Q&A with Brock Huntzinger

The Red Sox selected Brock Huntzinger in the third round of the 2007 Draft out of Pendleton Heights High School in Indiana. He signed a few weeks after the draft and pitched in only four games in 2007. In 2008, Huntzinger broke out with the Lowell Spinners going 5-0 with a 0.64 ERA before struggling after a promotion to Greenville. He looks to break camp with the Low-A Greenville Drive to begin 2009. Jonathan Singer of SoxProspects.com recently caught up with Huntzinger to talk baseball at Minor League Spring Training.


Jonathan Singer: How did your off-season go? What things did you look to work on prior to spring training?
Brock Huntzinger: One of the things I looked to do was to gain some more muscle mass. I probably gained 7-10 pounds of good weight. Going into this year I just wanted to get a lot stronger, since last year I got tired and my production fell off. I had never thrown that many innings before, and I just wanted to make sure I was stronger and more physical coming into this season so I would have a better chance of staying strong towards the end of August and into September.

JS: You were a third round pick out of high school in Indiana. Could you describe the scouting process that you had with the Red Sox organization? What were your thoughts on the whole process in general?
BH: They (the Red Sox) were very extensive with their background checks. They had a bunch of visits to my house and had a bunch of scouts come see me play, [including] the cross checker, the national guy, the scouting director. [I] could definitely tell they were interested. The process was very in depth, but it was fun as it got me to throw in front of them, even though the talent level here is not like a California, Florida, or even a Texas.

JS: Did you want to sign out of high school or was there a part of you that wanted to go to Indiana?
BH: You know, I was a kid and I am still a kid. All my friends back home were doing the college thing. I always dreamed of playing professional baseball, the opportunity presented itself and I jumped on it. I always knew I could go back to school, but you do miss out on your friends and the social scene that comes with college, but I feel playing professional baseball is a pretty good trade off.

JS: What are some of the things the Red Sox have set out for you this coming season?
BH: I think the biggest thing is the development of my changeup and the continued development of my slider. They also want me to repeat my delivery over and over again, as well as being able to be more consistent mechanical wise. Right now it’s my second full year, so basically it is getting on a program, being able to get your routine down every five days in order to be a starting pitcher,where you know that every fifth day you will feel good. A lot of it is pretty much a continuation of what I worked on last year and when I signed.

JS: Please give us a self scouting report on Brock Huntzinger.
BH: (Chuckling) Fastball is my best pitch. My pitches are much better when they are down in the zone. When I get tired, I tend to get lazy with my mechanics and that is when I start to get the ball up in the zone and opponents start to beat me around. Overall, I think I have a pretty good mental approach on the mound. I don’t get easily rattled out there, and I am someone that can keep my composure when things aren’t going right. My stuff is pretty above average at times, and I just need to continue to put it all together in order to be consistent every time I am on the mound.

JS: You dominated competition in Lowell before getting promoted to Greenville and struggling mightily. Can you describe what you went through in Greenville and the adjustments you will need to make to succeed at higher levels?
BH: I think the biggest thing is just staying strong. Again, coming out of high school I threw 43 innings and I threw an additional 16 innings in the GCL and Fall Instructional League. Last year, from start to finish I threw 130 innings in spring training, extended spring training, Lowell and Greenville. When I got to Greenville, my mechanics were not sharp because I was weak. My fastball didn’t have the life on it that it normally does. It was good for me to struggle like that because coming out of Lowell, I had thrown 42 innings and given up only 3 runs, and then you are on a high. You feel like you are on top of the world and at some point you have to come down. I think it was good for me to realize you are not as good as your numbers are sometimes, and at times you are not as bad as your numbers are. I know what I learned from it and what I have to do to get better.

JS: Did you have a favorite major league team growing up?
BH: I didn't really have a favorite team growing up, but I had favorite players. I am a big fan of Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Randy Johnson, and Curt Schilling. I would go to Cubs games, Reds games, [and I've] been to a few Cardinals games, but there really is no hotbed for major league baseball in Indiana.

JS: Who were the most influential people in your development as a baseball player?
BH: There was a scout for the Chicago White Sox from my hometown who went to my high school by the name of Mike Shirley. I would say he is the reason I’m where I am today. I used to be a punk kid. You can have tools and raw ability, but if you don’t listen to anyone, then you are just going to waste it. He had teaching methods in order for me to shape up or ship out. He wouldn’t take any crap or disrespect from me like I would give out to a lot of other people. I would also say my dad was very influential as well, as he pushed me to become confident to myself.

JS: Have you set any personal goals for yourself this season?
BH: Just to get better in every aspect of the game. I just want to start strong, keep the stride going throughout the year, and finish strong. Obviously everybody is going to have a bump in the road here and there where you are going to go out and give up 4 or 5 runs in a game, and you just got to go out the next day like nothing happened. I just want to keep developing as a pitcher, not just physically but mentally as well, and to keep it all on an even keel.

Buchholz slated to start with Paw Sox, Bailey reassigned

RHP Clay Buchholz will start 2009 in Pawtucket, barring any set-backs for RHP Brad Penny, The Boston Globe's Adam Kilgore is reporting. Buchholz met with Manager Terry Francona after his start against Tampa Bay today and was told of the club's intentions. Until being roughed up today by the Rays, Buchholz had pitched brilliantly and it is unlikely that today's outing factored in the decision ... The Red Sox also officially announced the reassignment of 1B/OF Jeff Bailey to minor league camp, reinforcing the speculation that 1B/OF Chris Carter and INF Nick Green had the inside track on the final major league bench spots.

Turn on your radio to hear Jon Lester Rally Against Cancer

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

BOSTON -- Jon Lester, Red Sox pitcher and spokesman for this year's Rally Against Cancer, will take to the Boston airwaves Wednesday, April 1, and Thursday, April 2, to encourage listeners to Rally Against Cancer in support of the Jimmy Fund and its life saving mission. By giving $5 or more, Rally supporters can wear their Red Sox gear to school or work on Opening Day at Fenway Park Monday, April 6, and could win a visit from Lester himself. Visit www.rallyagainstcancer.org for more details and listen for Jon Lester on the following stations:*

Wednesday, April 1:
7:10 a.m. WFNX 101.7 FM
7:20 a.m. WEEI 850 AM
7:40 a.m. WROR 105.7 FM

Thursday, April 2:
7:00 a.m. WBCN 104.1 FM
7:10 a.m. WODS 103.3 FM
7:20 a.m. WZLX 100.7 FM
7:40 a.m. WBMX 98.5 FM

*Please note that times are subject to change.

2009 Prospects Previews: Anthony Rizzo and Jorge Jimenez

This installment of the Prospects Previews series features a young first baseman looking to get back into the swing of baseball life, and a third base prospect looking to round out his game in the upper levels of the organization.

Anthony Rizzo

Position: First Base
2008 Team: Greenville Drive
2009 Projected Team: Greenville Drive

Strengths: Rizzo brings an excellent approach to the plate. He works pitchers while he is at bat, seeing a lot of pitches, and his command of the strike zone is advanced for his age. Rizzo seeks out his pitch and has a smooth, fluid stroke from the left side of the plate, producing hard, solid contact. With little movement as the pitch approaches the plate, Rizzo uncoils from a closed stance and hits through the ball very well, producing a lot of line drives. Standing at 6’3’’ and 230 pounds, his power potential is above average and he projects to have good power to all fields. With excellent bat speed, the ball jumps off Rizzo’s bat when he makes contact. His overall skills at the plate are well advanced for his age and he projects as a middle-of-the-order hitter at the major league level. Despite his size, Rizzo has excellent quickness and is nimble around the bag. He gets a good jump on balls his way and digs throws out of the dirt very well. Rizzo projects as a solid first baseman defensively down the line. A hard worker and great teammate, he leads by example and is the type of player that others look up to.

Development Needs: Rizzo was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in May of last season and missed the rest of the year. Given a clean bill of health in November, Rizzo is back on the field and ready to start the 2009 season. Because of his illness, Rizzo lost some developmental time and had his hot start at Greenville derailed. At the plate, he needs to work on tapping into his raw power and lifting the ball with his swing. However, Rizzo’s power was beginning to come around right before his diagnosis. With continued repetitions provided by a full-season of at bats, this is something that should come with time. While his approach is advanced at the plate, he still has some development ahead of him when it comes to his pitch recognition and command of off-speed pitches. Occasionally, Rizzo can get himself out at the plate, but during his short stint at Greenville last season he was producing a lot of hard contact. Rizzo’s developmental needs center on getting back in the flow of the game after his layoff and rounding out his skills as he starts to move up the ranks of the Red Sox organization.

2009 Outlook: Rizzo looks set to begin the 2009 season with the Greenville Drive. Watch for him to continue to bring a patient approach to his at-bats and display his sweet left-handed swing. While the Red Sox will most likely bring him along slowly, Rizzo should get plenty of at bats this season and his development should respond as he gets back in the flow. One of the main things to watch for is how he starts to tap into his natural power and lift the ball. Rizzo should start to hit some home runs at this level as he adjusts his swing more and more. Look for Rizzo to continue to display his solid contact rates as well. Another area to watch for is improvement in his pitch recognition and a better understanding of the pitches he can drive. While 2009 will be a season of getting back on the field and into the swing of things, watch for some nice developmental strides for Rizzo, as well as some flashes of the type of player he can be down the line.

Jorge Jimenez

Position: Third Base
2008 Teams: Lancaster Jethawks and Portland Sea Dogs
2009 Projected Team: Portland Sea Dogs

Strengths: This athletic player brings a lot of fluidity to his game. Jimenez makes excellent contact at the plate and has a nice, smooth swing from the left side of the plate. He handles balls in the middle to outer third of the plate very well and likes to get his arms extended. His swing has some natural lift to it, and he drives balls into the gaps pretty well. With an excellent approach, Jimenez does not strike out much either. He’s generally aggressive at the plate and is able to take advantage of pitcher’s mistakes while not working himself into too many tough counts. Jimenez held his own after his promotion to Double-A last season, and he did not look overmatched in his first taste of advanced pitching. Jimenez is also athletic in the field and has good range at third base. He’s fluid and smooth at the hot corner with a sure glove and an accurate arm, andhe can also play first base. After spending the 2007 season with the Lowell Spinners, the Red Sox pushed Jimenez past low-A in 2008 and he responded with a nice season overall while making some strong developmental strides.

Development Needs: There isn’t much power in Jimenez’s game despite a strong frame and natural lift in his swing. The power he shows in batting practice has yet to really transfer into games, and he will need to produce some more power to make it as a corner infielder at the major league level. He does not project as a slugger down the line, but has the skills to add some to his game. Jimenez is not overly patient at the plate and does not wait around long in his at-bats. Now that he has advanced to Double-A, some added work in taking walks and being more selective will be necessary to keep pitchers from taking advantage of his aggressive nature. Jimenez has been excellent at producing contact in his career, but needs some work on creating harder contact and cleaning out pitches on the inner third of the plate rather than rolling over them. Some improvement in this area could produce a boost in his power and the number of balls he pulls with authority. His arm is only average for a third baseman, and he could be a little more fluid with his throws to make up for his lack of elite level arm strength.

2009 Outlook: Jimenez is set to man the hot corner for the Portland Sea Dogs this season. Expect Jimenez to continue to produce high contact rates and get the bat on the ball frequently. One of the main areas to watch for is how well his patience comes along at this level. Improvement in the number of walks he draws would be a sign of positive development in this area, as would an increase in hard contact on the balls he puts into the field of play. Look for Jimenez to play a solid third base, while his ability to move across the diamond gives the team some flexibility. Another area to watch for is whether he can add a little bit more power to his game and transfer his impressive batting practice results into live game action. An uptick in the amount of power he produces would further solidify his status as a prospect capable of holding down a starting role at the major league level. After a nice season of development in 2008 in which he got back on a more age-appropriate path, Jimenez is looking to sharpen his overall game and show he can produce over a full season in Double-A.

March 28 Fort Report - First Cuts

Word from two sources is that Mike Rozier, Darren Blocker, Rafael Cabreja, Chris Jones, and Jordan Craft were released on Friday, but the team has yet to officially announce those transactions ... After missing significant off-season and sping workouts with an ankle injury, Jason Place returned to minor league game action on Thursday ... Jon Van Every has also missed time with an ankle injury - about two weeks - and is expected to miss another two weeks of spring action according to the ProJo ... Despite his struggles so far in camp, Chip Ambres impressed with a walk-off home run for Boston on Friday ... Ambres could be the starting centerfielder for Pawtucket if Van Every starts the season on the disabled list ... The Red Sox announced this morning that Justin Masterson has been moved to the bullpen, and the first start for the fifth starter - on April 12 - will go to either Brad Penny or Clay Buchholz, largely depending on the status of Penny's arm strength.

2009 Prospects Previews: Watch List

This installment of the Prospect Previews series focuses on some of the newer and relative unknown prospects within the Red Sox organization, giving an overview on some of the things to expect and watch for during the upcoming season.

Carson Blair

Position: Catcher
2008 Team: Gulf Coast League Red Sox
2009 Projected Team: Gulf Coast League Red Sox

2009 Outlook: Drafted as an infielder, the Red Sox will try their hand at converting Blair to a catcher in 2009. Physically, he is thin in the upper body but has a solid lower half and should be able to fill out as he matures. Blair has been transitioning well to his new role this spring, showing a quick release on his throws down to second base. A hard worker, expect him to pick up the general points of catching this season and provide some clues as to whether this transition is going to succeed in the long run. Watch for Blair to improve on how he handles pitchers. Given his athletic nature he should be quick behind the plate, and agile on balls in the dirt. He should be expected struggle from time to time, but this is a given for someone transitioning to an entirely new position. Offensively, Blair can get the bat on the ball and has some pop in his swing. After a quick start to his professional career in the batter’s box at the tail end of last season, he will be looking to carry that momentum into the coming season. Blair’s mechanics at the plate need some refinement and the Red Sox coaching staff has been working on getting him to be more still at the plate. Watch for Blair to improve on his ability to stay on the ball and keep his body moving together during his swing. The more fluid his body gets, the more solid contact to all fields he will produce.

Manny Rivera

Position: Pitcher
2008 Team: Dominican Summer League Red Sox
2009 Projected Team: Lowell Spinners

2009 Outlook: After spending the 2007 season in the bullpen, the Red Sox moved Rivera to the starting rotation and he produced in his new role in 2008. Striking out slightly more than a batter per inning last season, this left-handed starter aggressively goes after hitters with his fastball. The pitch showed good life and movement this spring, but he can be wild within the strike zone. His delivery is free and easy, but he struggles some with a consistent release point. Watch for Rivera to work on refining his fastball command during the summer at Lowell while sharpening his off-speed pitches. He’ll need to work them in more against the advanced competition he will face in the NYPL to keep hitters from sitting on his fastball and to continue his career as a starter. Rivera is relatively light for a pitcher, and he will need to put on some weight to maintain his stamina to endure a starting pitcher’s workload. After moving into the rotation in 2008, Rivera showed improved control and cut down on his walks. Continuing to improve in this area will be a need for him as he develops in the United States. 2009 will be a season of introduction for Rivera given his relatively unknown status outside of the Red Sox organization.

Oscar Perez

Position: Catcher
2008 Team: Did not play
2009 Projected Team: Gulf Coast League Red Sox

2009 Outlook: Signed in July of 2008 during the international signing period, the Red Sox gave Perez a bonus of around $750K, demonstrating how high they are on him. Just seventeen years old entering the 2009 season, Perez is a raw player, but he has the tools to develop into a solid major league player down the line. Advanced defensively for his age, he’s been fluid and smooth in his actions this spring. His body is physically advanced for a player his age as well, and he seems to be built to withstand the rigors of the catching position. At the plate, Perez has a lot of raw power potential, which makes him an intriguing prospect offensively. Given that this will be his first experience against professional pitching, the expectations aren’t overly high for this season, but there should be flashes of the type of solid contact he can produce as the season moves along. With the instruction and repetitions he will be getting in Florida, his development could jump as he has the natural skills of a top-of-the-line prospect. The Red Sox will give Perez a strong shot to open the season in the GCL and 2009 looks like the beginning of Perez’s career in the United States, giving followers a taste of what is to come.

