Red Sox sign five more draftees, including first-round pick Benintendi

The Red Sox have announced the signings of five more 2015 draft picks, including their first-round pick and the seventh overall pick, outfielder Andrew Benintendi (pictured, right) from the University of Arkansas. In addition, they have also agreed to terms with catcher Austin Rei (third round) out of the University of Washington, left-handed pitcher Bobby Poyner (14th round) from the University of Florida, catcher/infielder Andrew Noviello (25th round) from Bridgewater-Raynham (Mass.) High School, and outfielder Tyler Spoon (35th round), also from Arkansas. Benintendi, Rei, and Poyner are expected to join the Lowell Spinners, while Noviello and Spoon will join the organization's GCL affiliate.

According to MLB.com's Jim Callis, Benintendi and Rei signed for full slot value for their respective picks, receiving bonuses of $3,590,400 and $742,400, respectively. It is unknown if Poyner, Noviello, or Spoon received more than the $100,000 allotment for picks after the tenth round, with Noviello in particular seen as a potential candidate for a modestly over-slot bonus.

The club has now signed 24 of its 39 draft picks and eight of its nine picks from the first ten rounds, the lone remaining player being sixth-rounder Travis Lakins of Ohio State. The Red Sox are slightly over their allotted bonus cap for the picks they've signed, and have $555,490 remaining to sign Lakins (slot value: $287,500) and put toward bonuses over $100,000 for picks after the 10th round before incurring draft pick penalties in future drafts. For the complete picture on the club's 2015 draft signings, see the SoxProspects.com Draft History page.

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2015 Annual Drive - Help Keep SoxProspects Free! (close to goal)

Dear readers,

We’re asking for your help to help raise $5,000 to help keep SoxProspects.com free for another year. We've kept the site 100% free to the public for almost 12 years now, and we hope to do so for the foreseeable future. As you may have also noticed, we continue to expand and improve our first-hand scouting content. Unfortunately, costs continue to pile up to travel to games and host the site. So we're reaching out to the community for donations to help keep the site free for everyone. Donations help cover site costs in two primary areas: (1) first-hand coverage travel costs for scouting and player columns; and (2) web hosting fees (including forum hosting costs).

Your donations help us travel to Ft. Myers in the spring to cover spring training and in the fall to cover the Instructional League. They also help cover the costs of travelling to Pawtucket, Portland, Salem, Greenville, and Lowell games for scouting and regular first-hand coverage. In terms of web hosting costs, the site resides on four servers, each with its own set of annual fees. We anticipate that our costs will exceed $15,000 in 2015. While we make limited funds from online advertising revenue, your donations help us ensure we can cover those costs. 

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Cup of Coffee: Margot helps Portland earn split as part of crazy Monday schedule

6/30 Bottomless Cup of Coffee: Red Sox affiliates played in a remarkable twelve games on Monday. A rainy June on the east coast led to four doubleheaders, with the other four affiliates all in action as well. Lowell, Portland, and Greenville each split their twinbills, while Pawtucket was swept in a punchless performance. The GCL Red Sox continue to win, moving to 7-0 on the year, while the DSL Red Sox2 saw their long win streak snapped at 12. 

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Rochester Red Wings (MIN) 6, Pawtucket Red Sox 0 (Completion of June 5 game)

It was a miserable day for the Pawtucket offense, which was unable to score and compiled only seven hits in 14 innings across two games. In the first game, play resumed in the third inning, and Keith Couch took over on the mound for original starter Zeke Spruill. Couch allowed five runs on nine hits in his six innings of work

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Weekly Notes: Top prospects on the move

Here are this week's minor league notes:

• With the season reaching the halfway point for the full season affiliates, several players were promoted last week, led by Manuel Margot's move up to Portland. Nick Rabasco, a Staff Writer for SoxProspects.com, saw Margot's Double-A debut in Reading, Pa., and he wrote up his scouting/journalistic observations in the most recent Notes from the Field column. Margot is currently the fifth ranked prospect on our site, but he will be moving up when the updated rankings are released this week. 

