Report: Sox sign Cuban defector Jose Iglesias for $8.2-million

According to a report in El Nuevo Herald, a Spanish language newspaper based in Miami, the Red Sox have come to terms with Cuban defector Jose Iglesias on a four year deal worth $8.2-million, which figure includes a $6-million signing bonus. The 19-year-old shortstop defected from Cuba during a July 2008 trip during the World Junior Triple A Baseball Championship in Edmonton and thereafter was declared a free agent eligible to be signed atthe start of the July 2009 signing period.

Iglesias is said to have a plus plus glove and a plus arm, and has drawn comparisons to Ozzie Smith. He reportedly has average range and excellent instincts. His bat is a question mark at this point, particularly power-wise, and he's not likely to add much more bulk to his 5-10, 180 pound frame. He's a pull hitter with average speed. It has been speculated by some scouts that Iglesias would have been a second round pick if he were eligible for the 2009 draft, but the Sox apparently thought more highly of him. Those same scouts also believe that he will begin his career at High A. It is unclear at this point whether Boston intends for Iglesias to begin his career in 2009 or 2010, or whether he has obtained a visa to play in the United States as of yet.

Pressly pitches 6 scoreless innings in Spinner win

7/9 Cup of Coffee: Wednesday's action saw Lehigh Valley blank Pawtucket 12-0. Kris Johnson went 3 innings giving up 5 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks. He had a strikeout. Jose Vaquedano tossed 2 innings allowing 4 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks. He fanned 2. Rocky Cherry threw 2 innings giving up 3 runs on 4 hits. Javier Lopez pitched a clean inning with a strikeout. Travis Denker went 2 for 4.

Portland swept both games of a doubleheader over Binghamton. The Sea Dogs took the first contest 3-1. Junichi Tazawa went 5 innings allowing 1 run on 2 hits. He struck out 1. Dustin Richardson threw 2 scoreless innings giving up 1 hit. He had 2 strikeouts. The offense produced 4 hits spread out among 4 different hitters. The Sea Dogs won the second game 6-2. Adam Mills threw 5 scoreless innings allowing 6 hits. He fanned 2. Chris Province went an inning giving up a run on 2 hits. He struck out 2. TJ Large pitched an inning allowing a run on 2 hits. He fanned 2. Ryan Kalish went 2 for 4 with a run scored and 2 RBI.

Winston-Salem downed Salem 8-3. Bryan Price threw 4.1 innings giving up 6 runs on 8 hits and a walk. He fanned 3. Kyle Fernandes threw 1.2 frames giving up a run on 2 hits. He had 2 strikeouts. Josh Papelbon tossed 2 innings giving up a run on 2 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 2. Anthony Rizzo went 3 for 3 with 2 runs scored. Chih-Hsien Chiang went 2 for 4 with a RBI.

Greenville edged Rome 6-5. Caleb Clay pitched 5 scoreless innings allowing 3 hits and 2 base on balls. He had 6 strikeouts. Armando Zerpa threw 2.1 frames giving up 2 runs on 2 hits and a walk. He struck out 2. Felix Ventura threw 1.2 innings allowing 3 runs on 7 hits. He fanned 1. Zach Gentile went 3 for 5 and scored a run. Mitch Dening and Ryan Dent each went 2 for 3 and scored a run.

Lowell blanked Tri-City 9-0. Ryan Pressly pitched 6 scoreless innings giving up 3 hits and a walk. He struck out 6. Kyle Rutter tossed 2 clean innings recording 3 strikeouts. Pedro Perez pitched a scoreless, hitless 9th inning allowing a walk. He had 2 strikeouts. Jed Lowrie went 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored and a RBI. Chris McGuinnes went 2 for 3 with a run scored and 2 RBI. Ryan Westmoreland went 1 for 3 with a home run, 2 runs scored and 4 RBI.

The Gulf Coast Red Sox did not play on Wednesday.

Player of the Night: Ryan Pressly who threw 6 scoreless innings. He had 6 strikeouts.

Pitcher of the Week, June 29-July 5: Bryan Price

Salem's Bryan Price worked 6 shutout innings at Myrtle Beach (Braves), allowing a mere 3 hits, while walking none, earning the win and SoxProspects.com Pitcher of the Week honors for June 29-July 5. The win was Price's first with Salem after three losses and owns a 7.18 ERA, allowing 29 earned runs on 46 hits, striking out 39 and walking 14 in 36 innings pitched since being promoted to high-A May 26. Combined on the year he is 4-6 with a 4.59 ERA, allowing 41 earned runs on 83 hits, striking out 79 while walking 26. Price, 22, is currently the twenty-first ranked pospect in the organization by SoxProspects.com.

