Posted by Alex Speier

Last night, Boston outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury clubbed his first homer since August 9 and went 2-for-5 as the Red Sox throttled the Rays, 13-5. Ellsbury has had an uneven first full season in the majors, hitting .267 with a .329 OBP, .701 OPS, 8 homers and 45 RBIs. But amidst the inconsistent flashes of offensive potential at the plate, he has proven a game-changing presence, both on the bases (48 steals) and in the outfield, where Ellsbury has yet to make an error in 167 big-league games while making a habit of web gems. He has been a legitimate contributor on a pennant-bound club. 

For that, the Sox can be thankful that he did not sign with the Rays after being taken in the 23rd round of the 2002 draft. Tampa was aggressive in trying to convince Ellsbury to sign, offering him a well-above slot bonus that one N.L. scout recalled as being around $100,000. The outfielder very nearly decided to turn pro, but ultimately opted for a college baseball career at Oregon State University. 

“I was really close to signing. I could have been a Ray. I was right on the fence, teeter-tottering about whether to sign or not,” Ellsbury recalled last week. “It wasn’t necessarily the money. It was pretty good money. It was just getting a college education then. I wanted the college experience at the right age. I wanted to be a freshman when everyone else was a freshman. I waited it out for over a month. Any of those days I could have signed.”

Ellsbury went to OSU, became an All-American and was then plucked by the Sox in the 1st round of the 2005 draft. Yet he is likely just the second most important member of the Sox whom another team failed to sign in 2002. 

Papelbon shows off his sumo stance.

That same year, Oakland selected Jonathan Papelbon (a draft-eligible 21-year-old sophomore out of Mississippi State) in the 40th round. That was the year of the “Moneyball” draft, when the A’s had seven of the first 39 picks, and so had to spend heavily at the top of the draft on players like Nick Swisher and Joe Blanton. There were no serious negotiations with Papelbon, who returned to the draft and was taken the following season by the Sox in the fourth round. 

Papelbon’s recent struggles notwithstanding, that’s worked out pretty well for the Sox. Papelbon has the lowest career ERA of all time (1.76) of any pitcher with at least 200 innings. And he’s also been a cover boy for a championship celebration.