Fort Report: Full squad workouts begin

Due to popular demand the Fort Report is back this year. This column will appear every Friday during spring training, filled with Red Sox minor league news and notes from Fort Myers. Once again, members of our staff are planning on heading down to Fenway South this March 15-25 and will provide first hand scouting reports, news, notes, and interviews.

Here are this week's minor league notes:

• Today is the first day of full squad workouts but most players reported several days ago, including pitchers and catchers who were required to report by Monday. Among those at major league spring training this year are 19 non-roster invitees, headlined by prospects Xander Bogaerts (pictured), Jackie Bradley Jr., and Deven Marrero.
• Bogaerts will play for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic. He is likely to be either the designated hitter or see some time at third base, and therefore John Farrell has said he plans to get Bogaerts some reps at third before he leaves camp to prepare. However, the plan is still for Bogaerts to play shortstop exclusively for the Red Sox in the near future.
• Jose De La Torre is another Red Sox prospect who was invited to play in the World Baseball Classic, but as ESPNBoston's Gordon Edes notes, he is still undecided on whether he wants to play for Puerto Rico.
• Coinciding with the beginning of camp is the start of SoxProspects.com Director of Scouting Chris Mellen's Prospect Preview series. These are some of the best reading of the spring, and so far we already have one featuring Jamie Callahan and Simon Mercedes and one on Sean Coyle and Chris Hernandez.
• Mellen is not the only staff member hard at work. SoxProspects.com Managing Editor Matt Huegel also has pieces up on potential Red Sox catcher of the future, Blake Swihart, and a piece on Garin Cecchini and his approach to the game .
• Huegel also notes on Twitter that he thinks Terry Doyle could be a candidate for some spot starts this year, and I am inclined to agree. Make sure to follow all the SoxProspects.com staff on Twitter for the latest updates.
• There have been some renovations made to the site recently in the interest of continued improvement including a new navigation bar and also a revamped rating scale.
• Recently Andrew Pentis of MiLB.com spoke with left-hander Henry Owens on his development since turning pro.
• Alex Speier of WEEI.com writes about to the next Red Sox knuckleballer, Steven Wright, and his thoughts on the MLB Network show "The Next Knuckler" and working with Tim Wakefield.
• Red Sox added shortstop Stephen Drew to the team this offseason and Speier asks Jose Iglesias for his thoughts on the addition. Speier also wrote that fellow shortstop Deven Marrero is one of the first position players in recent memory to get an invite to major league spring training the year after being drafted.
• Bryce Brentz had an accident while cleaning his gun recently as Speier notes and therefore will not participate in the major league portion of spring training.
• Rubby De La Rosa was acquired from the Dodgers last year and Speier looks into how the Red Sox plan to use the right-hander and manage his innings totals after having Tommy John surgery in 2011.
• Keith Law of ESPN Insider ranks the farm systems every year. Speier asked him a few questions about why he ranked the Red Sox system where he did.
• Ryan Lavarnway struggled during his time in the major leagues last season, and WEEI's Rob Bradford asks about his outlook on the 2013 season and the addition of veteran backup catcher David Ross.
• Ryan Kalish had another surgery this off-season and was very down about it as Tim Britton of the Providence Journal notes.
• Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal writes about the Red Sox scouts’ preparation for the 2013 MLB draft and why Friday nights may be especially important. In a separate piece, MacPherson also shows evidence of why evaluations of draft eligible players can change dramatically over the course of the spring.
• Goron Edes of ESPNBoston lists five young players that could contribute at the major league level this season.

Photo credit: Xander Bogaerts by Kelly O'Connor

Will Woodward is a Staff Writer for SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter @SPWill.

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