From the Collection: Matt Murton and Brent J. Cox

Matt Murton was the Red Sox first-round pick back in 2003. He was not with the organization long, being part of the package that sent Nomar Garciaparra to the Cubs in 2003. He was well thought of as a prospect, ranking in ranking the Red Sox #5 prospect in 2003, and Cubs #4 in 2011. He made the majors in 2005 and was very good, hitting .321/.386/.521 with 7 HR (132 OPS+) over 140 at-bats. He was pretty decent for his first three seasons in the majors, but quickly declined and was out of the game by 2009. He did try making a comeback in 2016 with the Cubs and was not terrible at all with their AAA affiliate.

James Brent Cox was the guy who replaced Huston Street at the University of Texas. He was good too! His final season at Texas he went 8-3 with 19 saves and a 1.73 ERA. He was a classic polished college arm. He was probably never going to be an All-Star, but there was little doubt he would blow through the minors quickly.

And he hit the ground running like a pro, putting up awesome numbers in both High-A and AA. There was talk that he was Mariano Rivera‘s eventual replacement. High praise.

But, like so many pitchers, it would not happen. Injuries derailed his career and he stalled out in AAA. Still, he was a great college closer and found success in the minors and who was very likely an injury away from a career in the majors.