The Red Sox Are Going Nuts on the Undrafted Free Agent Market

Major League Baseball screwed over a ton of prospects in 2020 by going with a five-round MLB Draft. Those who were not selected are now able to be signed as undrafted free agents for a maximum value of $20,000. This is a disgrace for the league, but teams are surely going to take advantage to sign players who would have been drafted in a normal year.

The Boston Red Sox are one team that can benefit from this year's system. The team was limited to four selections due to the fallout from their own sign-stealing scandal and that meant a potential gap of prospects in the system. However, the team is reportedly doing a ton of work when it comes to undrafted players.

The Red Sox have reportedly signed 10 players as of Tuesday afternoon and have been targeting young pitchers. Actually drafting and developing pitchers could help the team save money in the future by not being forced to sign arms to massive contracts just to remain competitive.

One notable player signed is Miami's Brian Van Belle. The pitcher went 11-2 with a 2.74 in 24 starts with the Hurricanes. He began the 2020 season with a 0.68 ERA in four starts and struck out 38 batters. He now loses a ton of potential money by not actually being drafted, but the opportunity is still there to earn a job.

The Red Sox are wise to take advantage of the system in 2020. The team can sign 10 players for the cost of one draft pick in a normal year. This strategy could end up helping the Red Sox form a dominant team of homegrown stars in the next few years and avoid a situation where someone like Mookie Betts has to be let go to save money.