Player of the Week, June 22-July 5: Luis Exposito

Salem's Luis Exposito only played in four games last week, but he made the most of his 18 plate-appearances, posting a .625/.667/1.000 line with 1 home run and 3 doubles, scoring 3 runs, batting in 6 and talking two bases on balls, powering his way to SoxProspects.com Player of the Week honors for June 29-July 5. Exposito, 22, is batting .296/.358/.472 with Salem on the season, hitting 5 home runs, 24 doubles, 1 triple and 43 RBI in 233 at-bats over 61 games. He is currently the fourteenth ranked prospect in the organization by SoxProspects.com.

Van Every designated for assignment, Lowrie assigned to Lowell

With Jed Lowrie's rehab assignment time set to expire on Saturday, the Red Sox tonight activated the 25-year-old shortstop and optioned him to short-season Lowell. To make room for Lowrie to make room on the 40-man roster, injured outfielder Jon Van Every was designated for assignment. Van Every had been on the 7-day disabled list since June 2 with an injured left knee and had hit .215/.378/.462 in 65 at-bats for Pawtucket this season. He had also appeared in 7 major league games for Boston, hitting .364/.462/.636 in 11 at-bats. Lowrie, who had been moved to the 60-day disabled list on Monday to make room on the 40-man roster for Aaron Bates, had gone 5 for 19 during his rehab assignment, playing for Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket. He originally went on the 15-day disabled list on April 13 with pain in his left wrist and had surgery on that wrist eight days later.

Kelly makes last start in pitching role

7/8 Cup of Coffee: Pawtucket defeated Lehigh Valley 6-2 on Tuesday. Clay Buchholz started and threw 6 innings giving up 2 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks. He had 4 strikeouts. Marcus McBeth tossed 2 scoreless frames allowing 2 hits. He struck out 2. Randor Bierd threw a clean 9th recording 1 strikeout. Chris Carter went 2 for 3 with a run scored and 2 RBI. Travis Denker went 2 for 3 with 2 RBI.

The Portland-Binghamton game was postponed due to the weather.

Winston-Salem blanked Salem 2-0. Casey Kelly in his last start as a pitcher went 6 innings allowing 1 run on 6 hits and a walk. He fanned 5. Jason Rice threw 2 innings giving up 1 run on 1 hit and a walk. He struck out 2. Yamaico Navarro went 2 for 3.

Savannah downed Greenville 5-1. Nick Hagadone pitched 3 perfect innings with 5 strikeouts. Michael Lee tossed 4.2 frames allowing 5 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks. He had 2 strikeouts. Leandro Marin pitched 1.1 innings and did not allow a hit or a walk. Jeremy Hazelbaker went 2 for 3.

Despite outhitting their opponents 10 to 6, Lowell fell to Tri-City 2-1. Cesar Cabral threw 6 innings giving up 2 runs on 4 hits and a walk. He had 6 strikeouts. Dennis Neuman tossed a scoreless inning allowing 2 hits. He fanned 3. Richard Lentz tossed 2 scoreless, hitless innings giving up 1 walk. He had 4 strikeouts.

In the Gulf Coast League, the Red Sox downed the Orioles 8-6. Manuel Rivera threw 4 scoreless innings giving up 4 hits and a walk. He fanned 3. Cesare Angeloni went 1.2 frames giving up 4 runs on 5 hits. Dustin Mercadante tossed 2 innings giving up 2 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks. He had a strikeout. Justin Erasmus pitched 1.1 clean innings. He struck out 2. Bryan Peterson went 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI. Christian Vazquez went 2 for 5 with 3 RBI. Felix Sanchez went 2 for 4 and scored 2 runs. Roberto Ramos went 4 for 4 with 2 runs scored and a RBI.

Player of the Night: Roberto Ramos who was a perfect 4 for 4 at the plate with 2 runs scored and a RBI

Richardson to replace Tazawa as EL All-Star

Portland relief pitcher Dustin Richardson will be an Eastern League All-Star after all - he'll be replacing Junichi Tazawa, who will be pitching in the Futures Game on July 12, on the Northern Division roster. In his first season pitching out of the bullpen, Richardson has put up a 2-1 record with a 2.78 ERA so far in 2009. The tall lefthander has made 26 appearances spanning 45.1 innings, compiling 62 strikeouts and limiting opposing hitters to a .186 batting average. He has faired even better against lefthanded hitters, holding them to a .167 batting average while striking out 33 in 18.2 innings. Pitching exclusively as a starter prior to this season, Richardson owns a career minor league record of 22-20 with a 4.28 ERA, striking out 347 in 319.1 innings since being selected by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the 2006 draft. He is currently the twenty-eighth ranked prospect in the Red Sox organization according to SoxProspects.com.