• Two players made their major league debuts last week, with the recently promoted Deven Marrero and Jonathan Aro (pictured) each seeing some time with Boston. Marrero went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts in his debut on Sunday, but he also made a great diving stop at second base to save a run in the eighth. Aro has had a rough time in his two appearances, surrendering three runs while recording only five outs. 

• Marrero was the focus of a recent Scouting Scratch by SoxProspects.com Director of Scouting Ian Cundall, and Cundall noted that Marrero has had some inconsistencies on both sides of the ball recently in Pawtucket. Cundall also wrote about Bryce Brentz and Sean Coyle, who have both shown good power potential but also questionable hit tools as they try to make their way from Triple-A to the majors. 

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Cup of Coffee: Salem, Greenville bullpens fall apart, Pawtucket wins in extras

6/29 Cup of Coffee: The common theme throughout the Red Sox’ minor league system on Sunday seemed to be drama. It took 11 innings for the PawSox to top the Braves for the only win in the Sox farm system. In Salem, a two-run lead disappeared very quickly as the Hillcats put up a six-run ninth, and in Greenville, the Drive were stunned as relievers allowed 10 runs over two innings. The Sea Dogs and Spinners were postponed on a soggy day in New England, and both teams are scheduled to play doubleheaders on Monday.

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Pawtucket Red Sox 3, Gwinnett Braves (ATL) 2 (11 innings)

It was an unconventional walk-off win, but the PawSox will take it, as Sean Coyle drew a walk with the bases loaded in the 11th inning to push across the winning run.The big story of the day, however, was Joe Kelly’s first start for the PawSox after being optioned to Pawtucket last week. Kelly was sharp, going seven innings and allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and striking out four, allowing just one walk. Kelly threw 95 pitches with 59 going for strikes. Dayan Diaz was excellent in relief for the PawSox, tossing three shutout innings and permitting just one hit and two walks, striking out four. Noe Ramirez picked up his fourth win of the season with a perfect 11th.

Shane Victorino made his fourth rehab start and went 1 for 4 as the DH. Garin Cecchini drove in two runs with a 2-for-4 day after going hitless in his previous seven plate appearances. The left fielder reached base three times with a single, a double (his eighth of the season) and a walk. Jemile Weeks reached base four times, going 2 for 3 with a double and working two walks.

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Cup of Coffee: Margot homers in Hadlock debut

6/28 Cup of Coffee: Another day meant another win for three streaking affiliates. The DSL Red Sox2 won their 12th straight game, the GCL Red Sox moved to 6-0 to open the season, and Lowell won for the eighth time in nine contests. Pawtucket used a 10-hit attack to join the winner's circle on Saturday, and Greenville held on from Friday's suspended game. Portland couldn't hold a late lead, Salem's bats were quieted in its loss, and the DSL Red Sox1 continued to struggle.

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Pawtucket Red Sox 7, Gwinnett Braves (ATL) 3

Despite inconsistent playing time while with Boston, Rusney Castillo has shown little sign of rust since rejoining the PawSox. On Saturday, the right fielder delivered his third multi-hit game in the four since he was optioned, going 2 for 3 with a double, walk, stolen base, and two runs scored. Sean Coyle broke a 3-3 tie with a three run homer in the sixth inning. It was Coyle's first home run since May 2, and it broke a 3-for-32 skid. Veterans Matt Spring and Quintin Berry added two hits apiece in the win. Shane Victorino was 1 for 4 in a rehab outing.

Zeke Spruill made his second start of the season, and pitched his way out of several jams to keep the PawSox close. He allowed only three runs despite giving up 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings. Jess Todd earned the win in relief, giving up a pair of hits in 2 1/3 innings. Pat Light struck out one in a perfect ninth to close out the win.

