Fall/Winter League Roundup: Gudino, Padron-Artiles set to play in Caribbean Series

Another winter ball season is effectively in the books, which means the 2023 Caribbean Series is almost upon us. The Red Sox will be well represented in the international tournament, as recently signed infielder Edwin Diaz will play for Puerto Rico, Norwith Gudino will play for Venezuela, and Yusniel Padron-Artiles (pictured) will play for Panama.

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Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League

After signing a minor-league deal with the Red Sox two weeks ago, infielder Edwin Diaz has been added to Puerto Rico's roster for the upcoming Caribbean Series in Venezuela. The right-handed hitting 27-year-old was named LBPRC MVP after batting .229/375/.418 with eight homers and 29 RBI over 48 games (192 plate appearances) for the Criollos de Caguas this winter. Former Red Sox minor leaguers Alan Marrero and Jeremy Rivera are also on Puerto Rico's roster. 

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Podcast Ep. #272: Team taking shape

After much uncertainty, it seems that the Red Sox 2023 roster is finally starting to take shape. Justin Turner, Corey Kluber, Adalberto Mondesi, Adam Duvall... Meanwhile, three more former top ten prospects, including a former top prospect in the #SP60 and a former #2, have been designated for assignment. Meanwhile, Baseball America and MLB Pipeline released their Top 100 lists, the 2023 IFA signing period opened, and we got a bunch more emails, so Chris and Ian had plenty to discuss! 

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Fall/Winter League Roundup: Players collect in-season and postseason accolades

The winter leagues are almost over, but a few players still got a chance to offer postseason heroics. Next week all eyes will be on Norwith Gudino in Venezuela as his team plays for the championship. 

Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League 

Carolina has a 3-2 series lead over Mayaguez and is one game away from a championship. Matthew Lugo was one of two players named the LBPRC Rookie of the Year, and recent signing Edwin Diaz was named the LBPRC MVP. Lugo hit .275/.360/.450 with six home runs in 120 at-bats, while Diaz hit .229/.375/.418 with eight home runs in 153 at-bats. Both players helped lead Caguas to a first-place regular season finish. 

Dominican Professional Baseball League

Jorge Alfaro (pictured), signed as a minor league free agent on January 16, led his team to a title. He only had 21 regular season at-bats for Licey but was ultimately named MVP of the LIDOM championship series. In the round-robin portion of the playoffs, he hit .383/.471/.633 with two home runs in 60 at-bats. He turned it up another notch in the championship series, hitting .417/.417/.667 with another home run. 

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Fall/Winter Round-up: Light week for SoxProspects

The winter leagues are beginning to wind down, as most are well into the postseason and only a few teams remain in qualification for the Caribbean Series, which will take place in February. This meant it was a light week for Red Sox prospects, as most players' teams have been eliminated from postseason contention.

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Fall/Winter League Roundup: Gudino pitches well, Hernandez designated for assignment

There was not a ton of action this past week for Red Sox players. The regular season ended for the Roberto Clemente League, as the playoffs got underway. This covers games from January 2 through January 8, but only a couple players saw time.

The regular season came to a close and the semifinals began this past week. Red Sox players did not see any action, as Ponce is not in the postseason. Henry Nunez (pictured) ended his winter with a 4.24 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 23 1/3 frames, while Nate Tellier finished his campaign with a 5.40 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings. At the plate for Ponce, catcher Juan Montero ended his season with three hits in 25 at-bats. 

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Podcast Ep. #271: Rafael Devers gets paid

For Red Sox fans who wanted something... ANYTHING to get excited about, the organization finally came through on Wednesday, reportedly agreeing to terms with Rafael Devers on an 11-year, $331 million extension that will keep him in Boston until the ripe old age of... 36. Yup, it's a good contract and the guys are fans, so they answered the emergency podcast signal to discuss. Plus, we said goodbye to the folk hero of the system, Big Joe Davis, following his retirement, and took some time to once again speculate what 40-man moves might be in the offiing to make room for Justin Turner and Corey Kluber. 

