Minor Notes: Sox scrimmage Mets minor leaguers

Welcome to the first edition of the Minor Notes. The Minor Notes will run every Tuesday throughout the minor league baseball season, catching you up on all things prospect-related, from the Dominican Summer League through Triple-A.

Here are this week's minor league notes: 

• SoxProspects.com's Director of Scouting Ian Cundall has updated the scouting reports on some key players before the season gets going. His first update includes right-hander Brayan Bello, who is currently ranked 26th at SoxProspects.com, along with 2018 second-round selection Nick Decker (pictured). 

• His next update includes 20th rated prospect Blaze Jordan, an 18-year old third baseman the Sox selected in the third round in 2020. He also updates a handful of players in the lower levels of the Red Sox' system. 

• Danny Santana could be ready soon, as he has begun baseball activities in Fort Myers, Christopher Smith of Masslive.com writes. He is another player who can play almost anywhere on the diamond. 

• Pitching coach Paul Abbott talks to Masslive.com's Matt Vautor about the need to keep pitchers ready to go just in case they are needed to be called up to the big league team, rather than just preparing them for the minor league season to begin. 

• Former SoxProspects.com contributor Katie Morrison, now of Masslive.com, added a ton of photos of Red Sox minor leaguers from the first few days of the Alternate Site, including a sim game at Polar Park in Worcester. 

• The Sox minors leaguers got to face some real competition last weekend in Brooklyn, as they played the Mets minor leaguers at their alternate site. The news that these scrimmages would happen was first reported by the Worcester Telegram's Joe McDonald. In her Worcester Red Sox Notebook for Masslive.com, Morrison wrote about the ballpark in Brooklyn and how it is the kind of place Worcester envisions for Polar Park. She also includes that Paul Abbott loves the bullpens at Polar Park. 

• Right-hander Tanner Houck is now at the alternate site, as Eduardo Rodriguez was activated. He made his first start since 2019 after missing the 2020 season due to myocarditis likely caused by COVID-19.

Photo Credit: Nick Decker by Kelly O'Connor

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Scouting Report Updates: Blaze Jordan, Chris Murphy, and a trio of teenage arms

The latest SoxProspects scouting report update features 2020 third-round pick Blaze Jordan, left-handed starter Chris Murphy, as well as three young hurlers in the lower levels of the minor league system--Wilkelman Gonzalez, Juan Daniel Encarnacion, and Gabriel Jackson.

SoxProspects.com scouting reports are written by Director of Scouting Ian Cundall.

Chris Murphy, Left-handed pitcher

Physical Description: Athletic frame with some remaining projection. Looks bigger than listed. Average lower half, medium build.

Mechanics: Throws from a low three-quarters arm slot, starting on the third base side of the rubber. Takes two small steps before a medium leg kick. Drives towards the plate with a big stride and gets plus extension. Left leg kicks up on follow-through, can tend to fall off towards third base post-delivery. Quick, compact arm action. Slight arm hook with some effort behind. Does not consistently finish delivery and can lose release point at times.

Fastball: 90-94 mph. Tops out at 96 mph. Works all over the zone. Command needs work. Especially to the glove side. Much more comfortable locating arm-side at present. May have over-relied on his fastball in college. Potential average pitch.

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Scouting Report Updates: Brayan Bello, Nick Decker and more

Today's SoxProspects scouting report update features five prospects who participated in the 2020 Fall Instructional League and who are projected to open the season in either Greenville or Salem.

Brayan Bello

Physical Description: Athletic right-hander with remaining projection. On the skinny side at present.

Mechanics: Loose, quick arm. Throws from a mid-three-quarters arm slot and lands soft and closed on his front side. Could do a better job incorporating his lower half in his delivery. Gets good extension.