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Cup of Coffee: Dubon, Miller shine in Salem debuts

6/27 Cup of Coffee: All eight affiliates were in action on a busy Friday night. On the day after it was at the center of a wild roster reshuffle, Salem was firing on all cylinders to pick up the win. The GCL Red Sox remain undefeated on their young season, Lowell continues to cruise, and the DSL Red Sox2 picked up their 11th consecutive win. The DSL Red Sox1 were not as successful as their counterparts, while Portland and Pawtucket fell in shutout losses. Greenville was only able to get in two innings before its contest was suspended due to rain.

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Gwinnett Braves (ATL) 1, Pawtucket Red Sox 0

The PawSox couldn't have asked for much more out of Steven Wright in his return to their rotation. The knuckleballer took the loss despite tossing a complete game, allowing a run on four hits. Wright struck out five without issuing a walk. He had gone through eight shutout frames before Gwinnett rallied for a single run in the top of the ninth. Unfortunately for Wright, a trio of Braves arms combined for the one-hit shutout. Only a one-out single from veteran catcher Matt Spring in the fifth inning came between Gwinnett and a no-hit bid. 

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Notes from the Field: Margot's Double-A debut and more

READING, Pa. - I had the chance to watch the Portland Sea Dogs in action for the first time in 2015, and it just happened to be Manuel Margot's Double-A debut. Here are my scouting/journalistic observations from what I saw.

- Monday was the Double-A debut for SoxProspects.com's fifth-ranked prospect, 20-year old Manuel Margot. Margot had been scorching to start the season in Salem, batting .362/.391/.586 in his first 15 games. He scuffled after that however, and eventually landed on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. Since coming off the DL on May 30, Margot hit .298/.322/.452 in his final 87 plate appearances with Salem.

Margot impressed with his bat and his glove in this particular game. At the plate, he went 1 for 4 with a single. His single came in his first at-bat, dumping a soft blooper into right field. The pitch he hit was a 2-1 fastball on the outer half of the plate. Reading's starter was throwing 93-95 mph (all pitch speeds come from the stadium radar gun) all night. He showed great bat speed all night, proving he can catch up to the heat. In his second at-bat, Margot flied out to right field on the first pitch he saw, a fastball again. The swing looked nice and balanced, as he got the barrel to the ball. However, he got under it just a little bit, resulting in the routine fly ball.

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Cup of Coffee: Portland welcomes new call-ups, Moncada has big night

Cup of Coffee 6/26: After a flurry of system activity, several players made their debuts for Portland, including Sam Travis, Jake Romanski and Williams Jerez. With several Greenville players also getting the call up to Salem, the Drive shook up its lineup to positive effect. Yoan Moncada (pictured, right) had one of his best games of the season, hitting leadoff for the first time.

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Rochester Red Wings (MIN) 6, Pawtucket Red Sox 5

The PawSox fell short of completing a dramatic rally in the ninth after bringing the winning run to the plate. Pawtucket scored twice in the ninth and a Humberto Quintero single brought the Sox within one. Carlos Peguero flew out to center field to end the game. Peguero still had a big night, going 3 for 5 with a two-run home run. Rusney Castillo had his second multi-hit game in as many nights since being demoted, going 2 for 5 with a solo home run and two runs scored out of the leadoff spot. Rehabbing Shane Victorino went 2 for 3 with a double and a run scored while the recuperating Ryan Hanigan went 0 for 2. Henry Owens took a no-decision, going 6 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on five hits while striking out six. Owens continued to show progress with his control, walking only one. Dailer Hinojosa took the loss after surrendering a three-run home run in the eighth.

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Dubon promoted to Salem, Jerez to Portland in series of roster moves

The Salem Red Sox announced a series of roster moves on Thursday, highlighted by the promotions of infielder Mauricio Dubon (pictured, right) to High A Salem from Single-A Greenville and the previously-reported promotion of Sam Travis from Salem to Double-A Portland.

Joining Travis on the move from Salem to Portland are catcher Jake Romanski and left-handed reliever Williams Jerez. The club also moved David Chester to the DL to clear roster space.