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Fall/Winter League Roundup: Hernández adds to home run total by going deep twice

With 2023 now underway, Ronaldo Hernandez (pictured) made sure to cap off his 2022 in style last week by hitting two more home runs for his team in Colombia. Meanwhile, in Puerto Rico, Matthew Lugo saw his winter ball campaign draw to a close two days before Christmas. This article covers games played from December 26 through January 1.

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Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League

Matthew Lugo was placed on Caguas' inactive list on Friday, Dec. 23. In 39 games for the Criollos, the 21-year-old infielder batted .275/.360/.450 with three doubles, six home runs, 19 RBIs, 20 runs scored, two stolen bases, 11 walks, and 34 strikeouts over 140 plate appearances. 

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Podcast Ep. #270: '22 in Review, pt. 4, low-minors hitting

Closing out 2022, Chris and Ian finally closed out the '22 in Review series with the low minors hitters after a slow(-ish) week of news. First, there was the matter of Nathan Eovaldi leaving and being replaced by Corey Kluber, with a look at how the 2023 pitching staff appears to have rounded out. Then we got into the minor leaguers, led by a review of what 2022 meant for the deepest part of the system. You know Marcelo Mayer, but what of Miguel Bleis and Nick Yorke? What do the guys think of the players lurking just behind them in the rankings? The answers, plus more of your emails, await! 

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Fall/Winter League Roundup: Lugo and Hernández continue to shine

With the regular seasons winding down and the playoffs set to begin in a few of the leagues, fewer players will be getting playing time. Mathew Lugo and Ronaldo Hernández (pictured) continued their great winters, while a new signing had a solid week in Venezuela. This article covers games from December 19 through December 25. Full statistics are also available on the Fall & Winter Leagues page. 

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Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League

With the regular season ending next Wednesday, teams are in the final playoff push. Mathew Lugo and Caguas are currently in first place, while Henry Núñez and Juan Montero are just a few games back with Ponce. Núñez and Montero did not see game action this week, partly because their team only had three games with all teams off for Christmas Eve and Christmas. Lugo went 3 for 8 over two starts with two strikeouts and a stolen base. 

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Fall/Winter League Roundup: Hernandez goes yard, Lugo stays hot

As the calendar reaches the end of December, the Caribbean winter leagues are beginning to reach the end of their regular seasons. The Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League stretches just into the new year, while the playoffs in the Dominican Professional Baseball League began on Sunday. Many Red Sox minor leaguers are still in the mix as they help to try and make the Caribbean Series.

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Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League

The standard-bearer for farmhand performance in Puerto Rico this week was Matthew Lugo. The infielder was 8 for 22 on the week, including a trio of multi-hit games. He also had a 3-for-5 performance, including four RBI and a home run on December 15 against Mayaguez. Juan Montero was 0 for 2 in one game with Leones, but he did score a run and draw a walk. The pitching was much less strong, as both Henry Nunez and Nate Tellier both had one appearance. Nunez surrendered three runs across his two-inning stint, while it was one run on a hit and a pair of walks in one inning for Tellier.

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Podcast Ep. #269: Much Ado About Everything

Xander Bogaerts is gone. Red Sox fans are furious. And in the week following that bombshell, the team designated Jeter Downs and Eric Hosmer for assignment and traded Hoy Park after mere weeks in the organization while the last of the big free agents came off the board. Chris and Ian tried to make sense of it all, plus actual news on what might be in store for Noah Song, public relations, Trevor Story's arm, and whether FSG should sell. 

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Fall/Winter League Roundup: Lugo homers, Sox sign minor league pitcher

Another week of winter ball is complete, as Matthew Lugo (pictured) and Henry Nunez put together some fine performances in the Roberto Clemente League. The Sox also signed a new arm to a minor league deal, and he has been pitching in the Venezuelan League. 

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Dominican Professional Baseball League 

Infielder Nick Sogard joined Toros Del Este this past week and made his debut. He played in five games and went 5 for 17 (.294) with five singles, a walk, and a hit by pitch. He scored twice and knocked in two. He also played some shortstop and made a nice play in the hole. No other Sox players played in the Dominican League this past week. 