Fastball: 93-96 mph. Tops out at 98 mph. Below-average command at present. Tends to crossfire the pitch. Average spin rate. Shows tail down in the zone and some ride when up in the zone. Velocity has steadily increased over his career, from 91-93 mph during the Fall Instructional League in 2018. Will mix in a two-seam fastball on occasion at 92-94 mph. Potential plus offering.

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Fort Report: MLB Opening Day; Alternate Training Site Opens

Welcome to another week of the SoxProspects.com Fort Report. The Fort Report will run every Tuesday throughout spring training, catching you up on all things prospect-related in Fort Myers and the Alternate Training Site in Worcester.

Here are this week's minor league notes:

• The Red Sox made their first addition to the roster of the regular season, signing right-handed pitcher Hector Rondon to a minor league contract and assigning him to the Alternate Training Site on Sunday. The 33-year-old has pitched 436 innings in the major leagues since 2013, mostly with the Cubs, but also with Houston and Arizona.

• Yairo Munoz, a utility player, was also added to the minor league injured list with right wrist inflammation on Sunday.

• Opening Day was Friday and the Red Sox set their Opening Day roster.

• The team outrighted right-handed pitcher John Schreiber to the Alternate Training Site on Friday. He was initially designated for assignment on Tuesday, when outfielder Franchy Cordero was added back to the 40-man roster after he was removed from the COVID-19 injured list.

• Right-handed pitcher Tanner Houck was recalled from the Alternate Training Site on Friday to replace left-handed pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez in the starting rotation, as he was placed on the injured list retroactive to March 29 with left elbow inflammation.

• Right-hander Ryan Brasier was also added to the injured list on Friday retroactive to March 29 with a left calf strain.

• Infielder Michael Chavis and right-handed pitcher Colten Brewer were each optioned to the Alternate Training Site on Tuesday.

• Our own Chris Hatfield and Ian Cundall published Episode No. 206 of the SoxProspects Podcast, in which they discuss a slight rankings tweak as well as a preview of the big club's season to come.

• LSU right-handed pitcher Jaden Hill will miss the rest of the season with a torn UCL and undergo Tommy John surgery. Prior to the season, he was considered in play for the Red Sox to select at No. 4 overall in this year's MLB Draft, though this injury will likely cause him to slip in the draft. At the time of the injury, he was No. 8 in Baseball America's MLB Draft rankings.

• Rule 5 selection Garret Whitlock made his major league debut in mop-up duty on Sunday, giving the team 3 2/3 innings, and The Boston Globe's Julian McWilliams has the story.

• Houck was also pressed into duty in place of Rodriguez on Saturday and had a solid five-inning outing with 8 strikeouts. McWilliams discussed the hope for the near future that Houck represents.

• He also was able to have family in the stands for the first time, which is important to the right-hander. Steve Hewitt of the Boston Herald has the scoop.

• Speaking of Houck, the Boston Herald's Jason Mastrodonato is of the opinion that Houck, between last season and this year, should stay up with the big club for good.

• No. 6 in the SoxProspects.com  rankings, right-handed pitcher Bryan Mata (pictured, left) has resumed his throwing program after a slight UCL tear, according to MassLive's  Chris Cotillo.

• Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported that Kevin McCarthy will remain in the organization despite his upward mobility clause to a 40-man roster spot, as he was not added to the Red Sox 40-man roster.

• The first workout at the Alternate Training Site, which will now be in Worcester at Polar Park rather than Pawtucket, was Thursday. It was the first organized baseball activity at the field since construction began. Joe McDonald of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette has the story.

• The Portland Sea Dogs will be allowing 2,000 spectators into Hadlock Field for May games. They will be in pods, similar to how the Red Sox opened Fenway Park. Tickets will go on sale to the public on April 14.

