Revisiting the Virtual Red Sox

Back in March, I wrote a column in which I analyzed the Red Sox in MLB 13: The Show. The results were… well, interesting. With June coming to a close, it seems like a good time to revisit the Virtual Sox. Factoring in call-ups, demotions, injuries, and lineup...

3 Up 3 Down- Red Sox Prospects Edition

With the minor league season already past the halfway point, I’ve borrowed Joe Reilly’s “3 Up 3 Down” feature to take a look at the Red Sox prospects & the health of the minor league system. 3 Up The Dodgers trade From a major league standpoint, the Red Sox trade...

Fire Brand Mid-Season Top 15 Prospect Report

Written by Chip Buck, Ben Carsley, and Josh Cookson The Red Sox farm system is in the midst of a very exciting upswing. In large part due to two very successful drafts in 2010 and 2011, the minor league ranks have returned to prominence as one of the best and...

The MLB Draft: The Henry Ownership Years

With the 2013 Rule 4 draft finally in the books, I thought it’d be fun to take a look back at all of the drafts that have occurred during the John Henry ownership era.  In this piece, we’ll review their successes, their failures, the trends they’ve...

TrollBag 2: Troll Harder

Last week, I had the bright idea of starting a Fire Brand mailbag. I thought I would have some fun with it, but mostly, it would focus on legitimate Red Sox analysis in a way Nick Cafardo typically fails to provide. I… was wrong. You can read the first part here....

Red Sox Draft Primer: Ten Options At No. 7

As I covered a few weeks back and as many around the Interwebs have noted recently, the Red Sox have the seventh pick in Thursday’s 2013 MLB Draft. This represents their highest pick since 1993, when they selected Trot Nixon at No. 7, and gives Boston an incredible...

Prospect Depth: Blessing or Curse?

In 2006, the Red Sox farm system hit their high water mark for player development under Theo Epstein. The system featured two position players who would go on to be stalwarts for the major league club, Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury. It also contained two pitchers...

Roster Power Rankings, May Edition

Every month, here on Fire Brand, I take a look at the relative value of the 25 players on the current active roster. If you missed the March or April editions check them out for the criteria of these rankings. As always, tell me if you agree or disagree in the comment...