Rocky Cherry signed to minor league deal

According to Art Martone of the Providence Journal, the Red Sox have signed reliever Rocky Cherry to a minor league contract. Last season, Cherry posted an 0-3 record with a 6.35 ERA, 15 strikeouts and 16 walks in 18 appearances out of the Baltimore bullpen. He began the 2008 season at Triple-A Norfolk, where he went 0-1 with a 2.89 ERA in 28 games, striking out 37 and walking only 9 in 37.1 innings. Cherry had been picked in the Rule 5 draft by the Mets in December, but was released on March 17 and became a free agent when Baltimore declined to buy back his contract. He has made 4 appearances so far this spring, allowing 1 earned run on 5 hits and 1 walk in 4.0 innings, striking out 1.

The 29-year-old righthander began his career in the Cubs organization after the team made him a 14th round draft pick in 2002, and he made his major league debut for Chicago in 2007. He was then traded, along with third baseman Scott Moore, to the Orioles at the 2007 trading deadline for starter Steve Trachsel. In 40 career major league appearances for the Cubs and Orioles, Cherry is 1-4 with a 5.77 ERA, 38 strikeouts, and 35 walks in 48.1 innings, all out of the bullpen. He will likely do his pitching for the Pawtucket Red Sox in 2009.

2009 Prospect Previews: Ryan Westmoreland and George Kottaras

The 17th installment of the Prospect Previews series features a 2008 Draft Pick set to make his debut midway into the season, and a catcher on the verge of breaking camp with the Boston Red Sox.

Ryan Westmoreland

Position: Outfield
2008 Teams: Portsmouth High School (RI)
2009 Projected Team: Lowell Spinners/Greenville Drive

Strengths: An exciting 5-tool prospect, Westmoreland has all of the skills to be a top player at the major league level. One of the fastest players within the organization, he projects to be a player who can impact the game with his wheels and steal a good amount of bases as he rises through the system. Westmoreland has strong, quick wrists, which generate tremendous bat speed as he whips the head of the bat through the hitting zone, and he has a knack for consistently squaring up the ball to produce hard contact to all fields. Given his excellent bat speed and strong athletic frame, Westmoreland has excellent power potential and projects as a player who will drive the ball out of the ballpark as he follows his development path. His plate discipline has been reported as being advanced for his age. In the field, he is more than capable of patrolling centerfield, and his defensive skills are highlighted by excellent range along with a strong arm. Committed to Vanderbilt, the Red Sox lured Westmoreland away from college with a $2 million signing bonus after selecting him in the 5th round of the 2008 draft.

Development Needs: Westmoreland underwent surgery on his labrum this off-season and will probably be sidelined until mid-May. He is expected to make a full recovery, but it remains to be seen how this injury will effect his development and how long it will take for him to get comfortable at the plate again. Playing his high school baseball in Rhode Island, there are some concerns about the level of competition he faced and how smooth his transition against professional pitching will be, but the Red Sox heavily scouted Westmoreland, including a personal trip from Theo Epstein. While he possess all of the tools, including an advanced approach at the plate, he is still a raw hitter and growing into his body. It can be expected that there will be some developmental needs surrounding his pitch recognition, which is driven by more and more repetition against advanced pitching. However, Westmoreland put up excellent summer baseball numbers against top competition, and was the hitting star of the Red Sox Dominican Instructional League just prior to having surgery on his shoulder.

2009 Outlook: Given his rehabilitation from surgery, Westmoreland will not be ready to break camp with a full-season team; had he been healthy, he most likely would have started the year with the Greenville Drive. Swinging a bat and beginning his work on getting his throwing strength back, look for Westmoreland to begin appearing in some game action in mid-May or early June with the Lowell Spinners. He could also debut with the Greenville Drive if there are openings there or the Red Sox feel inclined to challenge him right off the bat. One of the main areas to watch for this season with Westmoreland is the development of his pitch recognition. 2009 will be his first go-around with professional pitching and some adjustment in this area can be expected. Watch for Westmoreland to be an exciting player all-around. His athleticism and feel for the game should project while he is out on the field. 2009 marks the beginning of Westmoreland’s development, and while there are some growing pains to be expected, expect some flashes of the things to come, things that made him an exciting signing for the Red Sox.

George Kottaras

Position: Catcher
2008 Teams: Pawtucket Red Sox
2009 Projected Team: Boston Red Sox

Strengths: Kottaras’ strongest assets at the plate are his power potential and his plate discipline. Hitting from the left side of the plate and from an open stance, he works counts and sees a lot of pitches during his at-bats. He goes deep into counts and jumps all over pitchers’ mistakes. Kottaras displayed his power potential with 22 home runs in the IL last season. After a disappointing 2007 season at AAA, he came back in 2008 with a much more productive season and looked a lot more comfortable than he did in his first go-around. Behind the dish, Kottaras has done a lot of work to improve his defensive game, which had been a knock on him since being acquired for David Wells back in August of 2006. A hard worker, he’s developed the reputation as a catcher that his pitchers are comfortable throwing to and a player who takes well to instruction. His game-calling skills have improved since his arrival, and he’s generally worked to focus on the finer points of catching. Kottaras has always been adept at blocking balls in the dirt and quick behind the plate in his reactions. He has good experience catching knuckleball pitchers, which has kept him in the picture to handle those duties at the major league level

Development Needs: Out of options in 2009, Kottaras is at a make or break point with the Red Sox. Because of this, he skipped representing his home country of Canada in the WBC to report to Spring Training on time. Despite his strong arm, Kottaras has struggled with throwing runners out due to a slower release on his throws. His throwing attempts down to second base tend to tail back into the runner and have seemed rushed. In the past, especially in his 2007 season with Pawtucket, Kottaras has been pull happy at the plate, which shows in the number of ground balls he hits to the right side. If he is going to have success in the batter’s box in the major leagues, he’s going to have to be more conscious of going with the offerings given to him and focus on keeping his hands back to prevent him from rolling over on pitches. Kottaras can also go into extended dry spells where he doesn’t make enough contact. Improvement on his contact rates is another area of needed development for him to be successful at the major league level. Kottaras made improvements on driving the ball more in 2008, and with some added work on keeping his swing consistently fluid, he can take another step at the plate.

2009 Outlook: Kottaras entered camp in a battle with Josh Bard and Dusty Brown for the back-up catcher’s position with the Red Sox. As camp has gone along, Kottaras has seen more time handling Tim Wakefield and with Bard being released, it appears that he has the inside track on breaking camp with the major league team. Expect him to catch Wakefield’s starts and give Jason Varitek some days off during the season. His handling of the knuckleball will be his first and foremost priority, but expect him to be an upgrade offensively over last year’s back-up Kevin Cash. One of the main areas to watch for is how consistent Kottaras can be in the batter’s box at the major league level. His plate discipline is a strong advantage for him, and as he gets comfortable some power may start to play in his game. Kottaras could struggle some in his first go-around in the league, as he has seemed to have periods of adjustment as he’s made his way to the upper levels in the organization. Spreading the ball around the field and taking what pitchers give him will be a good sign of some positive development in his offensive game. At least to start the season, he has a grasp on the back-up catcher’s spot, and it looks like his spot to lose.

Q&A with Bryan Peterson

The Red Sox picked Bryan Peterson in the eleventh round of the 2008 Draft out of West Valley High School in Washington. He signed almost immediately after being drafted, and hit .277/.361/.391 in 38 games with the GCL Red Sox in 2008. Peterson now looks like a solid bet to break camp with the Low-A Greenville Drive in 2009. Mike Andrews of SoxProspects.com recently had the opportunity to sit down with Peterson and talk some baseball.

Mike Andrews: How did you get into baseball? How long have you been playing?

Bryan Peterson: My Dad got me into baseball when I was about six years old, so I've been playing for about thirteen years. I started out with coach-pitch - I never played T-Ball - my Dad just got me into facing live pitching right away. He's been coaching me throughout my whole life, up until I got into high school and summer ball.

MA: Does your father have a background in baseball?

BP: He played in high school, but went on to play college football for Washington State as a receiver. He has also played softball competitively, and his team won a national championship in fast pitch softball. He was on the team with his brother, as well as former NFL quarterback Mark Rypien and his brothers. He knows what he's doing with coaching baseball.

MA: I understand that you pitched some in high school. What kind of arsenal did you have? Do you still mess around with pitching at all?

BP: I did pitch in high school. I pitched during the school year, but I didn't pitch during the summer at all - I focused on hitting during the summer. I had a fastball, curveball, and changeup. I had a pretty good curveball, being a quarterback in football, it's a pretty similar rotation. I was the #2 starter. Our #1 last year, Andy Vennum, is over at Montana State playing baseball now. I had a lot of fun pitching, but I don't really mess around with that anymore, I just focus on the other aspects of the game now.

MA: What positions did you play in the field?

BP: I played a little bit of first my freshman year, but from then on out I just played outfield - played center and right. Never really played left.

MA: Can you talk about the differences between being recruited by colleges vs. being recruited by pro teams?

BP: The colleges, they sell you the school, but they don't really talk about the downside of it. They would talk about the bad side of the pros, overselling it, almost negative campaigning about the pro side of things. The pro guys just lay it out there - what's going to happen, what to expect from pro baseball. They said I could still go to school if I went pro, it would pretty much be up to me.

MA: After you committed to Washington State, did you get scouted by a lot of other pro teams besides the Red Sox?

BP: I was scouted by almost every team, mostly in-home visits. One team I remember not coming in to scout me was the Reds - that was the only team that didn't contact me, either by mail or coming to my games. The scouting actually started up during the summer of my junior year, and continued throughout the fall and winter. There were home visits, and some teams also came to my basketball and football games.

MA: Did you get any attention from scouts for football and basketball?

BP: In basketball, I got one recruiting letter from Weber State, I thought that was pretty cool. I knew I wasn't going to play basketball, but it was nice to get some attention. In football, I had been the starting varsity quarterback since my sophomore year, so I got a little bit more attention. I got recruited by some Pac-10 schools, primarily as a play quarterback, but in some cases as an athlete. I also heard from some Mountain West schools and some WAC schools, as well as some smaller schools close by like Eastern Washington.

MA: Tell us about your draft day experience.

BP: On the first day, I was thinking I could slide up into the fifth round - some teams had said they might take me as high as the fourth or the fifth. So I was on the computer all day checking the draft board, but unfortunately I didn't go on day one. We got a lot of phone calls that night saying, "If we pick you here, and give you X, would you sign?" I told a couple of the teams yes - there were a few teams that contacted me, so we had some ideas on what teams it might be. My Dad generally talked with the scouts and handled the business part of things. I talked to them a little bit, but I never had an official agent or adviser. The next morning, I had walk-through for my graduation. I just couldn't keep my mind on the rehearsal, I was just wondering which of the teams that called me the night before were going to draft me, and maybe nervous that none of them would. I was driving home from rehearsal when my Dad called me on the cell phone and told me I was drafted by the Red Sox in the eleventh round. I just remember getting a big smile on my face and thinking, wow, my dreams just came true. I was just really excited when I found out that it was the Red Sox.

MA: How do you feel you did in the Gulf Coast League in 2008?

BP: I thought it was good to get out there and just experience the pro life, playing baseball every day, seeing advanced pitching. At first I was a little worried on how I was going to adjust to the fastballs, as not many pitchers throw that fast in high school. But when you see it every day, you get used to it. Everyone was great - the coaches, the players everyone was really nice. Which actually goes against what some of the college coaches will tell you. Some of those coaches told me that the international players will stab you in the back, do anything to take your spot. I didn't see it that way - everyone was very cool, I really enjoyed it. Playing in he GCL, a lot of people say it's not going to be fun, it's a drag, but I thought it was fun. It is what it is.

MA: How does a day in the GCL differ from the a day playing in the Fall Instructional League?

BP: It's pretty much the same, getting up early, getting to the Complex, eating with the team. During the GCL, they let you play, don't really give you instructions. During Fall Instrux, there was a lot more teaching. [MA: During games?] Not necessarily, here's how it breaks down - we eat, then we lift, that's pretty much the same thing in both the GCL and in Instrux. After that we have early work hitting, in the cages with guys hitting off the tee and soft toss. During the GCL, we just go through our routine without much instruction. During Fall Instrux, we go in the cage and there will be a lot more staff members there to instruct us and tell us what we need to work on. Definitely a lot more teaching during Fall Instrux.

MA: You got to participate in the Dominican Instructional League this off-season with a select few other 2008 draftees. What was that like?

BP: It was all of the international guys and six of us American guys - Ryan Westmoreland also came down for part of it, making seven of us. It was good to hang out with the international guys, get to know them better, and see what the lifestyle is like in the Dominican for those guys. It made us appreciate where they're coming from. The culture down there is just totally different from the Unites States. There's a lot of poverty, but there's some nice areas. It really just made us appreciate both what we have and where they're coming from.

MA: After the Fall Instructional League and the Dominican Instructional League, what kind of training regimen did you have for the rest of the winter?

BP: I followed the Red Sox workout plan, and also did some work on the side with a trainer named Drew Buchkowski. He had worked with a lot of other major leaguers, and other pro athletes. I think Jeff Kent, James Loney, and Jeremy Affeldt are a few players that he has worked with. I got a lot of workouts in with him this off-season, and I feel good.

MA: Has the Sox Front Office talked to you about the parts of your game they'd like to see you develop more?

BP: I had my player plan meeting the first week I was here. On the hitting side, they said they'd like me to work on understanding and executing the Red Sox hitting plan, which includes being selectively aggressive, knowing your pitch and what you can do with it, looking for that pitch until you have two strikes, not being afraid to walk, getting a pitch you can drive, expanding your zone, competing, staying within yourself, not trying to do too much. Defensively, Tom Goodwin's been talking about taking good routes to balls. Ground balls into the outfield - that's where a lot of error can happen, so you've got to make sure to keep your head down and go get to the ball.

MA: What are your own personal goals for this year and beyond?

BP: I'm competing for a spot in Greenville, I would definitely like to make the Greenville team and be an everyday player, get my at bats in, and keep getting better every day. I want to try to come to the park focused every day, ready to learn new things, don't have any days where I just show up and go through the motions. Stay consistent throughout the year - I really want to work on that. Just getting a routine down, so even when I'm in a slump, I can still stick with my routine and that can carry me through the season.

MA: Give us a scouting report of yourself.

BP: I have okay speed, a strong arm in the outfield, good instincts in the field, I make good contact at the plate. I can probably work on making hard contact more consistently. Smart base runner. My power is alright now, I just need to work on making more consistent contact, and I think I have fairly high power potential.

MA: What one teammate has impressed you the most since you've been drafted, and why?

BP: I'd have to say Will Middlebrooks. He's big, he's fast, he smokes the ball in BP. He's got a great arm, he's great in the field. He has just really impressed me a lot, he has all five tools. On top of that, he's also a great teammate. It was a shame he got hurt recently, because I just love to watch him play.

MA: Last question - I understand that you enjoy making short films in your spare time, and you have your own YouTube channel. Tell us about that.

BP: In the off-season, there's a lot of free time, so I was watching YouTube videos one night, and I thought, wow, that looks fun, I should try that. I just did it on my own one day, and I showed my brother - I was a little embarrassed at first, but he thought it was really cool and wanted to help out. So we just started making videos - we make some music videos, some different sketch comedy videos, a wide variety of stuff, but mostly comedy. Our channel is called Snappy Productions.

SoxProspects.com Podcast, Episode 1

In SoxProspects.com's first go at podcasting, we discuss the Staff's recent trip to Ft. Myers, the biggest stories heading into the 2009 minor league season, and the coverage of the minor leagues by the mainstream media. Included in the hour-long round table-discussion are Staff members Mike Andrews (soxprospects), Chris Mellen (Cem21), Ian Theodoridis (templeUsox), and Chris Hatfield (Arquimedez Bozo). We hope to continue podcasting on a monthly basis from here on out. Hope you enjoy!

