few trades together in one post here. 

1.  Eduardo Rodriguez.  E-Rod is having a great year this year.  Unfortunately, it's for Arizona.  He was always one of my favorites.  I thought after his 19-win, 200+ strikeout season in 2019, he was finally going to break out, but he missed the 2020 COVID season and was good but not great in 2021 and 2022 before leaving as a free agent.

2.  Jeter Downs.  Downs was a casualty of the lost 2020 season.  Losing an entire year of development was brutal for him.  He was supposed to be the top prospect in the Mookie Betts trade.

3.  Masataka Yoshida.  Yoshida is quietly having a nice season.  He has one more year on his contract, which has largely been a miss.

4.  Garrett Crochet.  Crochet has been injured most of the season, but the team has survived with the emergence of Payton Tolle in particular, as well as great seasons from Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez.

5.  Nomar Garciaparra.  I am very curious to see how Nomar does on an Eras Committee.  I think he is close to being eligible.  Maybe by the time the next Today's Game Era Committee meets again.  

1.  Triston Casas.  Casas hasn't played since early in 2025 and hasn't played a whole season since his rookie year in 2023.  It's a shame.  His power could really come in handy on this team.

2.  Pedro Martinez.  It's always fun to add another Martinez card.

3.  Cy Young.  I like it when card companies dip back into the turn of the 20th century for players.  I would love to see a company release a set with throwback designs and cover all players from this era.  Let's see Bill Dinneen, Buck Freeman, Chick Stahl, Jimmy Collins and other great Boston players from that era.

4.  Chris Sale.  I think it is safe to say that Sale is back on track for the Hall of Fame.  The question is which hat will he wear on his plaque?  He seems like a good one to have a blank cap because he has been great for three teams.  This card celebrates his strikeout of Manny Machado to win the 2018 World Series.

5.  Manny Ramirez.  Ramirez was the 2004 World Series MVP, the first Red Sox player to win the award.

6.  Kristian Campbell.  Campbell has been showing up a lot in my posts lately.

1.  John Valentin.  Valentin remains one of the most underrated players in Red Sox history.  He was never an All Star, though he did win a Silver Slugger.  He probably should have won a Gold Glove.  For Boston, he hit .281/.361/.460 with 121 home runs as an infielder.

2.  John Valentin.  Yep, two Valentin cards in one trade.

3.  Brian Rose.  Another reason to be skeptical of prospects.  There was a time when Brian Rose was Boston's top prospect.  He had a 5.86 ERA in his Major League career.

1.  Tanner Houck.  Houck is another player whose Major League career has been on hold for over a year.  He had Tommy John surgery last year.  He might be getting close to a return.  He was an All Star in 2024.

2.  Joe Wood.  Smoky Joe Wood has one of the greatest pitching seasons in Red Sox history in 1912 when he was 34-5 with a 1.91 ERA and 258 strikeouts in 344 innings pitched.  Unfortunately, arm injuries (most likely stemming from overuse) derailed his career.

3.  Josh Taylor.  Taylor was a great southpaw in the Red Sox bullpen in 2019 and 2021.  He was traded to the Royals for Adalberto Mondesi (Raul Mondesi's son), but the trade was a bust for both teams.  Taylor was terrible in Kansas City and Mondesi never played for the Red Sox due to injuries.

4.  Wade Boggs.  Boggs is obviously a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he was actually kind of underrated.  Modern analytics would have identified him as one of the best players in the game, but because he played in the 1980's, his lack of power kept him out of that conversation.  He had an OPS of .890 during his time in Boston.

5.  David Ortiz.  An All Star card of Ortiz.  He was an All Star ten times.  All with the Red Sox.

6.  Payton Tolle.  I think I am going to be getting a lot of Tolle cards from now on.  I just really like him.  I'm definitely glad Boston kept him.  He has a lower floor, but a higher ceiling than Connelly Early.

7.  Jarren Duran.  I want Duran to succeed, but I do think it would be better for all parties if he is traded this offseason.  Boston could use the roster spot and Duran could use a fresh start.

Closing things out with a Ceddy mini.  

Three Blaster Break

A few weeks ago I managed to walk into my local Walmart apparently immediately after they stocked the trading cards.  There were quite a few brands to choose from.  Knowing that this was unlikely to last, I decided to grab three blasters, one from each of three sets.  And it was a shockingly decent result from each blaster.

Up first is Bowman: 

1.  Hector Ramos.  This is my first card of Ramos.  According to Sox Prospects, Ramos is Boston's 28th ranked prospect.  The middle infielder was an international free agent in 2025.  It may be awhile before we really start hearing much about him.  

2.  Justin Gonzales.  This is the big one from this.  First off, it's a Mojo Refractor, and secondly, Gonzales has become a big-time prospect.  He is now Boston's #2 prospect and he has prodigious power.  He is a massive human at 6'6" and 270 lbs.  Boston turned down requests for him in deals so he seems ticketed for the team soon.

3.  Nelly Taylor.  Taylor was an 11th-round pick for the Red Sox in 2023.  He is not rated at this time.  He is in Double-A at this time.

Up next is Topps Series 2:

1.  Wilyer Abreu.  Abreu seems headed on his way to a third Gold Glove Award.  His advanced defensive metrics have him far and away the best defensive right-fielder in the game.  Coupled with his 20+ homer power and Abreu is a seriously underrated player.

2.  Payton Tolle.  Tolle is quickly becoming one of my favorite players.  He recently had a 14-strikeout game.  I am not sure how he is not getting more support for the Rookie of the Year.  I know he is not going to win, but he has been a consistently good pitcher all year.

3.  Trevor Story.  This has been yet another lost season for Story.  He has not played since May and was struggling even then.

4.  Trevor Story/Jarren Duran.  Here are two players who were expected to be big parts of the offense and have not lived up to expectations.  As said, Story has been injured most of the season.  Duran is currently hitting .201.  He is on pace for a 20/20 season, but strikes out at an alarming rate and has a 72 OPS+.

5.  Kutter Crawford.  I'm not sure why Crawford even has a card in the set.  He has not pitched since 2024 until just recently when he made his first appearance on a rehab stint.  This spot could have been used for someone like Greg Weissert who has yet to have a card with the Red Sox or Patrick Sandoval who had been rehabbing and made it back a few weeks ago.

Last but not least is Donruss:

1.  Marcelo Mayer.  I pull a lot of Mayer cards.  Hopefully that will switch over to someone actually still on the team.  Mayer was traded to the Giants at the trading deadline for Erik Miller.

2.  Jason Varitek.  Holy crap, I pulled a Varitek card.  He remains my favorite player of all time.  This is card number 1,006.

3.  Kristian Campbell.  I also seem to pull a lot of Campbell cards.  He has been hitting a lot in Worcester lately.  I wonder if he could make it back to the Majors this year yet.  I also wonder where he will play going forward.  I could see Boston cutting ties with both Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida over the offseason, which would open up a potential spot for him as a roving outfielder/designated hitter.