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Podcast Ep. #268: Free Agents and Rule 5 and X Gon...e

We all had a hell of a week on Wednesday. First, the Red Sox reportedly came to terms with Kenley Jansen and Masataka Yoshida. Then came reports that the team was making progress with Xander Bogaerts. Then came an incredibly eventful Rule 5 Draft in which the club lost three players, including one huge surprise. Then the big one, as those earlier Bogaerts reports proved entirely incorrect and he signed with the San Diego Padres. Chris and Ian had a lot to unpack, and so they did! 

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Podcast Ep. #267: Rankings Rundown

The guys ring in the coming of the Winter Meetings with a full rundown of the official end-of-season Top 60. Chris and Ian discuss the movers and shakers and some of the debates up and down the list. Plus, the Red Sox finally did some stuff, so the guys talked Joely Rodriguez and the Hoy Park/Inmer Lobo trade. And as always, your emails! 

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Fall/Winter League Roundup: German impresses, Rafaela wraps up stint in Puerto Rico

Another week of winter ball action is in the books. Down in the Dominican Republic, Victor Santos and Franklin German (pictured) impressed out of the bullpen for their respective clubs. Elsewhere, Jeter Downs was released from the Indios de Mayaguez in Puerto Rico while the Criollos de Caguas announced that Ceddanne Rafaela was done playing for them. In other bullpen-related news, Henry Nunez hurled five scoreless innings of relief for Leones de Ponce, and Darwinzon Hernandez put together two quality outings in Venezuela.

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Dominican Professional Baseball League

Victor Santos made his 11th appearance of the season for Escogido on Friday. The 22-year-old right-hander retired all three batters he faced in a scoreless seventh inning. He now owns a 1.88 ERA and 1.19 WHIP across 14 1/3 innings in this year's Dominican Winter League. Franklin German, meanwhile, got into two games for Aguilas last week. The 25-year-old righty allowed one hit and struck out one over two scoreless frames. In a similar fashion to Santos, German's ERA now sits at 1.88 ERA through 14 1/3 innings of work.

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SoxProspects.com end-of-season rankings countdown: The Top Ten

From the home office in Sioux City, Iowa, here are the Top Ten Prospects in the Boston Red Sox minor league system. 

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10. Luis Perales

Preseason Rank: Unranked

2022 Stats: 13 games, 11 GS, 35 2/3 IP, 1.77 ERA, 20 H, 50 K, 20 BB, 1 HR @ FCL, Salem

"The raw stuff is great, he just needs to get healthy." It's a refrain that seemingly always applies to some mysterious arm in the low minors. Almost always, it doesn't happen. Either the pitcher never really gets healthy, or he does, and the stuff is just not what those initial glowing reports indicate. Once in a great while, however, there is a Luis Perales. Signed back in 2019 to a modest $75,000 bonus, word of Perales' talent started spreading as soon as that fall's Tricky league. A 2020 lost to COVID and a 2021 in which various injuries limited him to two innings in the DSL dropped him off of the rankings entirely. He returned to competitive action on June 10, allowing two runs in three innings for the FCL Red Sox. He would go on to make eight more appearances at that level, allowing just one earned run in total. In his July 11 start, he faced nine batters striking out eight of them. In 25 dominant innings, he surrendered only 10 hits, walked nine, and struck out 34 (36.2% of batters faced). His control wobbled some after a promotion to Salem, but he continued to miss bats and impress scouts. Developmentally, he will need to show that he can handle a starter's workload: he was understandably handled carefully, never facing more than 15 batters or going beyond three innings in any appearance. 

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SoxProspects.com end-of-season rankings countdown: 20-11

Today we move into our top 20, featuring several players who had standout seasons in 2022. Five players in this group were recognized as SoxProspects.com All-Stars, including Niko Kavadas (pictured) and Eddinson Paulino. The Salem Red Sox are also very well represented in today's edition, with seven of the ten players having played some or all of their 2022 seasons there.

If you missed the first two segments of this series, make sure to check prospects 60 to 31 from Monday, and yesterday's 30 to 21 edition. 