SP Podcast.mp3

March 24 Fort Report: Battle for the 25th roster spot

The latest installment of the Fort Report brings you the skinny on the battle for the 25th spot on the Red Sox roster – the first base-corner outfield-pinch hitter role. The battle seems to be down to Brad Wilkerson, Chris Carter, and Jeff Bailey. Carter may be inching ahead for a few reasons, including his impressive offensive performance this Spring, his roster flexibility, and his 40-man status. However, Wilkerson's defensive superiority, his major league experience, and his ability to play some centerfield in a pinch are also keeping him in the running for the spot. Keep in mind that this spot will likely only be vacant until Mark Kotsay returns from the DL in early May. Additionally, there is also the possibility that two of these players could make the team temporarily if Brad Penny starts the season on the DL - until a fifth starter is needed on April 15. Here’s the tale of the tape:

Spring Training Offensive Stats

● Wilkerson - .128/.209/.308, 2 HR, 39 AB, 17/4 K/BB

● Carter - .353/.377/.706, 5 HR, 51 AB, 4/1 K/BB

● Bailey - .385/.500/.641, 1 HR, 39 AB, 5/7 K/BB

2008 Offensive Stats
● Wilkerson - .220/.308/.326 in 104 games for Seattle and Toronto;
Also played 3 games with Dunedin
● Carter - .300/.356/.515 in 121 games in Pawtucket;
Also played 9 games with Boston, hitting .333
● Bailey - .280/.390/.460 in 27 games for Boston;
.301/.405/.562 in 109 games for Pawtucket (International League MVP)

Spring Training Defensive Innings Played
● Wilkerson – 71 (36 in the OF, 35 at 1B)
● Carter – 85 (57 at 1B, 28 in the OF)

● Bailey – 62.1 (49.1 in the OF, 13 at 1B)

Defensive reputation
● Wilkerson is considered a strong defensive player at both 1B and in the OF
● Carter is considered a sub-par defensive player in the OF and at 1B
● Bailey is considered adequate defensively at both 1B and in the OF

Ability to play centerfield
● Wilkerson has played 7 games in centerfield since 2005. He played 92 games in center in 2005. He has played 3 games in centerfield for Boston this Spring (February 28, March 9, and March 21).
● Neither Carter nor Bailey can play center

Age
● Wilkerson will turn 32 in June
● Carter will turn 27 in September
● Bailey will turn 31 in November

Major League Service Time
● Wilkerson – 7 years, 81 days
● Carter – 24 days
● Bailey – 61 days

Contract Status
● Wilkerson has two opt-outs in his contract: April 1 and June 15. He is signed to a minor league deal with a base salary of $400,000, but the deal could be worth up to $1.5-million if he reaches all of the incentives in the contract. He has no option years left, and is not presently on the 40-man roster (which has two open spots as of today).
● Carter is on the 40-man roster, will make the league minimum salary, and has two option years left.
● Bailey can opt out of his contract and become a free agent if he is not called up by July 15. He is on a minor league deal, and likely would make the league minimum salary if called up. He has two option years left. He is not presently on the 40-man roster.

Handedness
● Wilkerson bats and throws lefty
● Carter bats and throws lefty
● Bailey bats and throws righty

Recent playing time
● Wilkerson hasn’t played in an A-Game since March 21. He has two hits in 29 at bats in March.
● Carter has been playing every day for the Sox lately. He’s hitting .346 with 5 home runs in March.
● Bailey has also played almost every day for the Sox lately. He’s hitting .364 in 33 at bats in March.

2009 Prospect Previews: Yamaico Navarro and Derrik Gibson

The 16th installment of the Prospect Previews series features a young shortstop looking to take the next step in his development within the Red Sox organization, and a 2008 Draft Pick working to open the season in full-season baseball.

Yamaico Navarro

Position: Infield
2008 Teams: Greenville Drive and Lancaster Jethawks
2009 Projected Team: Salem Red Sox

Strengths: With quick wrists, Navarro generates excellent bat speed, whipping the head of the bat through the zone and generating hard contact when he squares the ball up. His swing has some natural loft to it, and the ball comes off his bat with a lot of backspin. A line drive hitter, Navarro is adept at turning on pitches and is very fluid with his lower-body mechanics, creating a good about of torque when he drives through the ball on the inner half of the plate. There aren’t many fastballs that get by him, and he has pretty good power for a middle infielder. On the defensive side of the ball, Navarro has an above-average glove and has seen time around the infield during his career in the Red Sox organization. He’ll make his fair share of spectacular plays over the course of the season, making him an exciting player to watch in the field. His range and arm play well enough for him to stick at shortstop for at least the near future. After a strong 2008 season of development, Navarro pushed himself up the Red Sox depth chart and sharpened the focus on how he’ll project as he continues to hone his overall game.

Development Needs: Navarro struggles some with off-speed pitches and could stand to work on his plate discipline. He can chase curveballs down in the dirt and get himself out on occasion. An aggressive hitter, he’ll need to work on seeing more pitches and focusing more on the ones he can drive as he moves to higher ranks within the system, while laying off the off-speed stuff outside of the strike zone. Navarro has shown some improvement in this area already, especially during the 2008 season, but this aspect of his game will be tested when he reaches double-A. Although he is a very skilled player in the field, his footwork does need some work; he can sometimes tangle himself up, struggling with double plays around the bag. The type of hitter he ends up becoming is a bit of an unknown at this point as well, given that speed is not a huge part of his offensive package and that he’s not going to project as a middle-of-the-order run producer. Given his versatility in the field and some of the questions surrounding his bat, his initial projections were that of a utility player, but his strong season in the batter’s box in 2008 lent credence to him projecting as a major league starter down the line.

2009 Outlook: Look for Navarro to start the season with the Salem Red Sox, most likely manning the diamond as a shortstop, but also moving around the infield to keep his bat in the lineup. With a strong first half of 2009, there is a chance he could make his way up to Portland to be challenged against more advanced pitching. Navarro will make a lot of plays in the field and sting line drives around the yard. One of the main areas of development to watch for is how much improvement he makes on his plate discipline. While the goal isn’t to make him more passive at the plate, the Red Sox would like to see him working on making better decisions on which pitches to go after. An increase in his walks should follow suit, along with a reduction in the number of pitches he chases outside of the strike zone. Another area to watch for is an improvement in his footwork in the field. Strong development in this area would further round out his defensive game and go a long way towards deciding whether or not he is going to be able to stick at shortstop at the higher levels. One of the players who made good strides within the organization in 2008, Navarro is looking to take a further step forward in 2009 and position himself as one of the next wave of homegrown players to break into the Boston lineup.

Derrik Gibson

Position: Shortstop
2008 Team: Gulf Coast Red Sox and Lowell Spinners
2009 Projected Team: Greenville Drive

Strengths: Gibson brings elite speed to the baseball diamond and is one of the fastest players within the organization. With his speed and intelligence on the base paths, he projects as an excellent base stealer and a player who can make an impact with his legs. Polished defensively upon entering the system, Gibson is very fluid and fundamentally sound. His great range allows him to make difficult plays look easy and get to balls a lot of players wouldn’t. He makes quick, accurate throws across the field and brings a lot of athleticism to his position. Gibson projects to be an elite defender at either shortstop or second base. With the bat, his short, compact swing is highlighted by his quick wrists. There is a lot of fluidity to his swing and some jump to the ball when it comes off of his bat. His hands are quick to the ball, which allows him to square up a lot of pitches. A highly talented player, Gibson brings a lot of energy and excitement to the field.

Development Needs: Standing at 6’1’’ and 170 pounds, one of Gibson’s biggest needs is to put some added weight on his frame. There is not a lot of power in his game, and while he does not project as a power hitter, he’ll need some more muscle behind his swing. The added weight on his frame would also keep him from wearing down over the grind of a full season of baseball. Gibson held his own in the GCL after signing, but was overmatched at the plate during his short stint in Lowell. He didn’t handle breaking pitches well and he was behind a lot of fastballs. He’ll need to adjust to professional pitching and get used to seeing pitchers with good stuff day in and day out, but this will come with more and more repetition. Gibson’s stance is on the compact side and he has a longer stride coming out of it, which can affect his timing and balance. However, his head remains pretty still and he is short to the ball. Gibson has some jerky throwing mechanics, but his throws are quick and accurate. His throwing is more of an area of possible improvement where he can further enhance an already above-average skill.

2009 Outlook: Gibson looks set to break camp with the Greenville Drive. Given the amount of polish in his defensive game, he could play either shortstop or second base; the main goal is to get him the work at the plate. Look for Gibson to use his speed to make an impact on the game. He should hit some doubles and spray the ball around the field. The biggest area of development for him in 2009 is getting the exposure to professional pitching and developing a feel for the strike zone. Signs of positive development in this area would be consistent contact and better pitch recognition on off-speed pitches. Getting comfortable in this area will allow Gibson to attack fastballs better with his smooth swing. Where ever he is playing the field, he’ll make difficult plays look easy and bring energy to the position. A new face in the organization, 2009 will be a season of initial development and exposure for Gibson, one that should lend some clues as to what type of player the Red Sox have.

More players assigned to minor league camp

The Red Sox continued to trim the active roster today, assigning six players to minor league camp. Michael Bowden, who posted a 7.59 ERA in 10.2 innings this spring, was optioned to Pawtucket, while Junichi Tazawa was optioned to Portland after allowing only 1 run in 9.0 innings. The team also assigned outfielder Paul McAnulty (.286/.333/.381 in 42 at bats) and pitchers Daniel Bard (0 earned runs, 10 strikeouts in 9.1 innings), Marcus McBeth (no game appearances), and Billy Traber (11 earned runs, 7 strikeouts in 8.0 innings) to minor league camp.

March 20 Fort Report

Some tidbits from Fort Myers ... We learned this week that Robelys Reyes and Ivan Marcano are not with the organization – they never officially signed their contracts … David Harriott, an international signee out of Australia that was supposed to debut in the U.S. in 2009, has opted to retire from baseball … Accordng to Boston.com, Ty Weeden is expected to miss three months with his broken hamate bone (we had previously reported that Weeden was likely to miss the 2009 season) … Also, Nick Hagadone is still progressing nicely, and is now scheduled to return to game action in early May … Alex Speier brings us some interesting minor league notes on Lars Anderson, Josh Reddick, Jason Place, and Oscar Perez … Place is still suffering from a ligament strain in his ankle that he suffered at the end of the 2008 season - he's being held out of game action … Daniel Bard continues his assault on major league hitters, remaining unscathed in Grapefruit League play … Ryan Kalish, Luis Exposito, and Mitch Dening each made appearances for the big league club in Thursday’s game against the Reds … Kalish hit a triple in his only at bat ... Peter Gammons reports that Boston is still searching for another catcher, but continues to reject Arizona’s insistence that Michael Bowden be included in any trade for Miguel Montero.

2009 Prospect Previews: Junichi Tazawa and Luis Exposito

The 15th installment of the Prospect Previews series features the Red Sox international signing from this past off-season, and a catcher looking to continue his push through the organization.

Junichi Tazawa

Position: Starting Pitcher
2008 Team: Nippon Oil ENEOS (Japan Industrial League)
2009 Projected Team: Portland Sea Dogs

Strengths: This Japanese right-handed pitcher features exceptional secondary offerings and a fastball that sits 90-92 MPH, with some riding action in on right-handed hitters. His advanced slider is a pitch he can bury on batters as it sharply drops out of the strike zone late in its approach to home plate. Tazawa will mix in a 73-77 MPH curveball with some big bend to it, as well as an above-average forkball. His forkball acts more like a change-up and is a pitch that he uses to pull the string on hitters, keeping them off-balance and way out on their front foot. Working with an unconventional delivery, Tazawa has a whipping arm action that gives his offerings a bit of a different look. The ball appears a lot slower out of his hand when he throws his secondary pitches, and his fastball will jump on hitters given the number of off-speed pitches he mixes in. Its tough to gauge his delivery, and his pitches have a lot of deception to them. Capable of moving the ball inside and outside, Tazawa has excellent command of his arsenal at this point in time. In a controversial move, Tazawa asked the professional teams in Japan not to draft him in order for him to pursue his career in the United States. The Red Sox signed him despite other teams outbidding them, in part because of Tazawa’s dream to pitch with his idol, Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Development Needs: Tazawa’s fastball is just average right now and the least advanced of his offerings. When he’s able to keep his hand on top of the pitch, it has some run on it, but when he gets under the pitch and tries to overthrow it, it flattens out and comes in on a straight trajectory. Despite some reports of velocity in the high 90’s, he generally operates in the low 90’s with his fastball and tops out around 94. Improvement on his fastball is a target area for Tazawa, and how well this pitch improves will be a good indicator of where he will project as a major leaguer. At 22 years old, he’s most likely reached his peak in fastball velocity. Coming from the Japan Industrial League, he’s very untested against advanced competition and has yet to face the type of batters he will in the United States. Given the culture change and the advancement in competition, a period of adjustment can be expected of Tazawa, and it remains to be seen how long it will take for him to transition into baseball at the highest level. However, Tazawa has been strong this spring in the major league camp and has drawn a lot of praise from Sox officials for his stuff and potential. His delivery is on the unconventional side, but the Red Sox haven’t made any indications that they will try to change things as of now.

2009 Outlook: Tazawa is still in the major league camp with the Red Sox and is having a strong start to his transition to baseball in the United States. Look for him to begin the season with the Portland Sea Dogs in their starting rotation. Expect Tazawa to continue his mastery of changing speeds and mixing in his off-speed pitches frequently. Batters should be off-balance against him, especially in the first go around in the Eastern League. One of the main areas of development to watch for is how well his fastball comes around. If Tazawa can consistently turn the pitch over and improve his release point, he should have excellent results at this level given the polish on his secondary pitches. Tazawa should demonstrate excellent command and make batters earn their way on base. Another area of development to keep an eye on is how quickly he adjusts to the advanced competition he faces in AA. Tazawa is an intriguing prospect to follow given all the unknowns that surround him. 2009 will be a good indication of how far away he is from appearing in a Boston uniform.

Luis Exposito

Position: Catcher
2008 Teams: Greenville Drive and Lancaster Jethawks
2009 Projected Team: Salem Red Sox

Strengths: Exposito has excellent present power produced by a fluid swing that is quick to the point of contact, and he generates good loft on the follow through. He demonstrated nice power numbers in the 2008 season and made some strong developmental strides becoming the Red Sox top catching prospect in the process. Still improving as a hitter in his pitch recognition and approach at the plate, he has some more room to add power as he hones in on picking out the pitches he can drive. Given his propensity to square up the ball consistently, he makes a high rate of solid contact and is able to get the bat on the ball well, keeping his strikeouts down. Standing 6’3’’ and 215 pounds, Exposito has a solid frame and an excellent base for a catcher. Behind the plate, he possesses all of the tools to be an above-average defender at the major league level. Exposito moves well for a player his size and is adept at blocking balls in the dirt. His strong arm is augmented by fluid throwing mechanics. A student of catching, his game calling skills and instincts behind the plate are advanced for a player of his experience level, and pitchers are very comfortable throwing to him. With his outgoing personality, Exposito is very popular with his teammates and the type of player that brings a team together.

Development Needs: While he is a hitter who makes excellent contact, Exposito is not overly disciplined in the batter’s box. Improvement on his patience at the plate and selection of pitches to attack are strong developmental needs for him. Exposito will face his biggest challenge when he reaches more advanced levels within organization to prevent pitchers from exploiting his aggressiveness. As a player who has natural lift in his swing, Exposito will have to keep a balance between trying to jerk the ball and driving through the ball to minimize slumps at the plate. He does not walk very much, and some improvement in this area should make him a tougher out while limiting the times he gets himself out. Exposito’s caught stealing percentage was below average in 2008, mainly because he needs to make improvement on his throwing accuracy. He can rush his throws or get under them from time to time, but this should improve as his learns to slow things down more and trust his technique. With one strong season of professional baseball under his belt, it remains to be seen if Exposito can continue to trend upwards with his development, but all signs point towards this prospect taking another step forward in 2009.

