The people in charge of prospect rankings believe Triston Casas, Jeter Downs and Jarren Duran all have bright futures with the Red Sox, and Chaim Bloom seemingly agrees.
Boston’s chief baseball officer provided brief assessments of the three youngsters while speaking with fans Monday during a Worcester Red Sox booster club Zoom call. And it’s clear that Casas, Downs and Duran — ranked first, second and fourth, respectively, at SoxProspects.com — have made positive first impressions on Bloom, who joined the Red Sox early last year.
Here’s what he said, via Worcester Telegram & Gazette reporter Joe McDonald:
On Casas: “You combine great power with a really good approach, he could be a very special offensive player.”
Bloom added Casas has “ridiculous” power.
On Downs: “Amazing human being. … You would bet on his makeup (to max out).”
Bloom noted that he believed the acquisition of Downs, who was part of the Mookie Betts trade, “slipped under the radar.”
On Duran: “He’s a real exciting player. He’s always been really fast, he added a ton of strength, and he did not lose his speed. He’s a real dynamic player.”
Boom also said “it’s a safe bet” that Duran, who has yet to play about Double-A Portland, will be in Triple-A at some point this season.
At this point, Red Sox fans should be awfully excited about the organization’s top positional prospects.
Duran, a speedy second baseman-turned-center fielder, made significant strides at the plate the last two years and continued impressing during the Puerto Rican Winter League.
Downs was developed as a shortstop by the Los Angeles Dodgers but likely will play second base in Boston. His combination of great character and all-around skillset make it easy to envision him as a future foundational piece for the Red Sox.
And then there’s Casas, who has future All-Star first baseman written all over him.
(None of this is hyperbole, by the way.)
That Bloom is high on Casas, Downs and Duran should reinforce the notion that all three are worthy of the burgeoning hype.
