Weekly Notes: Draftee signings continue, Ranaudo and Bogaerts receive accolades

Here are this week's minor-league notes:

• The Red Sox continued to lock down draftees, including third-round selection Jon Denney and sixth-round pick Jordon Austin. Denny, who signed for $875,000, was ranked the 25th best prospect in the draft by Baseball America. 
  
• Jim Callis of Baseball America reported this morning that the Red Sox had signed 16th round selection RHP Jalen Williams for $150,000. 
• The Providence Journal's Tim Britton sat down with PawSox manager Gary DiSarcina and shortstop Xander Bogaerts to discuss the 20-year-old's smooth progression to Triple-A with the glove.
• Bogaerts and former Portland teammate Anthony Ranaudo were both named to the 2013 Futures Game. Sea Dogs infielder Garin Cecchini is one of the finalists to be added to the roster via fan voting.
• Ranaudo and teammates Drake Britton, Christian Vazquez, and Michael Almanzar, were all named Eastern League All-Stars. SoxProspects.com's Tim Healey sums up the stellar seasons for each. 
• SoxProspects.com's Senior Columnist Jon Meoli, catches up with Cecchini to discuss his transition from Salem to Portland. 
• WEEI'S Alex Speier reports that 2012 18th round selection Shaq Thompson has decided to end his baseball career and pursue football full time. 
• SoxProspects Players of the Week for June 17-23 were Rubby De La Rosa and Tony Thomas.
• SoxProspects.com's Northeast Scout, Ian Cundall, checks in with some scouting scratch on two members of the Lowell Spinners, pitcher Jamie Callahan and shortstop Tzu-Wei Lin.  
• MLB.com's Jeff Seidel, talks to Salem catcher Blake Swihart about his ongoing transition to catching. 
• Out of all the transactions this week, perhaps the biggest was the news that third baseman Will Middlebrooks was optioned to Pawtucket. The move is aimed at getting Middlebrooks regular at-bats as he looks to get back on track at the plate. 
• First round selection, Trey Ball, was named USA Today's High School Player of the Year. 
• Help keep SoxProspects free by participating in the 2013 Annual Drive. 

Photo Credit: Anthony Ranaudo by Kelly O'Connor.

John Gray and James Dunne are Staff Writers for SoxProspects. 

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