2009 Outlook: Exposito should begin the season with the Salem Red Sox. He will be looking for a promotion to Portland this season, and with a strong start to the season, the Red Sox may be inclined to challenge him in AA around Memorial Day. Look for Exposito to continue his knack for getting the solid part of the bat on the ball at this level and to continue to produce solid power numbers for a catcher. One of the main areas of development to watch for is how much his patience and discipline at the plate improve. It is a good bet that the organization will be closely watching this area of his game, and a promotion to the next level will depend on him showing improvement in his plate discipline. Watch for an increase in deep counts and some added walks as a by-product. Another area to watch for is an improvement in his throwing numbers. Exposito has an outstanding arm, and sharpening of his accuracy should allow him to throw out as many runners as one would expect of someone with his arm strength. 2009 will be a key season of development for Exposito. Coming off a season in which he moved up the Red Sox depth chart at the catching position, he will look to continue his assent up the ranks and to solidify himself as a candidate to be the organization’s long-term solution behind the plate.

Q&A with David Mailman

The Boston Red Sox selected David Mailman out of Providence Sr. High School in North Carolina in the seventh round of the 2007 draft. Signing at the deadline in 2007, Mailman only played a handful of games in the Gulf Coast League before breaking camp with the Greenville Drive of the South Atlantic League in 2008. Spending all of the 2008 season with the Drive, he struggled initially before coming on strong to finish off the season. Recently, during Minor League Spring Training, Chris Mellen of SoxProspects.com had a chance to sit down with Mailman to talk some baseball.

Chris Mellen: David, you started off on the slow side last year in Greenville, but came on strong in the second half of the season. What kind of adjustments did you make at the plate?
David Mailman: I just began to trust myself again. I worked hard with Billy (McMillon) and Victor (Rodriguez), the hitting coaches with the team, trying to get back to the reasons that they drafted me. I always had a pure swing so I tried to go back to that again, and the results started to come.

CM: What’s been the main difference between Spring Training last season and your experience thus far this season?
DM: Ah. I’m just more comfortable with things. I know the process much more now and how things go. Right now it’s getting in tune for the games. You realize that everything you are doing thus far is about getting yourself to Salem or wherever I may be, but it’s also about getting ready for the season, whether that is taking a lot of pitches or seeing the curveball or change-up. You want to see a little bit of everything so that way you are coming into the season prepared and there is nothing that you haven’t seen in the last six or seven months.

CM: What type of things did you focus on this past off-season and what do the Red Sox have you working on as your main developmental goals for 2009?
DM: This past off-season I worked hard on getting stronger. I worked out with a guy who played football at Florida and, actually, with the New England Patriots named Tony George. He’s a great guy. Tony talked with Pat (Sandora), our strength coordinator, and they got me on a program. I was with him four days a week and then by myself for another one or two. I just tried to work hard, getting myself up to 200-205 [pounds]. I’ve been feeling really great and strong. The biggest thing for this year is just to trust myself and let everything go; to try to slow the game down and let everything come to me, and the results will come.

CM: Can you give our readers a self-scouting report on David Mailman?
DM: (Laughing) You know, [I’m] just a natural lefty [with a] pure, smooth swing. Besides the swing, [I] maybe not someone with great, great tools, but [I’m] a ballplayer that’s going to play the game solid, smart, and the way it should be played.

CM: What are some of the things you learned last year in your first season in professional baseball, and how do they translate against what you want to accomplish this season?
DM: Basically, you have to go out each day with a plan. Last year I let everything speed up on me. I was just happy that I was in Greenville for the first couple of months. You have to work on the little things to make you better each day [and] realize that it’s not about the short term results. Those things are nice, but everything I do needs to be for the long run. Hopefully, I can apply these things to my work this season and move my way up to Boston in a couple of years.

CM: After playing first base in high school, the Red Sox converted you into an outfielder. Can you talk about how the conversion went and some of the main areas you needed to focus on?
DM: The main reason I played first was because I also pitched. I was just a little lefty pitcher that got by in high school. I ran like a 6.7 (60-yard dash), and all of the scouts started to say that maybe I could play the outfield. It just kind of came naturally. I worked with Lou Frazier the first year and now [I’m] working with Tom Goodwin; you can’t ask for two better coaches than that. Goodie’s been saying the same thing: let the game come to you. Our job isn’t to make the spectacular play, but to make every play. We’re there because maybe the pitcher made a mistake or one gets past the infield so our job is to clean things up.

CM: What’s been the one thing that has really stuck out at you about professional pitching?
DM: Especially in Greenville last season, everyone threw hard. They maybe don’t always know where it is going, but is going to come at you hard. Guys are beginning to get a plan with what they are doing. Maybe it’s about establishing their fastball and working off of that, but they are going to come after you. Everyone’s got good stuff. There is no longer someone throwing 85, where you know it’s going to be meat, and everyone is throwing 90 so you have to get ready for that on a daily basis

CM: As a hitter that is known for a patient approach at the plate and isn’t afraid to draw a walk, can you talk to us about how you go about approaching an at-bat?
DM: We talk with Victor (Rodriguez) a lot about it. Our goal isn’t to draw a walk. Victor says that Manny Ramirez always said it the best [when he said] that we don’t do all of that work in the cages and before a game to go up there and walk. Our job is to hit the ball. I’m going up there looking for my pitch. You zone in on that pitch and if it comes, you hit it. If not, I’m not afraid to get deep into the count and work off of that.

CM: While at Greenville last season, what kind of things did the coaching staff work with you the most on?
DM: It’s a great coaching staff up there and they professionalized me a lot, especially Bolsie (Kevin Boles). Overall, they’re just a good group of guys all around. I was fortunate enough, being one of the younger guys, to have some of the older guys like (Ryan) Kalish and (Kris) Negron really help me and teach me how the game is supposed to be played. If there is a pop-up, you run hard. Little things like that. Never show [your] emotions as well, and don’t wear it on your sleeve. Go about every at-bat with a level approach and success will come.

CM: What is your favorite part about playing baseball?
DM: It’s fun. I had a long off-season, and coming down here you realize how much you love and miss it. Of course, hitting is the best part of playing baseball, but there is just a great group of guys here with the Red Sox.

Sox release Josh Bard

The Red Sox today announced that the team has released catcher Josh Bard. The soon-to-be 31-year-old backstop had signed a non-guaranteed one-year contract, with a team option for a second year, in December that would have paid him $1.7 million had he been on the 25-man roster on opening day. By releasing Bard today, the team will now only owe him one-sixth of that amount. Bard had been having a strong spring prior to being cut, compiling .429/.529/.786 totals with 2 doubles, 1 home run, 3 walks and only 2 strikeouts in 14 at bats.

This move likely signals that George Kottaras, who is out of minor league options, will break camp as Boston's backup backstop. The 25-year-old left-handed hitter is also having a respectable spring, having put up .286/.375/.500 numbers with 1 home run in 14 at bats so far. He has also done well in catching the knuckleball of Tim Wakefield, a certain pre-requisite to be the backup catcher for the Red Sox.

2009 Prospect Previews: Michael Almanzar and Casey Kelly

The 14th installment of the Prospect Previews series features a young third baseman continuing his work on learning the ins and outs of the professional game while looking to hone his raw skills, and a multi-position prospect with his sights set on developing at two positions this upcoming season.

Michael Almanzar

Position: Third Base
2008 Teams: Gulf Coast Red Sox and Greenville Drive
2009 Projected Team: Greenville Drive

Strengths: Almanzar generates excellent bat speed, uncoiling from a wide open stance and attacking the ball with a slightly long but fluid swing. Scouts rave about his overall package and the sky is the limit for this prospect. His plus power potential projects him to be a middle-of-the-order hitter and a run producer. Making his debut at seventeen years old last season, he more than held his own in the Gulf Coast League prior to a call-up to Greenville to finish the year. Standing 6’ 3’’ and 190 pounds, Almanzar has an excellent frame and a lot of room to add muscle as he grows into his body. Extremely athletic, he made some strong strides in Extended Spring Training after looking overmatched earlier in the spring. Offensively, he has all of the tools at the plate to become a hitter who makes solid contact and drives the ball around the field. After signing as a shortstop, Almanzar made the transition to third base and picked up the position pretty quickly. His strong arm plays well at the hot corner and he has shown the necessary reactions to handle the position once he has more experience and repetitions. In general, Almanzar has shown the ability to learn quickly and to make strong developmental advances with more and more repetitions. With his high ceiling, young age, and excellent tools, Almanzar has the potential to become an impact player at the major league level down the line. The Red Sox showed what they thought of Almanzar’s potential by signing him to a $1.5 million bonus as an international free agent in July of 2007.

Development Needs: Given his young age and inexperience in professional baseball, Almanzar is very rough around the edges. His plate discipline and pitch recognition are currently a work in progress, and he struggles considerably with off-speed pitches. Almanzar struggled against more advanced pitching in Greenville after his promotion, but this is expected with a player of his age. He works from a very open stance and has a large timing step, which throws him off-balance and causes his bat to drag through the zone from time to time. His swing is on the long side, and he will have to continue to work on getting the bat head to the ball more quickly to cut down on his wild swings and improve his contact rates as he works against advanced competition. Almanzar had some maturity issues in 2008, but he has been learning how to be a professional. In the field, his footwork and glove work need improvement, and he needs to work on becoming more fluid in the field. Given his age and potential for more physical development, it remains to be seen if Almanzar will continue to project as a third baseman; he could potentially have to move to another position in the future.

2009 Outlook: Almanzar looks ready to break camp with the Greenville Drive and start his first season in full-season baseball. He has looked more polished this spring, and the improvements have been very noticeable. Look for Almanzar to show flashes of elite performance, but also some flashes of the rawness in his game. One of the main areas of development for him this season will be the improvement of his pitch recognition and patience at the plate. This should come on its own with more and more experience, but there could be stretches of growing pains as he develops this season. Making better decisions on which pitches to attack will be a sign of positive development in this area, which should result in a drop in his strikeout totals. Another area of development to watch for is how well Almanzar continues to improve defensively at third base. Signs of positive development here would be a drop in the errors he makes on throws and increased fluidity in his footwork. Improvement here should lend a clue as to where he projects positionally down the line. 2009 will be a year of development for Almanzar, and although we may not see huge results this season given how age advanced he is going to be, we should still see flashes of brilliance and a confirmation of his elite tools rounding into form.

Casey Kelly

Position: Starting Pitcher/Shortstop
2008 Teams: Gulf Coast Red Sox and Lowell Spinners
2009 Projected Team: Greenville Drive

Strengths: This multi-position player projects as a major-league-caliber contributor both at shortstop and on the mound. After playing shortstop in his debut with the Red Sox last season, the plan is for Kelly to transition to the mound this season. The plan is for Kelly to throw 100 innings and then to continue his work at shortstop. Despite his age and relative inexperience on the mound, Kelly features an advanced arsenal highlighted by a heavy fastball with some good sink that operates in the low 90’s. He projects to add some velocity as he matures and has good command of the pitch. Mixing in a hard, 12/6 curveball and an advanced change-up that he has good feel for, his off-speed pitches show plus potential and had scouts raving about his potential as a pitcher prior to being drafted. In the field, Kelly is an excellent defender, with fluid mechanics and a plus arm. His smooth motions in the field and plus range project him as an elite defender down the road. At the plate, Kelly has average present power with the potential to develop above-average power as he develops his swing. The ball comes off his bat well when he squares pitches up, and after initially struggling in the GCL he performed well in a short sampling at Lowell, hitting hard line drives to all fields. Another high-ceiling young player, the Red Sox gave Kelly a $3 million bonus after making him their #1 draft pick in 2008.

Development Needs: Kelly’s bat is still raw and his swing mechanics will have to improve if he is to continue his path as a position player. His swing is a little on the long side and he struggled with his contact rates after signing, striking out frequently. Many of his strikeouts came from chasing breaking pitches down and out of the strike zone. Kelly also hit from behind in the count and was on the defensive in a lot of his at-bats. On the mound, he’s relatively inexperienced after spending most of his time focusing on playing shortstop in high school, but his overall skills and potential are impressive enough to spark a strong debate within the organization over which position track to put him on prior to being drafted. Kelly will have to adjust to life as a pitcher and get comfortable with his new routine, along with the finer points that go into being a starting pitcher, if he his to continue on the mound. With the plan to play him at both positions in 2009, there are some questions as to how his development will be effected with the amount of work he will have to put in to make the experiment work. He may also be affected offensively by the layoff between his at-bats at the end of last season until his continuation at the plate towards the end of this season. Kelly made it clear that he wanted to sign as a shortstop and continue to play there, but after signing he spoke about being open to exposure on the mound. He will need to work on his arm strength and consistency with his delivery as he works towards to the goal of 100 innings pitched in 2009.

2009 Outlook: With the plan outlined for him, Kelly looks set to begin the season in the rotation for the Greenville Drive and then transition back to shortstop in the last couple of months of the season. Look for Kelly to display his advanced arsenal on the mound and to begin to get comfortable with his role as a starting pitcher. One of the main areas to watch for is how well his arm responds to his workload and how his arm strength comes along as he logs his 100 innings. A sign of positive development in this area will be a strong finish to his pitching phase of the season. Kelly should work to get ahead of batters by establishing his fastball and mix some off-speed offerings in later in the count. At the plate, the main area to watch for is how well his pitch recognition develops, especially after the long layoff between at-bats. A sign of positive development in this area will be a drop in his strikeouts and a continuation of the hard contact he produced to all fields to finish up 2008. 2009 could prove to be a very interesting season for Kelly with the plan that has been outlined for him. With his exceptional talent, some nice strides and development are to be expected, and a clearer picture of where he ultimately projects should come into focus.

Lugo undergoes successful right knee surgery

The Red Sox have announced that shortstop Julio Lugo has undergone successful surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. The procedure was performed in Boston by team medical director Dr. Thomas Gill. Lugo, who put together .268/.355/.330 numbers last season before suffering a season-ending quadriceps injury in July, had been competing with Jed Lowrie for the starting shortstop job this spring. With Lugo expected to be out three to four weeks, Lowrie now seems likely to be in Boston's starting lineup on opening day against Tampa Bay.

To replace Lugo on the active roster, the Red Sox will likely choose between a number of veteran non-roster invitees currently in major league camp. Nick Green, who was signed to a minor league deal earlier this off season, is the leading candidate, having put up impressive .353/.436/.588 numbers with 2 doubles and 2 home runs in 34 at bats so far this spring. Other possibilities include Gil Velazquez, who was a September call up last year after spending most of the season at Pawtucket, Angel Chavez, and Ivan Ochoa, both of whom were signed to minor league deals this off season.

March 17 Fort Report: Scouting Notes

Scouting notes from this weekend: The players report to the complex around 8:00 am, hit the field for stretching and drills at 9:00 am, and some players take part in intrasquad games starting around 11:30 am … Brad Penny was at the minor league complex on Friday, hitting 89-93 mph with his fastball with good command … Fabian Williamson also pitched Friday, impressing with his hard-breaking curveball … Old friend Randy Beam is in camp as a spring training invitee … Tommy Hottovy looks to be in great shape, but is still experiencing elbow problems … Terry Francona, Theo Epstein, Ben Cherington, and Mike Hazen were all at the minor league complex over the weekend … David Mailman ripped an inside fastball at 92 MPH down the line for a home run off Penny in the intrasquad game … Oscar Tejeda looks noticeably bigger than he was last season - he is starting to fill out his frame and reach some of the physical projections, and his bat has a more noticeable thump behind it … Tyler Yockey generates some good lift with his swing and has a lot of torque – he has high power potential … Derrik Gibson looked very smooth in the field, showing off great range and making strong, quick throws across his body … Ryan Dent is a lot smoother in the field playing second base … Jay Johnson is swinging the bat smoothly in his BP sessions … Chia-Chu Chen looked a little more filled out and like he is driving through the ball more … Casey Kelly looked smooth on the mound delivery wise - his fastball had some nice pop and sink to it … Caleb Clay impressed in an inning, throwing in the low 90s, but struggled with command a little bit … Jose Capellan’s curveball – already his best pitch – looks to be improved, and might be considered a plus pitch at this point … Jon Lester tossed 4 innings at the minor league complex on Saturday, hitting 90-92 mph on the radar gun and topping out at 94 mph … Mailman was also able to single off Lester, the only hard contact made against the lefty … Mike Jones knocked out four homers in batting practice on Saturday, prompting the other hitters to protest that he was making them look bad … Jeff Natale also looked great in BP, and the ball has been coming off his bat really nicely this spring … Jon Still also hit some deep, deep flies in batting practice … Mike Rozier’s fastball was only hitting 78-82 mph in Saturday’s scrimmage … Luis Exposito and Yamaico Navarro both showed very good bat speed over the course of the week … On Sunday, Bryce Cox pitched really well in an inning of the AAA-AA intrasquad game - we didn't have the gun going, but his velocity looked pretty good, with some solid movement on his fastball ... Exposito continued to impress with his arm strength ... Michael Almanzar put on a show in batting practice on Sunday, at one point hitting five out of eight pitches out of the park to deep left center, and the other three were out deep to the warning track ... Almanzar also looked solid taking grounders - his movements were fluid and his throws to second base accurate, but he can be kind of indecisive on long hoppers … After Sunday’s scrimmage, Exposito was messing with Che-Hsuan Lin, trying to learn some Taiwanese – Expo has made a concerted effort to befriend the Taiwanese players … Exposito then proceeded to play catch with all of the little kids left on the field and sign a few autographs – he has a great personality and should be fun to follow when and if he makes it the big leagues.