Photo Credit: Bryan Mata by Kelly O'Connor

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Podcast Ep. #206 - Maple syrup is overrated

The season is upon us! Chris and Ian are pumped to preview the imminent MLB season (since delayed 24 hours) and hope you're ready too. The guys discussed what prospects (and graduates) are most likely to impact the MLB club this year on the mound and in the lineup. We also just updated the #SP60 coming out of MLB camp, and the guys discussed Bryan Mata's short drop, Garrett Whitlocks big rise, and more. Plus the Matt Barnes COVID scare and what it said about the team's depth this year, and as always, your terrific emails led to some great discussion about the draft, Gilberto Jimenez and... David Price? Thanks for writing in and make sure to send your questions to podcast@soxprospects.com 

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Fort Report: Roster takes shape, Houck makes case

Welcome to another week of the SoxProspects.com Fort Report. With the minor league season scheduled to begin in early May, we will be continuing the Fort Report through the month of April. 

Here are this week's minor league notes:

• Major league spring training is scheduled to wrap up this afternoon with a contest against the Braves at JetBlue Park. The roster has begun to take shape, which Chris Hatfield and Ian Cundall discussed in-depth on the latest SoxProspects.com podcast. 
• On Friday, the team optioned infielder Jonathan Arauz to the alternate training site and reassigned Chris Herrmann, Danny Santana, Cesar Puello, Michael Gettys, Kevin McCarthy, and Marcus Walden to minor league camp. 
• Hermann and McCarthy had upward mobility clauses that went into effect on Sunday. If a team wants to add either player to its major league roster, the Red Sox would have to either add them or allow them to sign elsewhere. The clause has a 48-hour window, so Boston should know the status of both players on Tuesday.
• Injury considerations notwithstanding, two roster decisions remain: Phillips Valdez and Colten Brewer are competing for the final spot in the bullpen, while Michael Chavis and Franchy Cordero vie for a spot on the bench. Cordero remains on the COVID-19 injured list, so the team would need to open up a 40-man spot to add him. 

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Podcast Ep. #205: I'm kinda over spring training

We are less than a week away from the start of the 2021 Major League Baseball season and the guys want to get going already. Chris and Ian have the latest analysis of the big league lineup. They start with the rotation, and what Tanner Houck and Connor Seabold need to do in Worcester. For hitters, the guys talk through what to do with Michael Chavis, Bobby Dalbec and Jarren Duran, as well as the surprising spring of Jonathan Arauz. They also discuss the various rule changes that will be tried out in the minors this year. And as always, we get to the mailbag and your terrific questions.Thanks for writing in and make sure to send your questions to podcast@soxprospects.com 

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Fort Report: Dalbec, Jimenez, Duran, Whitlock continue to impress

Welcome to another week of the SoxProspects.com Fort Report. The Fort Report will run every Tuesday throughout spring training, catching you up on all things prospect-related in Fort Myers.

Here are this week's minor league notes:

• 
  With a little more than a week left until opening day, the Red Sox have started to make some roster moves this past week. Those moves included optioning righty Tanner Houch and reassigning seven others - corner infielder and top prospect Triston Casas (pictured, right), outfielder Jarren Duran, lefty Stephen Gonsalves, catcher Kole Cottam, righty Daniel Gossett, first basemen Josh Ockimey, and utility player Yairo Munoz.

• Those moves bring the roster down to 36 players left for the 26 spots on the opening day roster. The expectation is that four pitchers and six hitters will be part of those trims before opening day. Chris Hatfield, SoxProspects.com's executive editor, spoke to a source who detailed the relatively few opt-out clauses the Red Sox handed out this year. As he details, there were only two - Kevin McCarthy and Chris Herrmann.

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Fort Report: Groome and Casas make spring debuts

Welcome to another week of the SoxProspects.com Fort Report. The Fort Report will run every Tuesday throughout spring training, catching you up on all things prospect-related in Fort Myers.

Here are this week's minor league notes:

• The 204th episode of the SoxProspects.com Podcast came out on Monday, with Chris and Ian breaking down players in camp as well as answering numerous questions from the mailbag. Some of the more notable camp performances they discussed were Gilberto Jimenez, Jarren Duran, and Jay Groome. 

