Fort Report: March 22

Today's minor league notes:

• Several young players on the 40-man roster have begun to be sent down to minor league camp, specifically Jose Iglesias, Lars Anderson, Yamaico Navarro, Luis Exposito, Daniel Nava, and Mark Wagner. Juan Carlos Linares and Matt Fox were also recently reassigned to minors.

• Despite those 40-man cuts, several non-roster invitees remain in big league camp, including Rich Hill, Andrew Miller, Randy Williams, Brandon Duckworth, Paul Hoover, Nate Spears, and Drew Sutton.

• The recent SoxProspects staff trip to Fort Myers was documented thoroughly on Twitter with Mike Andrews (@SoxProspects), Chris Mellen (@ChrisMellen), Chris Hatfield (@SPChrisHatfield), Jonathan Singer (@Jonathan_Singer), and the newest addition to our staff, Elizabeth Dreeson (@redsoxgirl46), providing updates on minor league spring training.
• Check out @ChrisMellen for a plethora of invaluable mini-scouting reports, including first looks at 2010 draftees Anthony Ranaudo and Brandon Workman, as well as updated info on Jose Iglesias, Garin Cecchini, Bryce Brentz, Sean Coyle, Chris Balcom-Miller, and many more.
• Per @SoxProspects and @Jonathan_Singer, recently-signed infielder Aneury Tavarez out of the Dominican Republic is in camp, but has yet to appear in a game due to a hamstring injury. Also recently signed out of the Dominican Republic is outfielder Jeremias Pineda, a 5'11" switch hitter, and right-hander Nelson Arguilla. Catcher Trey Lucas has retired. Singer reports that pitcher Madison Younginer is not likely to break camp with a full-season affiliate as he is nursing a strained side muscle.
• @SPChrisHatfield and @redsoxgirl46 also provide interesting details from the Fort, including more player and lineup updates. Dreeson has links to her informative minor league blog and will likely have more updates from spring training and the GCL this year.

• According to Richard Griffin of The Toronto Star, a handshake agreement between GMs Theo Epstein and Alex Anthopoulos in the offseason was behind the strange transaction involving Cesar Cabral this week. The lefty was selected from Boston by the Tampa Bay Rays in the Rule 5 draft, then claimed last week on waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays before being returned to Tampa Bay via waivers after less than 48 hours. Toronto apparently picked up Cabral in hopes of agreeing to a trade with Boston, but when the two teams were unable to do so, Toronto was obligated to put him back on waivers. It was decided that keeping him would go against the spirit of Anthopoulos’ agreement with Boston’s front office not to select any Red Sox players in the Rule 5 draft in return for permission to interview Boston’s coaching staff members, including Toronto manager John Farrell.

• Charles Pierce wrote an in-depth article for the Sunday Globe Magazine on Ryan Westmoreland. Unlike other pieces this spring which have focused more on his current status, Pierce takes a look back and fills in many of the details surrounding the initial diagnosis and the decision to eventually have brain surgery. Another report from Alex Speier of WEEI.com brings us video and pictures of Westmoreland taking part in baseball activities a year removed from surgery.

• According to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com, Felix Doubront said his body felt “good sore” after throwing 25 pitches off a mound for the first time this spring on Saturday. He threw another 30 pitches and two innings in a simulated game yesterday.

• Catchers Ryan Lavarnway and Tim Fedorowicz discuss their experiences in big league camp for the first time in a story by Maureen Mullen on Pawtucket’s website. They both enjoyed the cohesiveness of the group of catchers and learning from Jason Varitek and bullpen coach Gary Tuck.

• Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com took a look at the top prospects in the Red Sox system, specifically focusing on 2010 first-round draft pick Kolbrin Vitek. Mayo provides an optimistic view on his offensive ability, and while there are still defensive questions, Vitek is quoted as saying he is happy to still be playing in the infield.

• Michael Bowden realizes based on the offseason bullpen acquisitions that there is little chance for him to beak camp with the big league club, according to Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com. However, he is content to with the opportunity in Triple-A to prove that he can be a contributing member of a major league bullpen.

• Outfielder Daniel Nava has been working to improve defensively this spring, and Tim Britton of the Providence Journal has a report on a spectacular play he made recently in the outfield.

• Minor league campers who saw game action since March 13 were Bubba Bell, Jorge Jimenez, Jon Hee, Mitch Dening, Drew Dominguez, Michael Almanzar, Aaron Bates, Ryan Khoury, Alex Hassan, Chih-Hsien Chiang, Ryan Dent, Jeremy Hazelbaker, Dan Butler, Zach Gentile, Ronald Bermudez, David Mailman, Matt Sheely, Christian Vazquez, Derrik Gibson, Tony Thomas, James Kang, and Eammon Portice. Shannon Wilkerson also got to pinch hit against Roy Halladay in the major league game on Monday, an experience captured by Gorden Edes of ESPNBoston.com.

• The SoxProspects injury report has been updated based on new information obtained on the staff trip to Fort Myers.

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