​The Red Sox plan to offer a signing bonus to 10th-round pick Kaleb LaFavor that exceeds his slot value of $194,000, aiming to prevent him from honoring his commitment to the University of Iowa. Boston selected LaFavor, a tall right-handed high school pitcher from Bishop Heelan High in Iowa, with the 304th overall pick. “If we’re dreaming big here and thinking along the lines of a Jacob Misiorowski mold, he fits the bill,” said Red Sox director of amateur scouting Jake Bruml on Sunday. LaFavor’s frame mirrors Misiorowski’s; the Brewers’ 24-year-old ace stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 201 pounds, while LaFavor is listed at 6-foot-7 and 195 pounds. “We’re going to add more to the frame, with crazy release traits,” Bruml noted. “And once he enters our development system, we expect him to take off as those added velocity gains come.”
Last year, Boston used 15 of its 21 picks on pitchers, including 10 hurlers from the SEC. This year, the Red Sox drafted 11 pitchers and eight position players, with seven of the pitchers standing 6-foot-4 or taller. The complete list of pitchers selected is as follows: right-handed pitcher Lucas Davenport from Baylor, 6-6 and 230 pounds; left-handed pitcher Brett Lanman from Abilene Christian, 6-5 and 228 pounds; left-handed pitcher Kide Adetuyi from Florida Atlantic, 6-1 and 190 pounds; left-handed pitcher Josh Volmerding from Cal Poly, 6-4 and 210 pounds; right-handed pitcher Kaleb LaFavor from Bishop Heelan (Iowa), 6-7 and 195 pounds; right-handed pitcher Mason Lei from Illinois-Chicago, 6-4 and 220 pounds; right-handed pitcher Jase Evangelista from Nevada-Las Vegas, 6-2 and 200 pounds; left-handed pitcher Chase Frey from Grand Canyon, 6-6 and 215 pounds; right-handed pitcher Alex Kranzler from Vanderbilt, 6-3 and 219 pounds; right-handed pitcher Luis Calderon from El Shaddai Christian High (Puerto Rico), 6-1 and 155 pounds; left-handed pitcher Aiden VanDeHatert from Dallas Baptist, 6-4 and 206 pounds.
“(Kide Adetuyi) is smaller compared to guys like Brett (Lanman) and Lucas (Davenport), but he has crazy release traits with seven feet of extension and a crossfire delivery that could translate even at lower velocities if he gains another tick or two of velocity,” Bruml said. Calderon is the smallest among the pitchers, listed at 155 pounds. “He’s a really intriguing kid we think can add velocity,” Bruml added. “Super fast arm. He only began pitching nine or ten months ago. He used to be an outfielder, so he’s a fun development bet that our pitching staff is excited to have, especially after meeting him at our workout.”
Bruml is confident Boston will sign at least 18 of the 19 players drafted. “I think we’ll get 18,” he said. “We’re in a position where it might end up being 17, but I’m quite optimistic we’ll sign 18 of the 19.” Bruml also noted that the Red Sox weren’t aiming for a specific ratio of pitchers to position players. “Brez (chief baseball officer Craig Breslow) asked me for better SEO,” he quipped, highlighting how the manager plans to balance the roster and development goals as the draft class progresses toward signings.