Coming up to High-A from Greenville along with Dubon will be outfielder Derek Miller and catcher Jordan Procyshen. All three are active for Thursday night's game. Infielder Deiner Lopez has been transferred to Single-A  Greenville from Salem.

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Devers, Margot named to Futures Game roster

The All-Star Futures Game rosters have been announced by Major League Baseball, with two Red Sox farmhands set to make an appearance. Third baseman Rafael Devers and outfielder Manuel Margot, both natives of the Dominican Republic, will be members of the World Team. The game will take place on Sunday, July 12 at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, beginning at 3:00 pm.

The 18-year old Devers will be the second-youngest player in the game. He has done nothing but hit since joining the Red Sox organization, and is batting .305/.333/.451 in 58 games for the Greenville Drive this season. Devers is ranked fourth at SoxProspects.com, and was named the Player of the Month for May at SoxProspects.com as well.

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Report: Marrero, Aro, Bradley up to Boston

Multiple sources have reported that shortstop Deven Marrero (pictured, right), reliever Jonathan Aro, and outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. are all present in the Red Sox locker room this morning, indicating that the club will purchase the contracts of Marrero and Aro for their first major league call-ups and recall Bradley from his option.

Counter-moves have not yet been officially announced, but reports after John Farrell's media availability have right-hander Joe Kelly being optioned to Pawtucket (with Justin Masterson taking his spot in the rotation this Sunday) and second baseman Dustin Pedroia being placed on the disabled list, and catcher Erik Kratz being designated for assignment. It is not expected that left fielder Hanley Ramirez, who was also injured in Wednesday night's game, will need to join Pedroia on the DL, but swapping Bradley for Kratz will give the club an extra outfielder while Ramirez recovers from being hit in the hand with a batted ball while running the bases.

Marrero was the Red Sox first-round draft pick in 2012 out of Arizona State. His strength has always been his defense, with tremendous fundamentals, range, and an above-average arm at shortstop. Offensively, he has gone through ups and downs in his professional career. In 2013, while playing for Portland, he had his first strong offensive output, hitting .291/.371/.433 over 68 games before being promoted to Pawtucket, where his production fell off. He has also struggled offensively to start this season, hitting .241 over his first 232 at-bats. Although the Red Sox have taken the approach of exposing their Pawtucket position players to multiple spots on the diamond this season, Marrero has played second base in just five games as a professional, all taking place this season, as well as one game at third, making it likely that Brock Holt will see the bulk of the playing time at second while Pedroia is inactive. SoxProspects.com Scouting Director Ian Cundall wrote about what he has seen Marrero recently, noting some inconsistency on both sides of the ball.

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Cup of Coffee: Johnson sharp again, Espinoza debuts for GCL Sox

6/25 Cup of Coffee: Brian Johnson was in complete command again for the PawSox in a one-run win. Pitching also dominated throughout the rest of the organization yesterday, as Justin Haley, Luis Ramos, Anderson Espinoza, and Roniel Raudes all turned in terrific starts. Rusney Castillo collected two hits in his first game since being sent back down to Pawtucket. The offense for the Spinners and the DSL Red Sox1 broke out in a big way.

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Pawtucket Red Sox 3, Rochester Red Wings (MIN) 2

Brian Johnson continued his outstanding season, going the first 6 2/3 innings and gave up just one hit, one walk, and one unearned run. Johnson had a bit of a scare after he ran into a runner and had to come out of the game. Johnson would have stayed in the game, but he is reportedly fine, and will most likely not be starting on Sunday for Boston in place of Joe Kelly, despite speculation. He threw 93 pitches, with 71 of them being strikes. His ERA  is now down to 2.57 on the year. Pat Light came on and allowed zero earned runs in 1 1/3 innings while striking out two. Matt Barnes blew the save in the ninth inning, but the PawSox rallied with some small-ball in the bottom of the 11th to win in walk-off fashion. Quintin Berry led off the inning with a single, which was followed by a bunt single from Rusney Castillo. After a ground out moved Berry to third, Humberto Quintero completed a successful squeeze play, as he brought home Berry with a bunt to the pitcher.