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20. Niko Kavadas

Preseason Rank: 46

2022 Stats: 120 games, 515, PA, .280/.443/.547, 26 HR, 102 BB, 152 K @ Salem, Greenville, and Portland

In June, Kavadas had what was probably the best offensive month in the 20-year history of this site. He hit .377/.524/.951 with 10 home runs over 19 games with Salem, earning a promotion to Greenville. Instead of an adjustment period, he proceeded to go 9 for 19 with four home runs in six games. He homered in five consecutive games and in 11 of 15 between the two levels. An August assignment to Portland was a more difficult transition. While he continued to work deep counts and draw walks, he hit just .222 with two home runs and 40 strikeouts against the more advanced competition. Some fatigue would be understandable, but continuing to hit will be key to his propsect status. As a first base-only player, Kavadas will need to rake. Given how he did so at Notre Dame and in continued to at Class A, that's certainly not out of the question.

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SoxProspects.com end-of-season rankings countdown: 30-21

Welcome to day two of our SoxProspects.com end-of-season countdown! Following yesterday's recap of prospects 31 through 60, we now move forward in groups of ten. This group features a pair of 2022 draftees, as well as two potential key 2023 bullpen pieces in Zack Kelly (pictured) and Franklin German.

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30. Brooks Brannon

Preseason Rank: NA; 2022 ninth-round pick

2022 Stats: 5 games, 15 PA, 6 for 13, 2 3B, 5 RBI @ FCL

Brannon, Boston's ninth-round pick in July, got an overslot $712,000 bonus to sign him away from a commitment to Chapel Hill. He put up video-game type numbers as a high school senior, hitting 20 home runs and driving in 91 in 34 games, posting a 1.330 slugging percentage. As he moves to the professional ranks, the question becomes whether he can stick at catcher. If he can, the power potential is obviously huge. If he can't, he'll be in a position where the offensive bar is quite a bit higher. 

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SoxProspects.com end-of-season rankings countdown: 60-31

Welcome to our official SoxProspects.com season end rankings. Our first segment details those ranked from 31 to 60. It is a group that includes several prominent prospects, including recent 40-man addition David Hamilton (pictured), international bonus baby Freili Encarnacion, and Meatball Gangster-turned-Fall Star Stephen Scott. The group also includes 13 players who were not ranked at the start of the season: two 2022 draft picks, one player acquired in a trade, and 10 previously unranked players who have played their way onto the list.

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Graduating: Connor Wong

Preseason Rank: 27

Final Rank: 11

2022 Stats: 355 PA, .288/.349/.489, 15 HR, 27 BB, 80 K at Triple-A Worcester; 56 PA, .188/.273/.313 in majors

-Wong did not reach the 130 at-bat threshold, but exceeded the service time limit for rookie eligibility. After a slow start at Worcester, Wong heated up with the weather, hitting the ball with more authority on his way to SoxProspects.com and International League Player of the Month honors in August. He also has earned a reputation as someone pitchers enjoy throwing too, a trait that puts him in the conversation as part of the major league club's catching mix in 2023.

60. Jacob Webb

Preseason Rank: 56

2022 Stats: 44 games, 56 2/3 IP, 3.18 ERA, 88 K, 28 BB @ Salem, Greenville, and Portland

-The 6-foot-5 right-hander had a strong first full season after being drafted in the 14th round in 2021. Webb led the organization with 14.0 strikeouts per nine innings, earning a ticket to the Arizona Fall League.

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Fall/Winter League Roundup: Lugo blasts three home runs, Rafaela swipes three bases

The action continued this week, with several prospects seeing playing ttime for their clubs. A power surge from Matthew Lugo (pictured) was the highlight in Puerto Rico, while Victor Santos returned to game action in the Dominican. Darwinzon Hernandez finally had a blemish in Venezuela, and Ceddanne Rafaela used his legs to contribute offensively. 

Dominican Professional Baseball League

Victor Santos had the flu and missed almost two weeks of action. He returned on Tuesday and allowed a solo home run to Starlin Castro while striking out three over two innings. He was roughed up in his second appearance, allowing two runs on four hits in one inning. He recorded one out in his third appearance while allowing a hit and a walk. Neither runner came in to score. Franklin German appeared in two games, allowing one run over two innings with one strikeout. His ERA sits at just 2.19 over 12 1/3 innings. 

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