Brewers claim Wes Littleton

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe is reporting that the Milwaukee Brewers have claimed relief pitcher Wes Littleton off waivers from the Red Sox. Because Littleton was out of minor league options, he would have had to pass through waivers before he could be removed from the 40-man roster. The 26-year-old sidearm artist was originally acquired by the Red Sox from the Texas Rangers in November, 2008 in exchange future considerations. Boston sent relief pitcher Beau Vaughan to Texas to complete part of the trade in December, 2008, but reportedly would have had to send another player had Littleton made the 25-man roster to start the season.

Once a candidate to fill a major league relief role for the Red Sox in 2009, Littleton had not been having a good spring. As of the start of today's action, he had given up 11 earned runs on 8 hits (including 2 home runs), 7 walks, and 3 hit batsmen in just 5.1 innings spanning 6 appearances. Littleton will likely be given a chance to win a major league job with Milwaukee.

Sox reassign big names to minor league camp

SoxProspects.com top rated prospect 1B Lars Anderson has been reassigned to minor league camp on the eve of the commencement of full minor league spring training games, along with OF Josh Reddick, OF Zach Daeges, and LHP Felix Doubront. In 16 spring training games with the big club Anderson posted a .182/.308/.182 line in 22 at-bats (four hits), scoring five runs while batting in two. Additionally the Sox optioned LHP Hunter Jones to AAA Pawtucket and C Mark Wagner to AA Portland.

2009 Organization Outlook: Outfield, Upper Minors

For the first half of our outfield preview, we will look at those players expected to start the season in High-A or higher. The Pawtucket outfield should feature a number of players capable of filling-in at the major league level in the event of an injury. In Portland and Salem, the outfield should be chalk full of players with major league potential, including a couple who could be Major League-ready soon. In fact, the outfield in the upper minors is so crowded that the front office may need to make trades or cuts before the season starts.

Here’s the list of outfielders currently in the system that made it to full-season ball last year, sorted by the highest level they reached:
Majors: Chip Ambres, Jeff Bailey, Rocco Baldelli, Jason Bay, Chris Carter, J.D. Drew, Jacoby Ellsbury, Mark Kotsay, Paul McAnulty, Jonathan Van Every, Brad Wilkerson
AAA: Jeff Corsaletti, Sean Danielson, Bryan Pritz
AA: Bubba Bell, Zach Daeges, Jay Johnson, Josh Reddick
A+: Chih-Hsien Chiang, Reid Engel, Daniel Nava, Ryan Kalish, Jason Place, Matt Sheely
A: Rafael Cabreja, Carlos Fernandez, Che-Hsuan Lin, David Mailman, David Marks, Jered Stanley

Gone: Coco Crisp, Mickey Hall, Bobby Kielty, Jason Lane, Brandon Moss, Manny Ramirez, Yahmed Yema

Majors: The starting lineup in Boston is set, with former SoxProspect.com top prospect Jacoby Ellsbury flanked by All-Stars Jason Bay and J.D. Drew. Ellsbury will be looking to develop more consistency after hitting .280/.336/.394 and stealing 50 bases in his first full Major League season … On the bench, the Sox signed former Ray Rocco Baldelli, a right-handed bat who can play all three outfield positions, and re-signed lefty hitting Mark Kotsay to back up first base and the outfield. However, with Kotsay out until at least May after back surgery, the Sox are auditioning Brad Wilkerson, Paul McAnulty, Chris Carter, and Jeff Bailey to fill his role … Wilkerson would seem to have the best shot at winning the role given his experience, but he has arguably been the weakest of the four at the plate in Spring Training … Bailey, the 2008 International League MVP, has had the best spring at the plate, but as the only right-handed hitter in the group he has a disadvantage.

AAA: The three runners-up in the battle for Kotsay’s bench spot will begin the season in Pawtucket, likely as the team’s starters in left field, at first base, and at designated hitter … Carter, whose only action in the field last season came in left, is being given another shot at first base as well this year. His ascension to the Majors will continue to depend on his ability to improve his defense … McAnulty has hit well in Triple-A over parts of four seasons (.310/.391/.516), but has not been able to carry that success over to the Major Leagues (.208/.324/.330) … Jonathan Van Every will return to the Pawtucket outfield, where he excelled defensively last season and showed great power at the plate (26 home runs), earning IL All-Star status … Chip Ambres played much of the 2005 season in Pawtucket before being traded for Tony Graffanino. With Van Every on the roster, he should see most of his innings in right field, waiting for an opportunity at the Major League level … Jeff Corsaletti had always shown great plate discipline, putting up on-base percentages of .429, .400, and .385 in his first three years in the system. However, after being held back in Extended Spring Training last year, he added some power to his game, bumping his slugging percentage from .364 to .529 in his second stint in Portland. Corsaletti struggled after a promotion to Pawtucket, but was starting to turn things around in the final weeks of the season. He will start in Pawtucket and back up every outfield position if there are no injuries or cuts, but could stand to get starter’s at-bats … The speedy Danielson got his first taste of Triple-A last season after being acquired from St. Louis for Joel Pineiro. Although he has solid speed and defensive ability, he will have to battle for a roster spot … Bryan Pritz finds himself in a similar situation. He struggled with injuries last season, is no longer a base-stealing threat, and may not have the bat to stick in a corner.

AA: The top outfield prospect in the system, Josh Reddick, made it to Portland last season at just 21 years old. However, after tearing up Greenville and Lancaster, he slowed down significantly in Double-A, seeing his batting average fall from .343 in Lancaster to .214. He also struggled in the Arizona Fall League, striking out 36 times in 95 at-bats. He did play center field regularly for the first time in his pro career while in Portland, but with his cannon arm, he still may be a better fit in right. Reddick will spend most, if not all of the season in Portland honing his approach at the plate … Zach Daeges was the Sea Dogs’ MVP last season and was an Eastern League All-Star, but with the acquisitions made by the Red Sox at the Triple-A level, he may have to start the season in Portland again. He has been a doubles machine the past two seasons, but that will have to evolve into more home run power if he will stick in left field, where his defense needs to improve … Bubba Bell’s numbers were not as eye-popping last season as they were in 2007, but he did hit .285/.363/.478 and was an Eastern League All-Star at age 25. He was due for a promotion to Triple-A last season, but suffered a season-ending stress fracture. Like Daeges, he may be forced back to Portland to start the year, although it is hard to see him spending much longer there … Daniel Nava was signed by the Sox last season after being named Baseball America’s top independent league prospect. Although he started 2008 as a backup in Lancaster, he forced his way into the starting lineup and went on to win the California League batting title. He was relatively old for the league at 25, and will have to repeat that performance in Portland to truly break onto the prospect radar … Jay Johnson missed nearly all of 2008 after rupturing his Achilles tendon in April and spent much of the year in Ft. Myers rehabbing. He also would be headed for Double-A, but likely will stay behind in Extended Spring Training to continue his rehab and shake off the rust.

A+: Chih-Hsien Chiang has been young at each level. With the 21-year-old’s body filling out and his defense at second base already in question, Chiang was moved to the outfield during the Fall Instructional League. After representing Taiwan in the World Baseball Classic, Chiang may be held back in Extended Spring Training to work on his outfield defense before being assigned to either Portland or Salem … Chiang’s teammate on the Taiwanese team, Che-Hsuan Lin, is regarded by most as the best outfield defender in the system. Lin could stand to improve with the bat, as he hit .249/.342/.359 in his full-season debut in Greenville last year, but that was at age 19. He will be young for the Carolina League as Salem’s primary center fielder this season … Former first-round pick Jason Place improved on his 2007 numbers last season, but still hit just .246/.320/.432 in Lancaster, striking out 147 times. Although he has played nothing but center field as a pro, he may have to defer to Lin, as it is tough to see him beginning in Portland with the amount of work he still has to do on his swing. … Ryan Kalish showed very little power last season as he worked to come back from a wrist injury. He earned a late-season promotion to High-A last season and will start there this year, where he should see most of his time in right field again in deference to Lin and Place … Reid Engel hit .292 as a 20 year old in Greenville in 2007, and began last season well, hitting .326 in April, but he hit just .217 the rest of the way. He battled injuries, missing some time in June and playing sporadically the rest of the season. He should begin the season in Salem as a backup … David Mailman struggled for most of last season as a 19 year old in A-ball, but he put it together in August, hitting five of his eight home runs and a .294/.350/.492 line. After playing left field all season, he also saw time in center field in August. He could begin the season in either Salem or Greenville, depending on where there is an opening… After showing some intriguing power last season in Greenville, Jered Stanley was moved to first base in the Instructional League, which may benefit him given the number of outfielders. He will begin the season in Salem … Matt Sheely got just over 200 at-bats in Lancaster as a backup last year. The speedster’s best chance to stick with the organization is to stay in Extended Spring Training and wait for an opening due to injuries and/or promotions … Rafael Cabreja, David Marks, and Carlos Fernandez will fight for spots on Salem’s roster in Spring Training. However, none will see significant time there as long as Mailman, Lin, Kalish, and Place are healthy.

So Long, Farewell: Nothing more really need be said about Manny Ramirez, who was traded to the Dodgers at the trade deadline. Prospect Brandon Moss was also included in the trade, heading to Pittsburgh, where he should get the opportunity to play every day that he would not likely have had in Boston … Coco Crisp was traded to the Royals in the offseason for reliever Ramon Ramirez … Bobby Kielty spent the first half of the season rehabbing injuries, and by the time he was healthy, he had little chance at making the Sox’ Major League roster and asked for his release. He signed with the Twins for a month, playing for their Triple-A affiliate before again being released. He is currently in camp with the Mets … Mickey Hall spent six seasons in the Sox organization before being traded to Cleveland as the player to be named in the Paul Byrd deal … Jason Lane was signed in mid-August as Triple-A outfield depth. He signed in the offseason with Toronto … After missing all of last season with undisclosed injuries, Yahmed Yema retired in February.

Projections:
MLB: LF Starter – Bay; CF Starter – Ellsbury; RF Starter – Drew; Backups – Baldelli, Wilkerson; DL – Kotsay
AAA: 1B/LF/DH Rotation – Bailey/Carter/McAnulty; CF Starter – Van Every; RF Starter – Ambres; Backup – Corsaletti; XST – Danielson, Pritz
AA: LF Starter – Daeges; CF Starter – Bell; RF Starter – Reddick; Backup – Nava; XST – Johnson
A+: LF Starter – Mailman; CF Starter – Lin; RF Starter – Kalish; DH Starter/OF Spot Starter – Place; Backup: Engel; Backup 1B – Stanley

March 16 Fort Report

A few roster notes from minor league camp this weekend ... DSL players Pedro Rodriguez, Brandon Ulloa, Victor De La Cruz, and Chris De La Rosa were each let go this off-season ... De La Cruz and De La Rosa had both been suspended under MLB's drug policy ... Look for most 2009 DSL Red Sox players to repeat the level this year ... The only 2009 DSL players that are tabbed to make the jump to the States this season are Manny Rivera, Roman Mendez, Jose Garcia, and Juan Bonifacio ... Oscar Perez should also start in the GCL and Eddie Lora is in camp battling for a spot with the GCL affiliate... Players like Raynel Vellette, Javier Jimenez, Danny Dilon, Leonel Escobar, and Rafael Espinoza will probably repeat the DSL ... Darren Blocker reported to camp this weekend and is battling for a roster spot in Greenville ... Sandy Madera has actually been in catching gear all week, and is now listed a catcher ... Aaron Bates may get some time at third base this year ... Almost every player has reported to camp - two exceptions are Jose Garcia and Miguel Marquez, both of whom are experiencing visa delays ... Wilfred Pichardo is taking full batting practice, and looks like he could be ready for the season ... Ty Weeden injured his hamate bone last week, and we hear that he's done for the year ... A slight retraction from a report earlier this week - it's not definite that Austin Bailey will be 100% for the start of the season, and it seems uncertain whether he will start in XST or if he'll earn a roster spot right out of the gate ... Ryan Colvin continues his rehab and hopes to return to game action in July ... Jordan Craft got struck by a batted ball on his throwing arm last year, and it's been a tough road returning from that injury ... He's been throwing off a mound, but has yet to throw to hitters ... Zach Borowiak took some grounders at third base in the early morning yesterday, and looked spectacular defensively ... Kyle Stroup reported to camp overweight ... Like all of the other players, he'll need to run the 1.5 mile "mega-loop" around the complex in under eighteen minutes before he can step onto the field ... Che-Hsuan Lin and Chih-Hsien Chiang took the filed yesterday after returning from the WBC ... Will Middlebrooks' rehab is going better than initially expected, and we could actually see him take the field in late April.

Jon Lester Contract Details

According to ESPN.com, Jon Lester will receive the following base salaries over the course of his five-year, $30 million contract extension:

• 2009: $1,000,000
• 2010: $3,750,000
• 2011: $5,750,000
• 2012: $7,625,000
• 2013: $11,625,000
• 2014: $13,000,000 Team Option / $250,000 Buyout

March 12 Fort Report Update

An update from MLST on some of the open questions from this morning's Fort Report: Chad Rhoades is in camp, but it seems that he was mistakenly left off the roster due to an administrative error ... Darren Blocker has yet to report (the mandatory reporting deadline for position players is tomorrow) ... Yahmed Yema will reportedly not return to the team this year after being out since June 2007 with lingering injuries ... Felix Rodriguez and Chris George have been signed to minor league deals.

March 12 Fort Report

Over at minor league camp, one piece of good news is that Austin Bailey seems to be good to go for 2009, after a shoulder injury de-railed most of his 2008 campaign ... It appears that LHP Chris George has been invited to MLST, joining Felix Rodriguez in looking for a minor league deal with the Sox ... Three players that are missing from the MLST roster are Chad Rhoades, Darren Blocker, and Yahmed Yema ... We're working on confirming their status ... Both of the Moanaroa brothers are in camp, despite earlier reports that Boss Moanaroa was not coming to the U.S. until 2010 ... To no surprise, Chih-Hsien Chiang is now listed as an outfielder on the spring training roster ... Tyler Yockey and both of the Moanaroa brothers are also both listed as outfielders, while Roberto Ramos is working with the infielders ... Chiang and Che-Hsuan Lin should be reporting to minor league camp soon ... Others Sox players returning from the WBC after first round exits are David Ortiz, Jason Bay, Steve Green, Angel Chavez, Mitch Dening, and Justin Erasmus ... Kris Johnson, Dustin Richardson, Argenis Diaz, Charlie Zink, and Carlos Maldonado are also now in minor league camp after spending the last month with the big leaguers ... We should have a lot of first-hand reports from MLST over the next few days ... Sox players advancing to the second round of the WBC this weekend are Daisuke Matsuzaka, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Enrique Gonzalez Dennis Neuman, Fernando Cabera, and Javier Lopez ... Neuman impressed again in The Netherlands' second victory over the Dominican Republic on Tuesday, pitching 1.2 perfect innings and striking out Miguel Tejada swinging ... Erasmus started for South Africa in its 14-3 loss to Mexico, looking quite poised for 19-year-old facing major league competition ... Erasmus did get roughed up a bit, going 3 innings, allowing 5 hits and 3 runs, while striking out 1 ... Over at major league camp, a bunch of likely minor leaguers continue to get extended looks ... Maureen Mullen of the Worcester Telegram brings us a report on Lars Anderson's future as the Red Sox starting first baseman ... Ian Browne reports that Clay Buchholz has connected well with veteran ace John Smoltz, who also had some struggles early in his major league career ... The ProJo reports that George Kottaras will get a chance to prove that he can catch Tim Wakefield this afternoon .... In business news, the Sox tied up all nineteen of their pre-arbitration players to one year deals, including Jon Lester ... Reports are that Lester may be locking up a long-term deal soon that could replace his one-year deal.