Castillo and Jonathan Roof each had two hits. Shane Victorino went 0 for 2 with a sharp lineout and a ground out in his first rehab game. Noe Ramirez picked up his third win, going the final two innings and allowed no hits or runs.

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Report: Sam Travis promoted to Portland

The Red Sox have promoted first baseman Sam Travis to Double-A Portland, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. Travis has been with the High A Salem Red Sox, where he was named a Carolina League All-Star.

Travis, a second-round pick out of Indiana in the 2014 draft, hit well in stops at Lowell and Greenville last season, and continued to do so in his assignment to Salem this year. After a 9-for-52 hiccup in 14 games to begin the year, Travis has compiled a stellar .351/.411/.515 line with 14 doubles and four home runs in the 219 plate appearances since that time. He has been a model of consistency during that stretch, reaching base in 47 of 52 games. 

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Cup of Coffee: Greenville players leave mark on All-Star Game

Cup of Coffee 6/24: Six Greenville players got into the South Atlantic League All-Star Game on Tuesday, with Rafael Devers and Javier Guerra (pictured, left) leaving their mark. Keith Couch had a no-hitter through six for Pawtucket, but ended up needing his offense to bail him out. Portland raked three home runs in its first trip to New Hampshire. DSL pitcher Denyi Reyes continues to put up impressive numbers after earning his fourth win of the season.

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Pawtucket Red Sox 5, Rochester Red Wings (MIN) 3
Keith Couch held Rochester hitless for six innings, but the PawSox needed a clutch, two-run single by Carlos Peguero to beat back the Red Wings. Couch settled for a no-decision, despite only allowing an unearned run on an error and a walk in the first six innings. Couch allowed the tying runs to score before Dalier Hinojosa bailed him out and picked up the win. Dayan Diaz earned the two-inning save after a 69 minute rain delay. Jackie Bradley Jr. and Deven Marrero each had a big night at the plate. Both players had identical nights, going 3 for 4 with a double, one RBI and a run scored. Ryan Hanigan also hit well in his second rehab appearance, going 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored as the designated hitter. Hanigan is expected to catch on Friday.

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Scouting Scratch: Bryce Brentz, Deven Marrero and Sean Coyle

PAWTUCKET, R.I. – On the heels of last week’s Write-Up by Chaz Fiorino and this weekend’s PawSox-heavy episode of the SoxProspects.com Podcast, here are my takes on three more members of the Pawtucket Red Sox lineup.

- Now in his sixth season in the organization, Bryce Brentz still shows big-time power potential, but other areas of his game still lag behind, so he does not project as much more than a bench outfielder. Brentz showed as much during a recent series, flashing plus raw power and bat speed while showing a poor approach and well-below-average hit tool.

Brentz seems to have changed his set-up at the plate this year, standing a lot more vertical with his feet closer together. He still utilizes a leg kick and has a slight hitch in his swing, bringing his hands down before firing forwards. His bat speed still stands out as he whips the bat through the zone with a long, uppercut swing. When he makes contact, it can go a long way. His power potential was best illustrated in one recent at-bat, when he got a first-pitch fastball at 92 mph up and over the plate. Brentz cleared his hips early and crushed to ball deep out to left field on a line.

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Cup of Coffee: Basabe reaches base six times to lead GCL Sox in opener

6/23 Cup of Coffee: The last of the Red Sox affiliates got their season started on Monday, as the Gulf Coast League squad used a 13-hit attack to win on opening day. Strong pitching and a late offensive burst kept Lowell undefeated, while the DSL teams split their contests. Pawtucket and Portland were also both in action, with both teams falling by one run. 

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Rochester Red Wings (MIN) 3, Pawtucket Red Sox 2

With Justin Masterson finishing up his rehab assignment last week, the PawSox turned to Zeke Spruill to make his first start as a member of the organization. A starter during much of his time with Arizona, the right-hander turned in a solid spot outing, allowing a run on four hits in five innings of work, striking out a pair without issuing a walk. In his fourth appearance since being activated from the disabled list, Edwin Escobar took the loss, giving up two runs on three hits in two innings. Jonathan Aro and Matt Barnes turned in one scoreless inning apiece. 

