The Boston Red Sox emptied the tank for the most part once again this offseason when they traded one of the best prospects in baseball in an effort to move one step closer to contending for a World Series championship this season. Meanwhile, the rest of the division can circle their one top prospect that isn’t going to be moved at any point in the near future with the Red Sox also able to identify another potential future star they would rather hold on to than trade away. Here is a look at one untouchable prospect from each AL East team.
SP: Jason Groome, Boston Red Sox
Boston opened the offseason by moving a prospect that many considered untouchable heading in to the offseason as they sent Yoan Moncada to the Chicago White Sox in the trade that landed them Chris Sale. There is a good portion of Red Sox fans that still aren’t happy with the decision but the team wants to win now and Sale can help them contend for a World Series in 2017. Meanwhile, Boston has another potentially untouchable prospect in the future starting pitcher Groome, who was a first round pick in 2016. Groome is still a year away from being a year away but the talent is there and right now he qualifies as the top prospect remaining in the Red Sox system.
C: Chance Sisco, Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles signed Welington Castillo to a one-year, $6 million deal at the catcher position in an effort to bridge the gap until Sisco is ready and it’s only a matter of time before their most promising prospect makes the jump to the majors. Sisco batted .317 with six home runs and 51 RBI in 497 plate appearances split between double and triple-A last season and while his defense needs a little more improvement he could be on Baltimore’s roster as soon as the 2018 season.
3B: Vlad Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto has shipped out a ton of top prospect talent over the years in an effort to build a championship team and while the experiment has failed to this point they now have another name that should be considered on this list of untouchable prospects in Guerrero. The 17-year-old is the son of the legendary Vladimir Guerrero and while he isn’t the all-around athlete his father was he certainly has the raw tools and the pedigree to become something special. Guerrero has already received a $3.9 million bonus and you can bet the Blue Jays are going to continue to groom him to become one of their stars of the future.
SS: Gleyber Torres, New York Yankees
Torres is the clear No. 1 prospect in the Yankees system right now after an outstanding showing in the Arizona Fall League where he hit .403 with more walks than strikeouts to claim MVP honors. Torres was the prize of last summer’s deal that sent Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs and there is no doubt the Yankees will consider him untouchable moving forward. New York has built up its farm system while increasing its available cap space for next year’s free agent crop and the perfect storm could lead to the Yankees turning things around and contending for a World Series once again in the very near future.
SS: Willy Adames, Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays have relied on a steady diet of incoming young prospects to stay competitive over the years, so it’s no surprise to see Adames on this list of untouchable prospects in the AL East. Adames headlines one of the better farm systems in the majors. It is only a matter of time before the gifted young shortstop will make the jump to the majors. The Rays finished in dead last in the AL East last season, 25 games out of first place. If they don’t show significant improvement early on in the 2017 campaign, they are going to employ a youth movement to develop their future and Adames will be one of the key beneficiaries in terms of playing time and opportunity.
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