• Jimenez, Nick Yorke (pictured, right), and Eduard Bazardo have all been getting more buzz lately after strong showings at the Fall Instructional League and Spring Training, and they recently had their scouting reports updated by the SoxProspects.com scouting team. While Yorke only had limited reps with the big league club this spring, he has impressed scouts and coaches alike. 

• Jeter Downs left the game on Monday with an injury to his side after diving for a ground ball while playing shortstop. The Red Sox will run more tests to determine if it is an oblique issue, which would likely sideline him for a few weeks. Downs was 4 for 9 with a home run and two walks so far this spring. Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe wrote about how Downs is impressing the Red Sox from the ground up. 

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Podcast Ep. #204: And our next email is from...

Chris and Ian have a metric ton of emails to go through. We put out a call for questions and you all stepped it up. Awesome work. Before getting after the emails, the guys go over details from camp. In particular they break down the position players and pitchers who have shown something in camp. They go into details on how the alternate site will return due to the delay of the start of the AAA season. The guys welcome Zach Bryant to the club, who is the player who was named later for Josh Osich. And then Chris and Ian get to the mailbag and your terrific questions. Thanks for writing in and make sure to send your questions to podcast@soxprospects.com 

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Scouting Report Updates: Gilberto Jimenez, Nick Yorke and Eduard Bazardo

Today's SoxProspects scouting report update features three prospects who participated in the 2020 Fall Instructional League and who have now been invited to Major League Spring Training. Nick Yorke and Eduard Bazardo have been at Spring Training since the start, but Gilberto Jimenez was only recently added. 

Gilberto Jimenez, Outfield

Physical Description: Extremely loose and athletic. Standout athleticism. Some projection in his frame. Lower half is filled out. Has transformed his body since signing; once on the skinny side, is now strong and physical.

Hit: Potential average hit tool from the left side and plus hit tool from the right-side. Plus bat speed and very quick hands. Unusually advanced contact skills. Started hitting from the left side in Fall 2017. Has already made strides with his left-handed swing, but it is still a work in progress. Starts open in a crouch and utilizes a toe tap timing device. Does a much better job now of incorporating his lower half and staying in the box and on the ball longer than he did earlier in his career. These changes, along with his added strength, allow him to make more pronounced contact, especially to the pull side. Still willing to drop a bunt down for a base hit if the defense will not guard against that. Swing is more fluid from the right side of the plate, which is his natural side. Starts squarer and more vertical. Barrel stays in the zone longer and he generates more hard contact. Approach and pitch recognition are raw, but strikeout rates are very low due to advanced bat-to-ball skills. At 2020 Fall Instructs, he built on changes to left-handed swing first implemented during 2019 Fall Instructs, starting with a wider base and using a more pronounced weight transfer to better incorporate his lower half. In 2019 with Lowell, he tended to slap at the ball, looking to put it in play rather than drive it, and failed to effectively incorporate his lower half.

Power: Will show above-average raw power from the right side and fringe-average raw from the left. Below-average in-game power potential right now, but added strength plus improvements with his left-handed swing give him a chance for more. Added strength has really helped him to tap into his power and hit the ball harder. Need to see it translate in-game, as his swing is still more designed for hard line drives in the gaps than over-the-fence power. As recently as 2019 in Lowell generated concerningly low exit velocities, but improvements are alleviating those concerns.

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Fort Report: Duran, Whitlock impress early

Welcome to another week of the SoxProspects.com Fort Report. The Fort Report will run every Tuesday throughout spring training, catching you up on all things prospect-related in Fort Myers.

Here are this week's minor league notes: 

• SoxProspects.com's Director of Scouting, Ian Cundall updated some more scouting reports, highlighting number one prospect Triston Casas, as well as a pair of players Boston acquired for Mitch Moreland last summer, Jeisson Rosario and Hudson Potts. 

