Jarrod Saltalamacchia Is Surprisingly Valuable

I’ve never really been a big supporter of Jarrod Saltalamacchia. I thought he was a worthwhile gamble to acquire from the Rangers for next to nothing, and I liked the idea of grooming him behind Jason Varitek. I was patient through the yips and then through the long,...

Now THAT’S What I Call TrollBag

This is Fire Brand’s fifth iteration of the TrollBag, and I’m feeling particularly generous this week, so it’s going to be a big one. Before we get started though, I’d just like to mention that the TrollBag now officially has its own Twitter account...

More Mindless Musings

In the next week and a half, the Red Sox can make the AL East officially a 2-team race As of now, the Yankees find themselves out of first by 7.5 games while Baltimore sits 6.5 off the pace. A series win this week vs. Baltimore and a split with the surging Yankees in...

Putting Prospect Depth In Context

Jacoby Ellsbury, Koji Uehara, Stephen Drew, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Mike Napoli and Joel Hanrahan. You have just read an exhaustive list of Red Sox players who will become free agents after the 2013 season. Two additional players – Jon Lester and Matt Thornton – have...

Sweeping Success For Red Sox Prospects In 2013

When I first set out to write this column on Sunday, my idea was pretty simple: highlight which Red Sox prospects have done the most to improve their value in 2013, as well as those who’ve taken major steps back in their development. Filling out the first part of the...

Roster Power Rankings, July 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, April, May, or June editions check them out for the criteria and history of these rankings. This month sees a season high six...

The Red Sox and the ROY Race

If I told you at that start of the year that the Red Sox would have a Rookie of the Year candidate in their lineup, who would you have guessed? Jackie Bradley, right? Maybe Ryan Lavarnway if you were feeling particularly bold? Or Xander Bogaerts, if you were feeling...

Roster Power Rankings, June Edition

(Happy 4th of July everyone…scoreboard, England…USA, USA, USA!) 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, April, or May editions check them out for the...

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...