Minor League Baseball

Boston Red Sox to Continue Developing Prospect Conrad Cason as 2-Way Player

Conrad Cason was the Boston Red Sox's eighth-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, and senior director of player development Brian Abraham confirmed that the team still sees him as a two-way player.

Sam Connon

St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A general view of Boston Red Sox hats and gloves laying in the dugout at Tropicana Field.
St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A general view of Boston Red Sox hats and gloves laying in the dugout at Tropicana Field. / Kim Klement-Imagn Images
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The Boston Red Sox took a big swing when they drafted Conrad Cason in the eighth round of the 2024 MLB Draft, and they doubled down when they signed him to an above-slot deal.

Like a lot of prep prospects, Cason played shortstop and pitched in high school. The Red Sox thought he was capable of doing both in the pros, though, buying in on the dynamic 18-year-old athlete.

After a few months of having him in-house, the idea of having Cason go both ways has only been solidified. Red Sox senior director of player development Brian Abraham went on the "Baseball Isn't Boring" show on Saturday, confirming that Cason would be developed as a two-way player moving forward.

"Our plan of attack is to develop him as a two-way player," Abraham said. "Obviously unique, there are not a lot of them – the ones that are usually around are the best ones. No comparisons to Shohei Ohtani at this point, but I think it's a really balanced plan of attack between our hitting group, our pitching group, our defensive group to make sure he's able to get the work in on the mound, in the cage and on the field."

Abraham said that Cason has spent "the entire offseason" at the organization's spring training facility in Fort Myers, Florida, working on pitching, hitting and fielding.

Cason was named Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year in his home state of Georgia in 2024. He hit .364 with three home runs, 28 RBIs, 25 walks, 16 stolen bases and a 1.064 OPS his senior year, on top of going 7-1 with a 0.48 ERA, 20.4 strikeouts per nine innings and a .085 batting average against on the mound.

Instead of following through on his commitment to Mississippi State, Cason took a $1.25 million signing bonus from the Red Sox.

Cason's fastball sits in the mid-to-upper 90s, per Abraham, who also said the teenager makes hard contact and plays strong defense at short. He also boasts a slurve and a changeup as part of his pitch mix.

It will take quite a while for Cason to ascend through Boston's farm system, considering he has yet to make his professional debut. But if the Red Sox can follow through and insert a unicorn into their lineup and rotation in the years ahead, their future could certainly be bright.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and other "On SI'' baseball sites. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for “UCLA on SI’’ and won awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for “New England Patriots on SI’’ and was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Follow Sam on Twitter @SamConnon.

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