• Boston signed 30-year-old Danny Santana to a minor league deal. Santana can play almost anywhere, as he has made at least one appearance at every single position other than pitcher and catcher at the major league level. He struggled at the plate last year with the Rangers (albeit in only 15 games), but had a very good 2019 campaign, hitting .283/.324/.534 with 28 long balls and 21 stolen bases with Texas. Santana had his UCL repaired last September, but the Red Sox liked what they saw of him during workouts in the Dominican Republic and Miami, Florida. 

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Scouting Report Updates: Triston Casas, Jeisson Rosario and Hudson Potts

The latest SoxProspects scouting report update features three prospects who participated in the 2020 Fall Instructional League and who have now been invited to Major League Spring Training. Triston Casas and Hudson Potts have yet to make their Spring debuts, but Jeisson Rosario had made several appearances before he injured himself while chasing a fly ball against the Minnesota Twins.

Triston Casas, First-base

Physical Description: Strong, imposing frame. Thick, fully developed lower half. Some remaining projection in his upper body, but strong already. Will have to work to maintain body and athleticism. Very long limbs. Has done a good job with conditioning early in his career, showing up to 2020 Alternate Training Site with a more toned physique.

Hit: Starts slightly open in a slight crouch. Quiet pre-pitch. Utilizes a leg lift timing device and gets his foot down in time. Easy load, hips really fire through. Plus bat speed; whips the bat through the zone. Smooth, fluid swing, especially given his size. Strong feel for hit for a high school draftee. Utilizes all fields. Will always have some swing-and-miss and holes in his swing. Has shown willingness to try adjustments to swing and to abandon them if they are not working. Has clear two-strike approach in which he widens his stance and chokes up on the bat. Potential to develop strong plate discipline skills in the future. Needs to continue to refine approach and pitch recognition, but has the potential to develop an above-average hit tool.

Power: Plus-plus raw power. Easy all-fields power, but power plays best to the pull side. Has the ideal combination of size, strength, and bat speed for a power hitter. Ball really jumps off his bat. Drives the ball with backspin. How power actualizes will depend on development of hit tool, but can project for at least plus in-game power at his peak and potentially more.

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Fort Report: Games begin

Welcome to another week of the SoxProspects.com Fort Report. The Fort Report will run every Tuesday throughout spring training, catching you up on all things prospect-related in Fort Myers.
Here are this week's minor league notes:

• The SoxProspects.com scouting team is hard at work early on in the spring, as scouting report updates for six minor leaguers, including two top-30 arms in Jose Rodriguez (ranked 29th) and Durbin Feltman (30).

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Scouting Report Updates: Jorge Rodriguez, Durbin Feltman, and more

Our next group of scouting report updates is pitcher-heavy, headlined by SP Top 30 prospects Jorge Rodriguez and Durbin Feltman, as well as Taiwanese pitcher Chih-Jung Liu and 2020 fifth-round pick, Shane Drohan.

SoxProspects.com scouting reports are written by our scouting team, led by Director of Scouting Ian Cundall.

Jorge Rodriguez, Left-handed pitcher

Physical Description: Small-framed left-hander with some projection remaining.

Mechanics: Starts open with his glove low, then brings it above his head. Medium-to-high leg kick. Brings leg across his body for torque.

Fastball: 88-92 mph. Good movement and advanced control for his age. Not an overpowering offering, but plays up due to deception and has a high spin rate. Average potential.

Curveball: Excellent spin rate. Average potential.

Changeup: Average potential.

Career Notes: Had the best performance of any pitcher for the GCL Red Sox in 2019, earning a season-end promotion to Lowell. Participated in the Fall Instructional League in 2019 and 2020, but did not pitch in game action in 2020.

Summation: On the smaller side, but shows promise. Has major league potential with his excellent control profile and spin rates, needs added velocity and further development of his fastball and curveball to reach full potential. Excellent pitchability for his age.

