Who Red Sox Drafted With Xander Bogaerts, Nathan Eovaldi Comp Picks
The Boston Red Sox received two compensation picks for losing Xander Bogaerts and Nathan Eovaldi in free agency this past Major League Baseball offseason.
The back-to-back picks landed after the fourth round of the 2023 MLB Draft, since Boston exceeded the competitive balance tax threshold in 2022, and the Red Sox used the selections Monday on a pair of college shortstops.
The Red Sox drafted Georgia Tech’s Kristian Campbell at No. 132 overall (the Bogaerts comp pick) and Wright State’s Justin Riemer at No. 133 overall (the Eovaldi comp pick).
Baseball America ranked Campbell the No. 255 prospect in this year’s class. Riemer did not appear on BA’s top 500 rankings.
“Campbell crowds the plate and hits against a slightly closed off front side,” Baseball America’s scouting report on Campbell reads. “He has plus hand speed that allows him to turn on pitches that sometimes look like they might hit him, and sprays the ball all over the yard. He is a plus runner and while it is yet to be seen where he fits best defensively, whether that be on the dirt or in the outfield, his profile is a bit similar to Georgia Tech’s 2022 slash-and-dash specialist Chandler Simpson. Campbell isn’t quite the runner Simpson is, and his power ceiling is certainly higher given his wiry frame, but he has some of the same defensive questions as Simpson did. Regardless, Campbell’s speed will help him succeed in an outfield spot if that is where an organization decides to use him.”
Campbell, a right-handed hitter, is listed at 6-foot-3 and 191 pounds. Riemer, a switch-hitter, is listed at 6-foot and 170 pounds.
The Red Sox extended qualifying offers to both Bogaerts and Eovaldi at the beginning of the MLB offseason. They rejected those offers and ultimately signed with the San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers, respectively.
Boston began its draft Sunday night by selecting catcher Kyle Teel with the 14th overall pick in Round 1, a potential steal given where he was projected to go.
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