2009 Prospect Previews: Adam Mills and Zach Daeges

The 13th installment of the Prospect Previews series features a starting pitcher looking to prove himself in the upper levels of the Red Sox organization, and an outfielder working to polish his overall game to put himself into consideration for the major league roster.

Adam Mills

Position: Starting Pitcher
2008 Teams: Lancaster Jethawks, Portland Sea Dogs, and Pawtucket Red Sox
2009 Projected Team: Portland Sea Dogs

Strengths: Mills is a polished pitcher with a four-pitch repertoire, and he has an excellent understanding of how to mix up his pitches to get hitters out. His fastball generally sits in the high 80’s with the ability to operate in the low 90’s when he reaches back. Mills can throw his fastball in three different varieties: a four-seamer, a running two-seamer, and a heavy sinker. His two-seam fastball has some nice late movement that keeps hitters from squaring up the ball and limits solid contact against him. When Mills sinks his fastball in the lower third of the strike zone, batters tend to hit this ball into the ground; Mills gets a lot of groundballs when he is pitching effectively. His change-up is above average and keeps hitters off-balance. With a consistent and deceptive delivery, Mills is able to fool batters with good arm action on his change-up and he hides his other offerings well, causing batters to pick them up late. He can also lean on a low 80’s slider that breaks out of the strike zone into the dirt, and he has been known to throw an occasional knuckle curveball, but he usually only features these pitches to pick up a strikeout later in the count. Mills has excellent command, rarely missing his spots, and has shown outstanding control in his time in the Red Sox organization, exhibiting low walk totals for a starting pitcher. He held his own against advanced competition after a mid-season promotion to AA last season, and he was called up to AAA during the playoffs, although he did not see any action.

Development Needs: While Mills has mastered his four-pitch arsenal, none of the pitches stick out as a dominant pitch for him to consistently lean on. He must constantly change speeds and mix up his offerings to keep hitters at bay. Not much of a strikeout pitcher, Mills heavily relies on batters putting the ball in play against him, resulting in a lot of contact and forcing him to rely on his fielders to get most of his outs. As he starts to pitch in the higher ranks of the organization, he could stand to miss some more bats and sharpen some of his offerings to limit the contact against him. Mills could also stand to pitch inside more with his fastball so batters aren’t quite as comfortable against him, but he can’t afford to have it back up into the middle of the plate. His slider and curveball currently don’t project as consistent out pitches for him, and he must show these pitches a bit earlier in the count to mix up the look he gives to hitters. Although he has demonstrated excellent command, Mills must always walk the fine line by living on the corners, and he can’t grab too much of the plate. When he does, hitters are able to hit the ball hard against him and do a lot of damage. At 24 years old, Mills doesn’t project to add much more velocity on his fastball, and this has led some scouts to project him as a middle reliever as he gets closer to the major leagues.

2009 Outlook: A late invite to major league Spring Training, Mills has worked in a few games for the Red Sox in camp. He looks ticketed for Portland to start the season, and he will likely work out of their starting rotation. Mills should continue to get a lot of ground balls and demonstrate excellent command of his arsenal. One of the main things to watch for with him is whether any of his pitches start to stick out and become more dominant offerings. Being able to lean more heavily on a couple of pitches to limit the amount of contact against him would be a sign of positive development in his game. Expect Mills to exhibit excellent focus on the mound and have a good plan for getting hitters out. Another area to watch for is whether Mills can pitch inside a bit more at this level and back hitters off the plate. This would open up the outside corner for him and allow him to pound it with his 2-seam fastball, and use his slider with two strikes to get hitters to chase out of the strike zone. Mills made his way up the ranks of the Red Sox organization in 2008, and 2009 should provide a sharper focus on where he will eventually project as he gets closer to the major leagues. Look for Mills to continue to work as a starting pitcher until he proves that he can’t.

Zach Daeges

Position: Outfield
2008 Team: Portland Sea Dogs
2009 Projected Team: Portland Sea Dogs/Pawtucket Red Sox

Strengths: Daeges has a solid lower body and good strength, and he is able to generate good extension on pitches as he drives the bat head through the hitting zone. He can turn very well on inside pitches and has a nice stroke that produces solid contact, resulting mostly in line drives. An extremely patient hitter with a good understanding of the strike zone, Daeges rarely goes outside of the strike zone and he is rarely fooled into chasing bad pitches. In fact, his pitch recognition and understanding of the strike zone have been advanced since entering the organization. Daeges is a hitter that makes pitchers work to get him out, and he will see a lot of pitches in his at-bats. He doesn’t miss mistake pitches after working counts in his favor, and he attacks pitches he feels he can drive, resulting in a lot of extra base hits. Daeges has produced an on-base percentage of above .400 in each of his seasons in the Red Sox organization, piling up walks and proving to be a tough out at the plate. After moving around in the field, Daeges has settled in as right fielder, putting in a lot of work to improve his defensive game. His hitting style has meshed well with the Red Sox philosophies and he has taken well to instruction since joining the system. Daeges is another Red Sox minor league hitter who sees a lot of pitches, affording him the opportunity to pick one out and hit it hard somewhere. Standing at 6’4’’ and weighing 220 pounds, he has a solid frame and some power potential that he can still tap into.

Development Needs: While settling into right field in 2008, Daeges is at best an average fielder, and his value is heavily tied up into the development of his offensive game. His range is average and he gets decent jumps on balls hit out his way, but that has been improving with more time spent in the outfield. Improvement in his defensive game would further round him out as a prospect and quell some of the projections that see him as a DH at higher levels. With an open stance, Daeges makes up for not having elite bat speed on inside pitches, but leaves himself vulnerable on the outside pitches. He must improve his plate coverage to combat pitchers pounding the outside corner against him. Daeges cannot get too pull happy and will need to drive outside pitches more into the left-centerfield gap, but this is well within his skill set at the plate. Despite his strength, the home run totals have not been there for him outside of Lancaster, which has a ballpark that is very favorable for left-handed hitters. Daeges shows very good pull power in batting practice sessions, but this has yet to transfer into his game situations in AA. There is a lot of potential in his swing to add some more power if he can work on lofting the ball more and lifting the balls his drives out to right field with more backspin. Daeges was hampered by a wrist injury early in the season at Portland after diving for a ball in the outfield, and this may have affected his power while he found the comfort zone again.

2009 Outlook: Daeges has been spent Spring Training in major league camp and has been strong at the plate thus far. There is a chance he could open the season in AAA, but with a crowded outfield picture he may start back at AA. If he does indeed open in AA, Daeges will be looking for a quick promotion to AAA. Regardless of where he starts, look for Daeges to continue his patient approach at the plate and be that consistent tough out who works pitchers during each at-bat. One of the main areas to watch for is how much improvement there is in his power game. By working to produce more loft in his swing and drive through the ball with backspin, Daeges could see a sizable increase in the number of home runs he hits in 2009. Expect him to continue to pile up extra base hits and walks as he works his counts. With more and more time spent in the outfield, some improvement in his defensive game can be expected. Another area of development to keep an eye on is how well Daeges covers the outer third of the plate. An improvement in this area would further enhance his overall hitting package and limit the weaknesses that pitchers can exploit. Daeges made some nice steps in 2008, holding more than his own in AA, and with some continued improvements in 2009 he can show signs that he can have success at the major league level.

2009 Prospect Previews: Felix Doubront and Argenis Diaz

The 12th installment of the Prospect Previews series takes a look at a promising left-handed starting pitcher making his way up the ranks, and an exciting defensive shortstop prospect looking to round out his game in the higher levels of the Red Sox organization.

Felix Doubront

Position: Starting Pitcher
2008 Teams: Greenville Drive and Lancaster Jethawks
2009 Projected Team: Salem Red Sox

Strengths: This Venezuelan lefty features a fastball and curveball as the best pitches in his arsenal. With his fastball sitting in the high 80’s and topping out at 91 MPH, Doubront pounds the zone to get ahead of hitters. Although his fastball is not overpowering, it sneaks up on hitters due to his deceptive delivery. Doubront uses his fastball to set up his very good curveball, with a sharp break that bears inside on the hands of right-handed batters. He’ll turn to this pitch later in the count to finish batters off after keeping their eye level elevated with his fastball. Doubront also has very good control and does not walk a lot of batters. In 2008, he performed very well in full-season baseball after struggling with injuries in 2007. Aggressive and confident, Doubront executed very good command of his stuff in 2008 and made some strong developmental strides that resulted in a promotion to Lancaster at the end of the season. To cap off his strong season, the Red Sox added him to the 40-man roster in November, and Doubront will now look to build on last season’s success.

Development Needs: Doubront also features a slider, but this pitch is behind his other offerings and will need to become sharper to keep batters off-balance, but the pitch has been improving and showed some potential in 2008. Despite being a lefty, Doubront struggles against left-handed batters and will have to work on getting them out more consistently as he makes his way to higher levels within the Red Sox organization. Lefties tend to get a better look at Doubront’s stuff as it approaches the plate as the angle he delivers the ball allows them to see it better. He gets hit hard when his offerings are up in the zone and grab too much of the plate, and he will have to continue to spot his pitches on corners and get hitters to chase his off-speed stuff to succeed. When he is missing his spots, there is a lot of contact against him because he does not have overpowering stuff. As he advances to higher levels within the organization, he’ll have to miss some more bats and limit the contact against him.

2009 Outlook: Doubront looks like he will break camp with the Salem Red Sox and take a spot in their starting rotation. He has been working in major league camp this Spring Training, seeing some action against the college teams. Look for Doubront to continue his aggressive approach on the mound and pound the strike zone with his fastball. One of the main areas of positive development to watch for is how well he continues to hit his spots and keep the ball out of the fat part of the plate. Success in this area will lead to nice results for Doubront on the mound at this level. He shouldn’t hurt himself with walks, and he will strike batters out due to the deception in his delivery. Another important area to watch for is how well his slider can come up to speed, as adding another weapon to his arsenal that he can rely on to finish batters off would go a long way for him. Coming off of a strong 2008, Doubront is another young Red Sox minor leaguer looking to make that next step, and he should be an intriguing prospect to follow.

Argenis Diaz

Position: Shortstop
2008 Teams: Lancaster Jethawks and Portland Sea Dogs
2009 Projected Team: Portland Sea Dogs

Strengths: Diaz is an elite defender. Smooth and extremely fluid, he moves naturally at his position and looks like a big leaguer in the field. Possessing plus range and an outstanding arm, Diaz makes spectacular plays on a routine basis and gets to balls that few, if any, others can get. He takes excellent routes to ground balls and has solid footwork as well. A complete package in the field, many believe that Diaz could play an outstanding shortstop in the major leagues and be one of the top defenders at his position. A slap hitter at the plate, he gets the bat on the ball at a decent clip and has about average on-base ability. Diaz is also an excellent bunter and adept at laying down a sacrifice bunt to move runners along. During the off-season prior to the 2008 season, Diaz made some nice strides at the plate and developed some consistency in his offensive game. After being promoted to Portland mid-season in 2008, he swung the bat well to finish the year and had a good first experience in AA. An exciting defensive player, Diaz has risen through the ranks of the Red Sox organization during the past season and has begun to position himself as a position player who could make an impact on the major league team in the future.

Development Needs: Diaz can sometimes lose his concentration in the field and make errors on rather routine plays. The Red Sox have stressed to him the importance of keeping his focus and bringing the same intensity to every play, spectacular or routine. Diaz will make some errors due to his range, but he could stand to improve on the wild, off-balance throws that end up off the mark. He may be better served by pocketing some balls he gets to, but he’ll take away his fair share of hits as well. At the plate, Diaz must improve on his contact rates and cut down on his strikeouts. Lacking patience at the plate and without much power, a lot of his value as a prospect is tied into his defensive ability, and it remains to be seen whether he’ll be able to consistently hit enough to be a major league regular. He’ll need to continue to put the ball in play and square up on the ball better to produce line drives. His swing sweeps through the zone and can improve on its path to the point of contact. Diaz improved on limiting his slumps, but he still experienced a prolonged dry spell at the plate to start the season in Lancaster. There isn’t much speed in his game, so he projects as a bottom-of-the-order hitter down the line.

2009 Outlook: Diaz should return to the Sea Dogs and begin the season as their starting shortstop. Expect him to continue to make spectacular plays in the field and be an exciting defensive player to watch. Pitchers love having a guy like Diaz up the middle, and he should take away a lot of hits for the pitching staff. Watch for how well he can keep his concentration and bring better focus to every play in the field; a sign of positive development in this area will be a reduction in the amount of errors he makes on routine plays. After putting together a strong performance at the plate after his promotion, Diaz should be able to continue to improve on his hitting and shouldn’t be overmatched at this level. An increase in his contact rates and subsequent drop in his strikeouts will be a good sign of positive development for him offensively. When Diaz is hitting well at this level, look for a shorter path to the point of contact. If he can maintain these hitting mechanics, he should limit the length of his slumps at the plate and be more of a consistent player. 2009 should be an important year of development for Diaz. After being added to the 40-man roster in November of 2007, he will burn his second option this season and the Red Sox will be looking at how close he is to earning a spot on the 25-man roster.

Lester Agrees to Extension

According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports, the Red Sox and Jon Lester have agreed in principle to a five-year, $30 million contract extension. The deal would also reportedly include a $13 million team option for 2014, and is contingent upon Lester passing a physical Tuesday. If the option is exercised, the Red Sox will have bought out Lester's first two years of free agency. Less than two years removed from being diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, Lester pitched to a 16-6 record in 2008 with a 3.21 ERA and 152 strikeouts in 210.1 innings. The big lefty then put up a 1-2 record with a 2.36 ERA in four post-season starts against the Angels and Rays, striking out 26 and walking only 5 in 26.2 innings.

Originally a second round choice (57th overall) by the Red Sox in 2002, the 25-year-old Lester owns a career record of 27-8 with a 3.81 ERA and 262 strikeouts in 354.2 innings pitched spanning 59 Major League starts. The winning pitcher in the deciding Game 4 of the 2007 World Series against the Rockies, Lester also threw a no-hitter on May 19, 2008 against the Royals. When he signs his contract extension, Lester will become the third former Red Sox prospect to do so, joining reigning MVP Dustin Pedroia (six years, $40.5 million) and All-Star Kevin Youkilis (four years, $40.25 million).

2009 Pre-Season All Stars

The votes have been tallied, and the people have spoken. Here are the 2009 SoxProspects.com Pre-Season All Stars, as voted by the SoxProspects community, along with the level at which they are expected to begin the 2009 season:

Starting Pitchers:

Michael Bowden (Triple-A)
Junichi Tazawa (Double-A)
Stolmy Pimentel (Low-A)
Clay Buchholz (Triple-A)

Honorable mention to Kyle Weiland (High-A), who was 3 votes short of qualifying.

Relief Pitchers:

Daniel Bard (Double-A)
Richie Lentz (Double-A)
Hunter Jones (Triple-A)

Catcher: Luis Exposito (High-A)
First Base: Lars Anderson (Double-A)

Second Base: Ryan Dent (Low-A)

Third Base: Michael Almanzar (Low-A)

Shortstop: Yamaico Navarro (High-A)

Outfield: Josh Reddick (Double-A)
Outfield: Ryan Kalish (High-A)
Outfield: Zach Daeges (Double-A)

Honorable mention to Che-Hsuan Lin (High-A), who was 1 vote short of qualifying.