Note: This page will be updated with a complete scouting report after the scouting team has seen the player in person.

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Fort Report: Camp opens

The Red Sox held their first full team workout on February 22 and with the start of spring training comes another year of the SoxProspects.com Fort Report. The Fort Report will run every Tuesday throughout spring training, catching you up on all things prospect-related in Fort Myers.

Here are this week's minor league notes:

• The SoxProspects.com podcast team has been on a roll, with recent podcasts featuring Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom on Episode #200 followed by Senior VP of Baseball Operations Ben Crockett on Episode #201. After an excellent, guestless Episode #202 focusing on the recent trade of outfielder Andrew Benintendi, they continued that incredible run with Episode #203 featuring Red Sox Executive VP and Assistant General Manager Eddie Romero.

• The Benintendi move returned three players to be named later but also included major league outfielder Franchy Cordero and prospect pitcher Josh Winckowski. The SoxProspects.com scouting team got right to work, giving a detailed scouting report of the newly acquired right-hander.

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Podcast Ep. #203: Interview with Red Sox EVP and Asst. GM Eddie Romero

Chris and Ian continue their Offseason interview series and welcome Red Sox Executive VP and Assistant General Manager Eddie Romero to the podcast. Eddie shares how he got into the game and his early days with the club. He goes into detail with the changes the club has made to improve its presence in the Dominican Republic. He shares some interesting stories of players the club has scouted and signed internationally. Before getting into the interview, Chris and Ian talk through the latest moves, including the acquisition of catching prospect Ronaldo Hernandez from the Rays for Chris Mazza and Jeffrey Springs. Plus they go over the release of the spring training camp roster. And finally, as a reminder, next episode we’re going to focus on your emails, and if you have a question, email us

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Scouting Report Updates: Ronaldo Hernandez and Nick Sogard

On Wednesday, the Red Sox traded left-handed pitcher Jeffrey Springs and right-handed pitcher Chris Mazza to the Tampa Bay Rays in return for catcher Roberto Hernandez and infielder Nick Sogard. That the Red Sox were able to get a prospect in Hernandez, who debuted at #14 in the SoxProspects rankings, and a solid minor league depth infielder in Sogard for two pitchers the club had recently designated for assignment was a shrewd piece of business by Chaim Bloom and the front office. Hernandez was once a top 100 prospect according to several publications, but he struggled in 2019. He is still very interesting though and continues to bolster the Red Sox catching depth. The deal also shows how much the Red Sox' pitching depth has improved, as the club felt comfortable dealing two pitchers who clearly had value to other teams. 

For a more detailed breakdown of the trade, check out the next episode of the SoxProspects Podcast, coming this Monday! If you're interested in hearing the podcast before Monday, please consider supporting us on Patreon, where we will be releasing the episode this weekend. 

Here are our initial reports on Hernandez and Sogard, compiled from data and reports as well as our scouting sources across the game. Please note that these reports will be updated after we have seen the players in person.

Roberto Hernandez

Physical Description: Thick, mature frame. Sturdy catcher's build.

Hit: Starts open and utilizes a short leg kick timing device. Loads high and keeps his hands up throughout. Will not swing-and-miss often, but rarely walks and his approach needs work. Can be overly aggressive and has trouble recognizing spin. Has had issues with timing in the past. Potential below-average hit tool.

Power: Plus raw power. Can really impact the baseball, especially up in the zone. Power is mainly to the pull side; every home run in his career prior to being acquired by the Red Sox was to left or left-center. Ability to tap into raw power will depend on how his hit tool develops. Potential average in-game power.

Run: Well-below-average speed. Not a part of his game.

Field: Does not move well behind the plate. Framing and receiving need a lot of work. Potential fringe-average glove.

Arm: Plus-plus arm. Does a good job controlling the running game. Arm is a weapon.

