Jim Callis: I guess I do say that I'm not the biggest Daniel Bard fan in the world a lot. But Bard is very talented. He has a great arm. I'm not as high on him as others because I want to see consistent secondary pitches and command. Without them, he won't become a frontline starter. That said, the Red Sox have cleared out a lot of their depth via promotions and trades, and his upside is undeniable. He didn't make the 2010 lineup just because he ranked behind Clay Buchholz and Michael Bowden, and I ran out of rotation spots for him.

Jim Callis: Lowrie just didn't have a very good year. He had some injuries, but before he got hurt he wasn't getting untracked at the plate. He finally did in August. I like him some, but I don't think he's a shortstop and I don't think he's a sure thing to hit. I think Dustin Pedroia is the best second baseman in the system.

Jim Callis: He has the raw stuff to be an ace. His fastball, curveball, slider and changeup are all plus pitches at times, sometimes plus-plus. Like most young pitchers, he needs more consistency and command. His upside is huge.

Jim Callis: Whitey, you can afford to buy a Handbook. I'll meet you halfway and give you Prospects 11-13: George Kottaras, Justin Masterson, Brandon Moss. I won't be specific on other non-Top 10 guys--BA has we wired up and will jolt me with voltage if I do anything that could harm Handbook sales.

Jim Callis: There's not necessarily a huge difference between consecutive spots on a list. I think if you asked most people who worked for the Red Sox, they'd give Hansen the benefit of the doubt. But while Hansen throws harder, Cox has a more electric and harder-to-hit fastball. Hansen is still looking for the dynamic slider he had in college, while Cox' slider is the best I've ever seen in person.

Jim Callis: Ah, Mike with his usual batch of fine questions, this being just one of them. It was very, very close, and I think you can make a case for either one of them. Ellsbury will be a solid-to-good player, I have no question, and he has a chance to be a very good player. Buchholz, as you mention, can be a very good to great player. I gave the benefit of the doubt to Ellsbury because he succeeded two levels higher (Buchholz was only in high Class A briefly), he has a longer track record and hitters are more likely to make it than pitchers. Just nitpicking, but I had to pick between the two.

Jim Callis: The Red Sox aren't saying much because of privacy concerns, but I did ask about Lester (who doesn't qualify for the Top 10 list any longer). They say things are going well, which was great to hear. Not sure about his chances of pitching next season.

Jim Callis: Doubront is the best of that group and ranks in the 11-20 range. He's a lefthander with an awful lot of polish, and the Red Sox think highly of him.

Jim Callis: Bowden is progressing very well. His delivery is unorthodox, but it works for him, he repeats it well and the Red Sox don't believe it will lead to any health issues. So they're leaving his mechanics alone.

Jim Callis: Negron quickly has become an organization favorite since signing out of the draft. They love his passion and his athleticism, and he has a little more pop and plays better at shortstop than the Red Sox expected. They're excited about seeing what he does in Class A next year.

Jim Callis: Really early to know for sure, but I ranked Beltre one spot ahead of Tejada on the Top 30. Beltre sounds like he offers a little more with the bat and is a little more polished.

Jim Callis: Luis Soto didn't make my Top 30. He has some power potential but hasn't developed at all as expected. Just deal with Beltre and Tejada. As for Daisuke Matsuzaka, who would rank No. 1 on this and most any list, no idea. That whole process is a little shady. What's to stop someone from saying that Matsuzaka wants to play for only one team, and if he doesn't go there, he won't sign and Seibu loses its eight-figure posting fee? Just seems like the process is rife for under-the-table shenanigans. There's my conspiracy theory of the day for you.

Jim Callis: That's accurate. They took Hall because he was supposed to be polished. Place is a high-risk, high-reward athlete with a very unconventional load to his swing and not the most polished approach. The Red Sox have not taken many of those guys at all, and certainly not in the first round.

Jim Callis: Hmmmm. I'd go with the same order, though I probably think the Yankees and Red Sox are closer than John would. But with Hughes and Tabata, you have to put New York ahead right now. Most of Boston's top talent is in the lower levels, and we'll see how that plays out.

Jim Callis: Ellsbury. Maybe even by mid-2007.

Jim Callis: I think so. Boston's top three middle infielders from last year all became free agents, though there's talk Alex Gonzalez is close to re-signing. I think you'll see Pedroia at second base.

Jim Callis: The Red Sox have some hope, but I don't really. Having him come to camp in the spring in less-than-optimal shape two years in a row is a very bad sign. And his stuff just isn't what the Sox projected it would be when he came out of high school. He's not on the Top 30.

Jim Callis: The biggest bopper headed there is probably Aaron Bates. They could have an interesting pitching staff, with guys like Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden, Daniel Bard, Kris Johnson and Justin Masterson trying to deal with a very hitter-friendly environment.

Jim Callis: As mentioned a little earlier, Masterson was No. 12. The biggest difference is that Bard and Cox have power stuff. Masterson has a deeper repertoire and very good command. A lot of people project him as a reliever, but the Sox think he may be a starter.

Jim Callis: I believe you will get the Devil Rays on Monday. Their entire Top 30 is pretty insane.

Jim Callis: Oh, I'm very much in love with Lars Anderson's potential, so I probably would have put Betances at No. 6 behind Anderson.