March 8 Fort Report

In major league camp, the battle continues for the last bench spot on the big league roster, between Brad Wilkerson (.556 OPS), Chris Carter (1.069 OPS), Paul McAnulty (.707), and Jeff Bailey (1.197 OPS) ... Those who don't get the spot will likely end up in Pawtucket to start the season ... The logjam could get even more complicated soon, as Mark Kotsay is reportedly on track to return to the field by May 1 ... Meanwhile, Josh Bard and George Kottaras continue to vie for the back-up catcher role, where the loser would likely be traded or designated for assignment ... Bad news: Rule 5 pick Miguel Gonzalez underwent Tommy John Surgery this past week, and will begin his rehab in Florida ... Good news: John Smoltz may be on target to return sooner than the initially-estimated June 1 date ... Both of these bits of news could affect the battle for the last bullpen spot, which is apparently down to Javier Lopez and Wes Littleton, both of whom are out of options ... Highly-regarded shortstop Argenis Diaz committed his third and fourth errors of the spring on Saturday, continuing his struggles with routine plays ... Among the non-roster invitees, Zach Daeges homered and had two RBIs in a recent win over the Marlins ... Dan Bard hit 100 mph on the gun in a scrimmage against Puerto Rico ... Nick Green is trying to prove he's worthy of a major league call-up if one of Boston's starters gets hurt ... In minor league mini-camp, John Otness continues to rehab from off-season arthroscopic knee surgery ... In the WBC, Taiwan was eliminated after two consecutive losses, but not without impressive contributions from Che-Hsuan Lin and Chih-Hsien Chiang, who batted one-two in Taiwan's lineup ... Dennis Neuman was also quite impressive in the Netherlands' upset victory over the Dominican Republic, pitching himself out of a jam in the eighth against several major league hitters ... On the business side of things, major-league minimum players renewed their contracts this week, all except for Jon Lester ... Manny Delcarmen got the highest salary for the group at $476,000, but Lester is expected to come in slightly higher than that mark ... With the signings of Manny Ramirez and Dennys Reyes this week, the Sox will likely draft 28th and 77th in the 2009 draft ... The only compensation player whose signing might effect the order of Boston's second round pick is Type B Mark Grudzielanek, who remains unsigned.

2009 Organization Outlook: Third Base

From the time that Kevin Youkilis graduated from prospect status in 2004 until the middle of 2007, third base was one of the weaker positions in the Red Sox farm system. During that time, players like Chad Spann and Andrew Pinckney were the best the system had to offer at the position. Ultimately, Spann’s stock fell drastically after being ranked fifth in a weak system in the 2003-04 off-season, and Pinckney never repeated his strong 2005 season, leaving the Sox with no legitimate major league prospects at the position. However, a pair of mid-summer acquisitions in 2007 — the drafting of Will Middlebrooks and signing of Michael Almanzar —helped breathe life into the organization’s depth chart.

Here are the system’s third basemen, sorted by highest level reached last season:
Majors: Mike Lowell, Jed Lowrie, Kevin Youkilis
AAA: Angel Chavez
AA: Jorge Jimenez, Ryan Khoury
A+: Zak Farkes, Aaron Reza
A: Michael Almanzar
SS-A: Darren Blocker, Will Middlebrooks
Rookie: Carson Blair
DSL: Pedro Chourio, Lewis Urena, Heiker Menses
New: Juan Ugas
Gone: Manny Arambarris, Keith Ginter, Andrew Pinckney, Chad Spann

In the Majors: If he’s healthy, 2007 World Series MVP Mike Lowell is the obvious starter at third. However, if his hip is still bothering him during the season, shortstop Jed Lowrie or first baseman Kevin Youkilis will slide over to third. Lowell has two years left on his contract at $12-million per, but with Lars Anderson nearly ready for the majors, we may eventually see Youkilis move back across the diamond to third on a more permanent basis.

Cream of the Crop: Middlebrooks was arguably the top talent selected by the Sox in the 2007 draft. After signing late that season, he made his debut in Lowell last year, which began as a disaster — he hit just .187/.227/.231 in his first month. However, he made adjustments and finished the season strong, then had a great performance in the Fall Instructional League. Had he not torn his hamstring recently, he would have almost surely started the 2009 season in Greenville. That is still likely where he will head after his rehab is complete, hopefully sometime in May … After he received a $1.5-million signing bonus in the summer of 2007, expectations were high for Almanzar in 2008. While he is very raw, Almanzar was impressive enough in a short, 23-game stint in the GCL (.348/.414/.472) that a promotion was necessary, and with Middlebrooks already in Lowell, Almanzar got skipped all the way to Greenville. Lacking the refinement of the other players at that level, he understandably struggled. Almanzar is tabbed to return to Greenville this season, where he will play every day, but may have to share time at third with Middlebrooks when he gets healthy.

The Rest:
AAA: Angel Chavez should be the starting third baseman in Pawtucket, although he is versatile enough to play anywhere in the infield … Gil Velazquez and Nick Green could also see some time at third.

AA: Jorge Jimenez may not be a marquee prospect, but it is becoming tougher each year to overlook his success. He struggled in Lowell in his rookie season in 2006, but repeated the level and was voted a SoxProspects.com All-Star after hitting .303/.412/.475 the next year. At age 23, he began last season in Lancaster and was named a California League All-Star, hitting .352/.421/.479 before a promotion to Portland, where he struggled initially before recovering some to put up a .270/.305/.389 line. However, his most impressive performance in 2008 may have been in the Puerto Rican Winter League, when he hit .319/.388/.462 against MLB-level competition. If he can hit like that in Portland this season, expect him in Pawtucket before long … Utility infielder Ryan Khoury was a starter at third in Portland for some time last season, but may primarily play second base this year to fill the open spot in the lineup … Aaron Reza should be the utility backup infielder in Portland to start the season … Zak Farkes played third base more than he caught last year, but if he is promoted to Portland after a season and a half in Lancaster, he could see his share of time behind the plate as well with John Otness continuing to rehab after arthroscopic knee surgery.

A+: No true third baseman appears headed for Salem, meaning Farkes or Reza may stay behind to start at the hot corner to begin the year. However, if shortstops Oscar Tejeda and Yamaico Navarro both find themselves on the Salem roster, one will certainly move over to third, perhaps on a rotating basis.

A: Jon Hee could see time at third as a backup thanks to Middlebrooks’ injury, but he is primarily a middle infielder.

SS-A: Darren Blocker was unimpressive in Lowell last season, but at age 22, it is hard to see him spending his third season in the organization in short-season ball again. Middlebrooks’ injury may have opened a spot for him in Greenville to start the year, but he could just as likely start in Extended Spring Training, waiting for his shot.

Rookie: Carson Blair was drafted as a third baseman, but word is that he indeed has been converted to catcher and will play there in the GCL.

DSL: Pedro Chourio saw time at both infield corners in his second season in the DSL in 2008. His .401 slugging percentage was the third-highest on the DSL squad last year, but now 19 years old, Chourio is racing time for a promotion to the States … Lewis Urena showed a versatile defensive skill set in his rookie season last year. He played most often at third base, but also saw significant time in center field and at second base. Still, he will need to hit better than .224/.343/.308 to come Stateside, now matter how versatile he is … The youngest player on the 2008 DSL roster, Heiker Menses split his time between second and third base. He will repeat the level this season and could again see time at both positions … Juan Ugas was signed to a $300k bonus last summer, and will likely make his debut in the DSL this year.

So Long, Farewell: Once one of the top five prospects in the system, Spann was released in July. He had a promising 2006 season in Portland, hitting .294/.361/.472, but failed to match those numbers the following year and a half, even getting demoted from Pawtucket to Portland after struggling to begin the 2007 season. He caught on with Kansas City’s Triple-A affiliate later on last season … Pinckney was the 2005 SoxProspects.com Offensive Player of the Year, but stalled out at Portland. After a year and a half in Double-A, he was released to make room for Jimenez. He did not leave quietly, voicing his displeasure in the local newspaper after his release … Keith Ginter was steady, if not spectacular, as Pawtucket’s everyday third baseman in 2008. He opted for minor league free agency and was not re-signed … Manny Arambarris was in his seventh season in the organization at age 22, so when he hit just .209/.250/.324 in Greenville, it was not much of a surprise when he was not re-signed after declaring minor league free agency.

Projections
MLB: Starter – Lowell; Backups – Lowrie and Youkilis
AAA: Starter – Chavez; Backups – Velazquez and Green
AA: Starter – Jimenez; Backup – Reza
A+: Starter – Tejeda, perhaps with Navarro on a rotating basis
A: Starter – Almanzar; Backup or XST – Blocker
SS-A: Starter – Draftee Rookie: Starter – Draftee
DSL: Starter – Ugas; Starter (DH)/Backup – Chourio; Starter (2B) – Menses; Starter (CF) – Urena

2009 Prospect Previews: Kris Johnson and Che-Hsuan Lin

The 11th installment of the Prospect Previews series takes a look at a starting pitcher working on sharpening his game in the advanced levels of the organization, and an exciting centerfielder looking to take the next step in his development.

Kris Johnson

Position: Starting Pitcher
2008 Team: Portland Sea Dogs
2009 Projected Team: Portland Sea Dogs

Strengths: Johnson’s fastball and change-up are the two best pitches in his arsenal right now. Working in the low 90’s, his fastball has good tailing movement, making him effective against right-handed batters, and he has shown improving command of the pitch. Johnson will turn his fastball over to induce ground balls, while keeping hitters off-balance with his above average change-up. He has had a ground ball to fly ball ratio of about 50% throughout his career in the Red Sox organization. Johnson uses his change-up to keep hitters out in front, and he will turn to it with two strikes to finish batters off. His arm action on the pitch makes it very deceptive on its approach to home plate. Smooth and fluid, Johnson’s delivery has very little wasted motion or jerky movements. 2008 was a good year of development for him, one that saw him fare well against advanced hitters in his first experience in AA. He was able to keep the ball in the ballpark and limit a lot of damage against him. Long term projections for Johnson originally pointed towards working out of the bullpen due to his tendency to struggle the second time through a batting order, but that improved for him in 2008. Johnson brought an improved sense of game preparation and more consistency in battling through lineups multiple turns through the batting order last season.

Development Needs: Johnson underwent Tommy John surgery in 2005 and made a quicker-than-usual return to the mound. Possessing a better-than-average curveball prior to the injury, he has not been able to get the same snap and hard break on the pitch since returning to the mound. Once his strength, the pitch now lags behind his other offerings in terms of being a consistently effective out pitch in his arsenal. The pitch has become a bit slurvy, but Johnson could still get the feel back. With just average control, he tends to walk a few too many batters and can get wild on occasions. But Johnson has been improving his consistency with his release point and has spent his first season or so within the Red Sox system getting the feel back for all of his pitches. He tends to struggle working out of jams and could stand to improve his concentration in those situations. Not an overpowering pitcher, Johnson relies on pitching to contact and keeping hitters off balance to be effective.

2009 Outlook: Johnson should start the season in the starting rotation for the Portland Sea Dogs. Look for him to continue to display the confidence in his health that made its way back in 2008. One of the main things to watch for with him is whether or not he can regain the feel for his curveball and have that pitch return to form. Improvement on this pitch would significantly enhance his arsenal and give him another potential out pitch deeper into the count. Johnson should continue to have success in AA, and look for the trend of improving command to continue this upcoming season. Another key area of development for Johnson in 2009 will be how well he can maintain his stuff through his outings and how much better he works out of jams. These areas saw improvement this past season, and more improvement in 2009 will be a very positive sign. With a strong start to the season and development in the mentioned areas, Johnson could see himself move further up the Red Sox’ pitching depth chart.

Che-Hsuan Lin

Position: Centerfield
2008 Team: Greenville Drive
2009 Projected Team: Salem Red Sox

Strengths: A fantastic athlete, Lin takes advantage of strong, quick wrists to whip the bat head through the hitting zone. His compact stroke generates gap power. Lin covers the plate well and will hit to all fields, taking what is given to him from pitchers. He’s been able to adjust to the Red Sox philosophy of a patient approach at the plate and work some walks as well. Possessing elite speed, Lin is a threat to steal every time he reaches base and has shown good ability to read pitchers, along with knowing the right opportunities to run. His speed also puts a lot of pressure on opposing defenses and disrupts the rhythm of pitchers when he is on base. A fluid defensive centerfielder, Lin has plus range in the field and gracefully tracks down fly balls. In addition to getting good jumps on the ball, his arm strength and accuracy are both well above average. Lin has the defensive tools to play a very solid centerfield in the major leagues, showing a lot of polish to this point in his career. Signed as an international free agent in 2007, scouts saw Lin as a supplemental first round pick had he been eligible for the draft that year. Lin projects as a table setter at the top of the lineup who will steal his fair share of bases and play excellent defense.

Development Needs: Lin’s contact rates have been a bit below par in his first couple of seasons in the Red Sox organization. A lot of this is tied to his struggles with breaking pitches and his raw pitch recognition, as he can guess a bit and get fooled on off-speed pitches down and away from him. With more experience seeing professional pitching, he should improve on his pitch recognition and becomes more effective facing breaking pitches. Utilizing a leg kick as a timing step, he can sometimes lose his rhythm, causing him to be off-balance at the plate and lunge at pitches. Lin could stand to drive the ball more, and his power is average at best right now. While he projects as a leadoff batter, he can definitely become more of a threat at the plate by driving through balls and increasing the rate at which he produces hard contact. At times, it can appear as if he is feeling his way at the plate rather than attacking pitches and picking out the ones he can drive. However, Lin was on the young side for the SAL last season and was able to hold his own while making some nice developmental strides, including cutting down some on his strikeouts.

2009 Outlook: Lin is currently playing with Taiwan in the WBC and will report to camp once he is finished playing for his country. He should man one of the outfield spots for the Salem Red Sox, spending the majority of his time in centerfield and at the top of the lineup. Look for Lin to continue to make a difference with his speed and to play a very solid outfield, covering a lot of ground and showing off his elite arm when runners challenge him. One of the main things to watch for with Lin is how much improvement he makes on his pitch recognition in 2009. Improvement in this area will be a positive sign for him and should help with his contact rates. Lin should show some gap power at this level, but there may not be much extra-base power in his game just yet. Another thing to watch for is how well Lin starts to drive the ball. An improvement here would boost his extra base hit totals and make him more of a threat when pitchers make mistakes. Lin will be an interesting prospect to watch in 2009, and he is one of many high-ceiling players who could start to round out their skills with the polish needed to have success at higher levels this season.

Q&A with Anthony Rizzo

Anthony Rizzo is back, and he’s back big. A 19-year-old first baseman who was selected by Boston in the sixth round of the 2007 draft, Rizzo returns to the diamond after having not only his career, but his life threatened just 18 games into the 2008 season. Diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma after hitting a robust .373 to start the campaign, Rizzo missed the remainder of the season while undergoing chemotherapy. Once again healthy, and in the best shape of his life, the sturdy 6’3” 240 lb. Rizzo is in camp ready to be more than a just cancer survivor; he’s ready to reestablish himself as one of the top power-hitting prospects in the Red Sox organization.

David Laurila: How does it feel to be playing baseball again?
Anthony Rizzo: I’m just happy to be back. I never really knew … I guess I could say that I took it for granted a little bit, just how much I love baseball, before it was taken away from me. So I’m just happy to be on the field again. I’m 100 percent; I’ve never felt better, and I just can‘t wait for the season to start. [Editor’s note: Red Sox minor league infield coordinator Bruce Crabbe walks by at this time.]

DL: Bruce, how would you describe Anthony Rizzo as a player?
Bruce Crabbe: Well, for as little as we’ve seen him, he’s an all-around player. He’s athletic defensively ... he’s got skills as a defender, and he’s head-and-shoulders above the rest, potential-wise. He can do everything on the field. He’s a factor defensively. As a first baseman, he’s more than just a receiver; he’s a defender on the field. Offensively, you know … I can’t really comment on his hitting potential, because it’s not really my area. But he can play.
Rizzo: Thanks, Crabby.

DL: Anthony, how would you describe yourself as a hitter?
Rizzo: My overall approach … when I first got here I was aggressive. Now I’ve learned to not be so anxious, and to just see pitches. The more pitching I see, the easier hitting is going to get for me.

DL: Is that the approach being driven by Red Sox organization?
Rizzo: No, the organization doesn’t stress too much on it. They want you to pick selective pitches; they want you to be a selective hitter and always be ready. But, as far as the organization goes, they’ve all been great for me. They all take care of me real well, and don’t really mess with me that too much. They just kind of talk to me and guide me.