Career Notes: Acquired from the Rays in February 2021 with Nick Sogard for Jeffrey Springs and Chris Mazza. Spent much of 2020 traveling with the Rays on the taxi squad. Was added to the Rays 40-man roster in November 2019. Was an infielder before signing with the Rays, moving behind the plate after signing.

Summation: Potential bat-first backup catcher, but has a wide range of outcomes and has everyday upside. Power and arm are carrying tools, but questions about his approach and hit tool and defensive profile cloud his future projection. Type of defensive profile that could really benefit from robot umps. If he can even develop into a fringe-average defender with a below-average hit tool, could be an everyday player given his power and arm.

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Nick Sogard
Scouting report: Switch-hitter with minimal remaining projection. Strong contact skills. Really knows the strike zone and has an advanced approach. No power projection. Soft hands, solid instincts in the field. Should be able to stay at shortstop and also play second base and third base. Advanced feel for the game and strong instincts. Cousin of MLB veteran infielder Eric Sogard and nephew of former major leaguers Steve and Dave Sax. Projects as a solid organizational player.

Ian Cundall is Director of Scouting for SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter @IanCundall.

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Fall/Winter League Roundup: Duran, Arauz named to Caribbean All-Tourney team

This week's roundup covers February 1 through the end of the season. For the full list of Red Sox prospects participating in these leagues, check out our Fall & Winter Leagues page.

Caribbean Series

The Red Sox organization featured the leadoff hitter for two of the four squads in the 2021 Caribbean Series, and both were honored with All-Tournament Team recognition. Jarren Duran (pictured) continued to build upon his strong finish to the season in the Roberto Clemente (Puerto Rican) League, going 10 for 25 with a homer out of the leadoff spot for Caguas. He was 2 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base in a semifinal victory over Culiacan of the Mexican League. Duran followed with a 1-for-2 effort that included two walks in a 4-1 loss in the final to Aguilas. Jonathan Arauz was 7 for 26 from the top of the order for Chiriqui, representing Panama. Jeremy Rivera (2 for 11) and Jack Lopez (2 for 6) joined Duran getting playing time for Caguas, while Joey Meneses submitted a strong .261/.375/.478 line for Culiacan.

Australian Baseball League

Colin Willis was signed by Boston to a minor league contract after the 2019 season out of the independent American Association. Despite not yet having suited up in a game for the organization, he's been one of the most prominent players in the Winter Leagues for two years. Willis helped Melbourne repeat as ABL champions, going 5 for 9 and homering in both of the Aces' playoff games. The final victory was made all the more dramatic as it was announced only hours before the first pitch that the winners bracket final would instead be the league championship due to a coming COVID lockdown. 

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Thank you for joining us for an unusual Fall & Winter series. With players arriving in spring training, we will begin our Fort Report series in this space next week. 

Photo Credit: Jarren Duran by Kelly O'Connor

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Scouting Report Update: Josh Winckowski

On Thursday, the Red Sox traded Andrew Benintendi to the Kansas City Royals in a three-way trade that also involved the New York Mets. In return, the Red Sox received outfielder Franchy Cordero and two PTBNL from the Royals and RHP Josh Winckowski and a PTBNL from the Mets. For a detailed breakdown of the trade, check out the latest episode of the SoxProspects Podcast. The only prospect we know about so far is Winckowski, who was only just acquired by the Mets in January as part of the Steven Matz trade. Winckowski slots in at 32 in the current SoxProspects Rankings, and it was announced on Friday that he got a Non-Roster Invitation to Major League Spring Training.

Here is our initial report on Winckwoski, compiled from data and reports as well as our scouting sources across the game. Please note that the report will be updated after we have seen him in person.

Physical Description: Tall, sturdy frame. Minimal remaining projection.

Mechanics: Throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot. Delivery is on the stiff side and lacks fluidity. Arm gets out of sync with his delivery and he does not effectively utilize his hips and lower body.

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