Jim Callis: Spann wound up in the 21-30 range. He made a nice comeback last year, but I don't see a huge ceiling. Hits for some average now but doesn't control the strike zone like he used to as he tries to hit for power, and I think the power is average at best. He's also a below-average defender, and I don't think the whole package adds up to a big league regular, especially not on a contender.

Jim Callis: He just missed, was in the 31-35 range. I think he winds up as a reliever, as his consistency, command and secondary pitches have always been sporadic. Nice lefty arm, though.

Jim Callis: In 2006, it was a terrible trade for the Red Sox. At the time, though, I thought it was a good trade for both sides, and as such, I think it's hard to criticize Boston for it. Ramirez had leveled off, and I really though the Sox were selling high on him. They had to give up Sanchez, but I'd rather have given him up than Papelbon or Lester. I still think you have to get a young potential ace like Beckett when he goes on the market, because that so rarely happens, but the cost looks awfully high right now.

Jim Callis: He didn't quite make it. His defense is ahead of his offense, and I had catchers like George Kottaras, Jon Egan, Ty Weeden and Mark Wagner ahead of him. Wagner didn't make the Top 30 either.

Jim Callis: More the latter. Getting rushed didn't help him, but Hansen's stuff just wasn't as electric last year as it was in college and he looked shell-shocked in the majors. His chances of becoming an elite closer depend entirely on whether he can regain his college stuff.

Jim Callis: Bowden had some of the normal ups and downs expected for a guy just out of high school, but all in all it was a very good year. I don't think he wore himself out paving any more driveways, however! Ah, my poor Steelers. Playing just well enough to lose. At least I still have thoughts of Super Bowl XL to keep me going.

Jim Callis: Cox didn't have a normal college career path, though, so I wouldn't hold that against his chances of being a closer. He was more of a third baseman in junior college, then couldn't find the strike zone and was useless for most of a year at Rice. Electric fastball, unbelievable slider--believe me, he could have closed for the Owls at the end of 2006, or any other college team for that matter. Just addressed Hansen--haven't given up on him but it's hard for me to project him as a closer as of right now. Bard has the arm to believe a closer, and I could definitely see that if starting doesn't work out.

Jim Callis: Depends on whom you ask. Those who like him say he can play center field and that his impressive raw power eventually will translate. Those that don't say he's not really a center fielder and that his swing isn't conducive to homers. Based on his track record, I see him as more of a fourth outfield. Not out of the question that he platoons in Boston this year, or maybe sees some regular time in center if Coco Crisp falters again.

Jim Callis: You can't read much about plate discipline into someone's performance in the Gulf Coast League. Tony Blanco drew walks in the GCL. Place also draws those comparisons to Francoeur, for his athleticism, power and Southeast background.

Jim Callis: Offensively, maybe, but the defense is a real question mark. I think he's more destined for an offensive utility role as an OF1Bsporadic 2B type.

Jim Callis: I did mean Alex Cora on the re-signing. Sorry about that.

Jim Callis: That I can do, Whitey. The four guys I had the most angst about leaving off were: LHP Kason Gabbard, RHP David Pauley, C Mark Wagner and LHP Hunter Jones. ESPN Radio is reporting that Buster Olney is reporting that Boston won the Matsuzaka bidding for between $38 million and $45 million. If that's true, Phil Seibel or Jeff Natale is going to fall off the bottom of the list.

Jim Callis: Came out of nowhere this spring after being more of a center fielder. Very good arm, still kind of raw and will be handled patiently. He's kind of a really raw version of Daniel Bard, where he has the strong arm but needs to put everything else together.

Jim Callis: Hmmm, interesting question. The funny thing is, with the Marlins, Chadd was more a part of what you call this new philosophy. I think it's more that Boston's needs have changed more than anything. When the Theo Epstein regime began, the farm system was thin and they focused on college players who could prop up the upper levels quickly. Now I think they're just trying to hoard as much talent as possible. They really did a mix this year, as first-rounder Jason Place and supplemental first-rounder Caleb Clay are raw upside guys.

Jim Callis: He did, in the 11-20 range. He's a good athlete with a polished approach at the plate, a nifty combination. If it all works out, he could be similar to Jacoby Ellsbury.

Jim Callis: Hottovy did bounce back this year. I think he winds up being a middle reliever if he reaches the majors. He's another guy who just missed the Top 30.

Jim Callis: He was toward the top of the 21-30 range. Still has a good fastball, but the velocity was down a little this year, the secondary pitches aren't there yet and his conditioning left a lot to be desired. There was comparisons made to Rich Garces, not intended as a compliment.

Jim Callis: He has changed his swing, but to no avail. He has some bat speed, but has continually struggled to make contact. Doesn't look like he's going to work out.

Jim Callis: Roethlisberger. Keep the faith.

Jim Callis: Jones has big-time power and doesn't offer much else. He's interesting, and he physically resembles a younger David Ortiz. He's a guy who I always ask about but will have to produce in full-season ball before I put him on the Top 30.

Jim Callis: Yes, he would be No. 1. And yes, I think he'll have an immediate impact. I'd take him over any pitcher on the free-agent market from a talent standpoint.

Jim Callis: What the Red Sox saw in instructional league was encouraging. They knew Weeden has some arm strength--he threw 90-92 mph off the mound in high school--and he continued to show that. He had more lower-half agility than they thought, and as he loses some football thickness may gain a little more. He has huge power, so his offensive ceiling is high.

Jim Callis: That's how I ranked him in our Draft Report Cards. Polished bat, easy power--he could move quick for a high schooler.