DL: Do you see yourself as a power hitter?
Rizzo: I mean, home runs are nice, but it’s not like I’m going up there to hit a home run. I’m just trying to hit the gaps, and win, really.

DL: How would you describe yourself mechanically?
Rizzo: I don’t know; I just see the ball and hit the ball. I have a basic stance, maybe a little bit open. I try to just keep it real simple, get my foot down early and get my hands to the ball.

DL: You were hitting .373 at Greenville before being sidelined with the illness. Why were you having that much success?
Rizzo: Just hard work. I trained so hard last off-season. I got to Greenville and I struggled the first couple of games, and then everything just kind of clicked. I started having fun again, and as long as you have fun, baseball is easy.

DL: Have you worked much with Bob Tewksbury?
Rizzo: Yeah, I’m in contact with Tewks quite a bit. He talked to me while I was out with my sickness, but me and Tewks have a pretty good relationship - we talk all the time. We talk about anything, really. He’ll ask me how I’m doing. I’ll ask about his family, he’ll ask about mine. We’ll talk about what’s going on in the world, things like that. It’s just a friendly relationship.

DL: Is having a good relationship with members of the player development staff important to you?
Rizzo: Oh yeah, of course. I mean, everyone in this organization is so easy to get along with. It’s not like you can’t have a relationship with any of them. I can call anyone from Theo on down and just have a friendly relationship. I played for Kevin Boles in Greenville, and he’s awesome. He’s just a real nice coach, real laid back. If you’re not doing the right thing, he’ll get on you for it, but I had no complaints about him, at all.

DL: Are you expecting to be back in Greenville this year?
Rizzo: More than likely I’ll start off there. I mean, I’m hoping to break [camp] for Salem, but it’s not like I’ll be overly disappointed to go back to Greenville. Wherever I play, I just want to play and get at bats. It doesn’t matter if I’m in the Gulf Coast League or Salem, I just want to be playing.

DL: How would you describe your personality?
Rizzo: Off the field I’m just laid back and like to have fun. I like to mess around. And I’m super competitive. I’ll play anyone, in any competition, at any time, whether if it’s juggling balls or flipping a hat. On the field, I’m the same way. I’m a competitor and I hate to lose. In my opinion, I’m also more of a team guy than an “I” guy. I’m kind of a motivational guy in the dugout and in the clubhouse. I wouldn’t say that I’m rah-rah, it’s more that I try to lead by example. I was one of the youngest guys on the team, so I just tried to play hard on the field and lead by doing that. Really, what matters most to me right now is that I’m back out there. I’m just happy to be playing baseball again.

March 5 Fort Report

Not a whole lot of news to bring you over the past couple days, but here is the 2009 Red Sox Mini-Camp Roster:

Pitchers: Jose Capellan, Yeiper Castillo, Caleb Clay, Stephen Fife, Brock Huntzinger, Casey Kelly, Ryne Lawson, Mike Lee, Richie Lentz, Stolmy Pimentel, Bryan Price, Chris Province, Hunter Strickland, Jose Vaquedano, Kyle Weiland, Fabian Williamson

Catchers: Carson Blair, Luis Exposito, Tim Federowicz, Ryan Lavarnway, Oscar Perez, Jon Still

Infielders: Michael Almanzar, Ryan Dent, Joantoni Garcia, Jose Garcia, Derrik Gibson, Will Middlebrooks, Yamaico Navarro, Anthony Rizzo, Oscar Tejeda

Outfielders: Bubba Bell, Pete Hissey, Ryan Kalish, David Mailman, Boss Moanaroa, Bryan Peterson, Jason Place

Rehab: Drake Britton, Andrew Dobies, Matt Goodson, Nick Hagadone, Tommy Hottovy, John Otness, Wilfred Pichardo, Ryan Westmoreland

2009 Prospect Previews: Richie Lentz and Jason Place

The 10th installment of the Prospect Previews series features a reliever looking to make another step towards the major leagues, and an outfielder who continues to work towards a breakout season.

Richie Lentz

Position: Relief Pitcher
2008 Teams: Lancaster Jethawks and Portland Sea Dogs
2009 Projected Team: Portland Sea Dogs

Strengths: This right-handed power reliever features a live 4-seam fastball that sits 92-94 MPH and tops out at 96 MPH. Working from a slightly lower than ¾ arm slot, Lentz creates a lot of torque on his deliveries and somewhat slings the ball towards home plate. An aggressive pitcher, he pounds the zone with his fastball to get ahead of hitters, and he can reach back to blow it past them up in the zone when he has to. Lentz also features a change-up, which has been improving each season since he entered the Red Sox organization. This pitch gives him an offering that differs from his riding fastball and allows him to keep hitters from sitting on his heat. The pitch dives out of the strike zone with a difference in velocity of about 10 MPH from his fastball, and he throws it with a pretty consistent arm action. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2005 while at Washington, Lentz has successfully made the transition to pitching out of the bullpen and has fully recovered from the injury. A 19th round draft pick in 2006, Lentz has the makings of a major league reliever with the continued sharpening of his arsenal and focus on keeping things consistent from outing to outing.

Development Needs: Lentz’s slider is still developing and needs a little more consistency. Sharpening this pitch will give him an offering with some hard break to continue to keep hitters off-balance as he works in the higher levels of the minors. A fully developed slider would give him another option later in the count and make his fastball that much better. He can struggle with his command of his secondary pitches as well, and this is a key improvement he will need to make in AA/AAA. While possessing very good control, Lentz can occasionally lose it from time to time and will have to work on keeping the consistency in his delivery cut down on tough outings. When he struggles, it is usually a result of rushing his delivery and missing with his fastball high to his pitching-arm side. Tough on righties, he could stand to improve a bit against left-handed batters, but polishing his slider should give him the tool he needs to work into left-handed batters’ blind spots.

2009 Outlook: Look for Lentz to start the season in the Portland Sea Dogs’ bullpen. He was able to strike out more than a batter per inning at AA last season, and that trend should continue. One of the key things to watch for with Lentz in 2009 is a reduction in tough outings where he’ll lose his control and miss his spots. By slowing things down and keeping his mechanics more consistent, Lentz should further reduce the amount of contact he gives up and put fewer men on base. Another key thing to watch for is the development of his slider. If this offering is more consistent in 2009, Lentz has another weapon to work with to generate swings and misses later in the count and finish batters off. With a strong start to his 2009 season at Portland, Lentz can put himself in line for a promotion to the next level, and in the process move him into consideration for the major league mix. 2009 could be a season in which Lentz can take a big step forward with continued improvements from a successful season of development in 2008.


Jason Place

Position: Outfield
2008 Team: Lancaster Jethawks
2009 Projected Team: Salem Red Sox

Strengths: With strong wrists and a firm lower body, Place generates a lot of power with his swing. When he connects, the ball comes off his bat very well, and he produces high arching fly balls when he gets a hold of a pitch. He has done a lot of work to pick up the Red Sox hitting philosophies and made some good progress last off-season. Extremely raw at the plate when he was signed, his pitch recognition, patience, and swing mechanics have all improved through his strong work ethic and determination. A good athlete, Place has above-average speed and plays a solid centerfield, covering the necessary ground and getting good reads on the ball off the bat. His strong, accurate arm rounds out his defensive skill set. The Red Sox have continued to play him in centerfield during his career, although he may end up projecting as a right fielder down the line, even though with his defensive skills he could play a solid centerfield. Confident and self assured, Place is a player who lives and dies baseball, and who has done a lot to improve thus far in his career. If he can make some strides and put his skills together, Place can still evolve into the 5-tool player the Red Sox envisioned when they made him a 1st round draft pick in 2006.

Development Needs: While Place has made a lot of improvements to his offensive game, he is still pretty raw at the plate and can revert back to old bad habits. He struggles with making contact for extended periods of time, and his swing can get out of whack during these periods. When he is struggling, his swing is long and lacks fluidity. Place still needs more work on getting the head of the bat to the ball quicker. He has also struggled with tying himself up on inside pitches and breaking pitches to this point in his career. He still strikes out with great frequency, and he will have to cut these numbers down significantly as he advances to higher ranks. Place has improved his contact rate, but he still doesn’t produce the consistent, hard contact that would be expected of someone of his skill set. His line drive rates have been behind the curve, and he pops the ball up with great frequency. These trends point towards a need to cut down on his swing and utilize a more compact approach to attacking the ball. 2008 was a step forward for Place in his development, and with a continued strong focus on his developmental areas, more progress can be expected.

2009 Outlook: Place should begin 2009 with the Salem Red Sox, splitting time between the outfield and DH. Look for Place to continue to display power numbers at this level. Because this will be his second go around in advanced A-Ball, he should have a better feel for the way pitchers are going to attack him and better recognition of the pitches being thrown at him. The key things to watch for are how well he can cut his strike out numbers down and how much more frequently he drives the ball when he makes contact. Although his contact rates should improve, a key sign of positive development would be making more hard, line drive contact. Watch for how much more compact his swing is, as the ball jumps off of Place’s bat when he is hitting with this approach. A drop in the amount of pop-ups he hits would be a by-product of this new trend. 2009 will be an interesting year in Place’s development, and one that could see him take a further step forward with the continued hard work and dedication he has demonstrated so far.

March 2 Fort Report

The SoxProspects staff made its first trip of the spring to Ft. Myers this weekend ... A significant percentage of players are already in camp ... In minor league mini-camp, it appears that Will Middlebrooks and Bryan Peterson both bulked up quite a bit this off-season, adding noticeable muscle to their frames ... Word is that Che-Hsuan Lin, playing for Taiwan in the WBC, also added a lot of size since last Fall ... Lin and Chih-Hsien Chiang both impressed in ten scrimmages leading up to the WBC - some against Taiwanese pro teams and others against WBC teams ... Lin hit .395 and Chiang hit .324 .. Back in mini-camp, the players were tested on their 60-yard dash times recently - Ryan Dent, Derrik Gibson, and Ryan Westmoreland each ran phenomenal times ... Unfortunately, Middlebrooks tore his hamstring during drills this weekend, and will likely be out through April, possibly longer ... It looks as if Carson Blair will indeed be converted to a full-time catcher this season ... Alex Speier brings us a fantastic report on Anthony Rizzo, who has been cancer-free since November ... The Sox minor-leaguers were given yesterday afternoon off from field drills ... The WBC players who reported to Sox camp shipped off to join their WBC teams yesterday after the Sox defeated the Twins at the windy Lee County Sports Complex ... In that game, Paul McAnulty looked solid in the outfield, and has surprising agility for his stocky frame ... It's nice to see Josh Reddick back to his old, sweet swing ... Carlos Maldonado is a large man - he looks like he's running about 6'1', 265 ... Junichi Tazawa has showed a lot to Sox management in his two appearances against Boston College and Northeastern, pitching 3 hitless and scoreless innings, striking out 4 and walking 1 ... Tazawa is excited to face some actual pro compeition soon ... Angel Chavez is making the best of his opportunity to man third base while Mike Lowell is out, putting up a line of .333/.600/.333, which does not include his two home runs and six RBIs against Northeastern on Saturday ... File this under "never a good sign": Red Sox Rule 5 pick Miguel Gonzalez is headed to Alabama this week to get his elbow checked out by Dr. James Andrews ... In other news, the Sox have narrowed their search for a new spring training site down to four properties - two in the vicinity of the airport and two in Estero ... With Kansas City's signing of Juan Cruz, the Sox' placement in the 2009 draft is starting to clear up even more - the Sox will pick 28th in the first round and around 77th in the second round ... The placement of Boston's second round pick is dependant on the final landing places of free agents Manny Ramirez, Orlando Cabrera, Dennys Reyes, and Mark Grudzielanek.

2009 Prospect Previews: Dustin Richardson and Pete Hissey

The 9th installment of the Prospect Previews series takes a look at a pitcher making the transition to the bullpen, and an outfielder with his sights set on full season baseball.

Dustin Richardson

2008 Team: Portland Sea Dogs
2009 Projected Team: Portland Sea Dogs

Strengths: This tall left-handed pitcher features a 2-seam fastball that looks like it comes out of nowhere. Richardson’s delivery is extremely deceptive and he is able to hide the ball well from batters, showing the ball very late in his delivery to home plate. Sitting 88-90 MPH, Richardson gets on top of his fastball very nicely, creating hard downward movement. His fastball appears a lot faster than it is and generates a lot of swings and misses from batters. Richardson goes right after hitters with a very aggressive approach, constantly pounding the zone with his fastball. He has been able to strike out about a batter per inning at every level in the Red Sox organization. Richardson made the transition from starting games to pitching out of the bullpen in Hawaii Winter Baseball during the off-season and pitched well in his new role, seeing some improvement with his off-speed pitches.

Development Needs: Richardson relies heavily on his fastball, and while he features a curveball and a change-up as well, these pitches are still pretty raw for him. Richardson’s biggest need with these pitches is to keep them down in the zone because when he leaves them up, batters get very good swings given their lack of sharp break. He does not finish his off-speed pitches well and does not have a great feel for them either, but he has been improving since he entered the Red Sox organization. As a starter at Portland in 2008, he struggled considerably in the rotation and was very inconsistent with his control. This led the Red Sox to move Richardson to the bullpen, where he will start the season in 2009. It remains to be seen how Richardson will adjust to this role against advanced competition.

2009 Outlook: Richardson will likely begin 2009 with the Portland Sea Dogs in his new bullpen role. Look for Richardson to continue his approach of going right after hitters with his fastball. One of the main things to watch is how he adjusts to pitching out of the bullpen. While he does not need to mix in his off-speed offerings as much as he would have as a starter, Richardson should still be working on throwing these pitches a bit more in his shortened outings. Another thing to watch for is how his control improves in 2009; Richardson cannot afford to be wild coming into situations with runners on base. His fastball should still play the same way with hitters and should be more effective in shorter outings. 2009 will be a year of transition for Richardson, and one that could push him closer to the big leagues with success in the bullpen.

Pete Hissey

2008 Team: Lowell Spinners
2009 Projected Team: Greenville Drive

Strengths: A very good athlete, Hissey is a fundamentally sound player with above-average speed and a very patient approach at the plate. A selective hitter, Hissey seems to have a good understanding of the strike zone at a young age and has a short, smooth stroke. He is able to get the bat head through the zone quickly, and he squares up the ball very well, producing good contact rates while covering enough of the plate to reach pitches on the outside third. Hissey will work counts and take his fair share of walks as well. In the field, he has pretty good range in center field and a strong arm. Hissey tracks balls very well and sets himself up to make strong, accurate throws to the bases. Running the bases, he should be able to take advantage of his speed and pile up some steals in the minors while putting pressure on outfielders with the ability to take an extra base. Standing 6’1’’ and weighing 180 pounds, Hissey is on the lean side, but has a frame that can pack on some muscle as he matures.

Development Needs: There is very little power in Hissey’s game right now. This aspect of his game should develop as he gets older, but his power ceiling is still unknown. During his stint in Lowell last season, Hissey was behind the ball more than he was in front of it, and seemed to be feeling for the ball rather than driving it. As he gets more comfortable with professional pitching, Hissey should pick more pitches out he can drive and be a little more aggressive at the plate. Hissey is patient at the plate, but will have to walk the fine line between being patient and being passive. He will need to expand his zone to keep pitchers from setting him up on the corners. As with many young hitters, Hissey will also need to improve against breaking pitches, as he can chase them from time to time down and away and be caught looking on ones over the plate.

2009 Outlook: Look for Hissey to man a spot in the outfield for the Greenville Drive in 2009. One of the main things to watch for from the gritty outfielder is how well he adjusts to the pitching at this level, and whether he can stay ahead of pitches, driving balls into the gap and shooting balls the other way. While not expected to be a power threat early in his career, Hissey should start to pile up doubles as he plugs the gaps and uses his speed to his advantage. Expect him to be selective at the plate and work deep into counts. As Hissey becomes more and more comfortable with professional pitching, he should fare better against breaking pitches as the season goes along. 2009 should be a season of development for Hissey at the plate as he enters his first full season of professional baseball. Look for Hissey to be an exciting all-around player who brings a high level of competitiveness to every game.