The problem is the Sox outlook makes it nearly impossible to really develop a farm system that produces talent at a rate much better than abysmal one at which the Sox system does currently. Their season after season approach of “win now (but don’t spend like a contender)” means that even as they slowly accumulate more prospect-talent, they are forced to deal it away to acquire major league level assets and give notoriously aggressive assignments to the guys left in the system to rush them to the majors as soon as they are able to contribute there to any degree, instead of allowing for a fuller development in the minors. Think about it, if each team drafts/uses international pool every year, and at the same time the Sox are starting with off with a poor farm system and keeps trading away a lot of what talent that system does have and rushing guys to the majors, unless their front office is just light years ahead of every other one in the league, how can they possibly accumulate the talent to improve their farm system. Tim Anderson might be the best position prospect in 15 years. But, lets not jump to any conclusions, since at similar points in the major league careers of guys like Beckham and Josh Fields we thought the same about them. That’s not to say Anderson won’t or will be those guys, but the big problem is that for the past 15-20 years it’s always been just that one guy who the Sox absolutely need to succeed, and he fails they have no other talent. That’s a bad farm system. Something needs to change.

I’m not even sure a “scorched earth” rebuild is desirable. It’s so hard to have assets like Sale and Quintana locked up long term so favorably, and just give up on it. But, I just don’t see a different way to get the talent they need around the core to create a winner (especially with 2017 being a very weak free agent class). Maybe there is some balance that can be struck between a full out rebuild where every asset is dealt and just completely staying put. But, even if they keep some/most of their assets, if their spending doesn’t increase dramatically, they are going to have to deal some guys that infuse the farm system with significantly more talent than Robertson and Duke would return to them.

Maybe a different front office should preside over a “scorched earth” rebuild if the Sox go that route. But, I think the an unreasonable general mandate ordered from the top of the org (Jerry) is more to blame for the “unsalvageable disaster”, or for the Sox inability to field a team that’s better than mediocre, than those who attempt to implement its specifics the best they can in spite of the severe limitations that mandate inherently places on the ability to field a winner. It’s basically “find a way to win with no money, and no farm system”. Perhaps if this front office was somehow equipped with either money or the ability to let the farm system develop they would be successful. I have no way of knowing. They haven’t had a chance though. But, I know that the next guys brought in would suffer a similar fate if their mandate from ownership is the same. I also have no idea who is accountable for any/all aspects of whatever you think of the Sox current state, good or bad. Jerry? Kenny? Hahn?

Like I said in the piece, if they do want to go scorched earth and sell everything it has its merits, but it’s not a sure thing, and if you’re saying this front office built an unsalvageable disaster then you need to let a different front office oversee the rebuild.

Also–as alluded to in the piece–they do have some talent coming through the system now. More than they had before. Anderson has a chance to be the best position prospect they’ve developed in…15 years?