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Manuel Margot promoted to Double-A Portland

Outfielder Manuel Margot (pictured, left) has been promoted to the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, the club announced on Monday. The fifth-ranked prospect on SoxProspects.com, Margot is scheduled to be in the lineup for Portland's game at the Reading Fightin Phils this evening.

Margot, 20, will be the second-youngest player in the Eastern League and seventh-youngest player in Double-A, per Minor League Central. He has a .282/.321/.420 slash line in 46 games with High-A Salem this season. He missed most of May with a strained intercostal muscle, but was still among the Carolina League leaders in stolen bases with 20.

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Red Sox sign six more draftees, one undrafted free agent

In the past two days, the Red Sox have announced the signings of six more players selected in the first-year player draft, as well as the signing of one undrafted free agent. Boston has now signed 16 of their 39 2015 draft picks and six of their nine picks from the first ten rounds.

On Sunday, the club announced the signings of  outfielder Tate Matheny (fourth round) (pictured), outfielder Jagger Rusconi (fifth), left-handed pitcher Logan Allen (eighth), and right-handed pitcher Nick Duron (31st). On Monday, opening day for the organization's Gulf Coast League affiliate, the club officially signed outfielders Nick Hamilton (11th) and Jerry Downs (15th), as well as undrafted free agent outfielder Chris Madera.

The Red Sox had looked to save money with their previous signings for a reason. According to Jim Callis of MLB.com, the agreement between the Red Sox and Allen is for $725,000, which is just under $550,000 over slot value. Allen is 6-foot-3, 200 pounds and pitched at the IMG Academy. In his two years he posted a 0.88 ERA and punched out 136 hitters in 95 innings.

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Weekly Notes: Sox sign 14 draft picks, Spinners begin season

Here are this week's minor league notes:

• The Red Sox signed 14 of their draft picks in the past week. Logan Allen (pictured), the Red Sox eighth round pick, signed for well above slot value at $725,000. However, Boston has saved $506,700 against their draft signing cap, which should make up most of the difference. Six of their top-10 picks have signed so far. SoxProspects.com's Jim Crowell and James Dunne have more on the signings.
• The Lowell Spinners began their season on Friday, sweeping their first series and starting with a 3-0 record. Three 2015 draft picks have made their professional débuts with the Spinners: Tucker Tubbs, Mitchell Gunsolus, and Chad De La Guerra.
  

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Cup of Coffee: Cosart impressive in Spinners debut

6/22 Cup of Coffee: Three of the five Red Sox affiliates playing on Sunday lost by just one run, as the PawSox lost on a walk-off, the Sea Dogs stranded a multitude of runners on the basepaths, and Salemcouldn't keep a ninth-inning rally going long enough to tie things up. The Drive concluded their first half of the season with a lopsided loss on the road. Yet the Spinners were a bright spot, as Jake Cosart (pictured) made his season debut a memorable one, as Lowell came close to their second no-hitter in franchise history.

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Gwinnett Braves (ATL) 6, Pawtucket Red Sox 5
The PawSox blew a five-run lead as the Braves scored two off of Pat Light in the ninth to complete the walk-off victory. Jess Todd got the start for Pawtucket and allowed two runs on three hits in his six innings of work. fanning three and walking one. Noe Ramirez then allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits in 1 ⅓ innings. The righty has allowed runs in two straight appearances.

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Anderson Espinoza promoted to GCL Red Sox, according to agent

The Red Sox will promote right-handed pitcher Anderson Espinoza to their affiliate in the Gulf Coast League. The news of Espinoza's move comes from his agent, J. Felix Luzon Melo of 9 Stars Sports Management. 

Espinoza, 17, comes stateside after receiving a great deal of fanfare since making his professional debut on June 1. In 15 innings across four appearances, he has allowed only two earned runs, striking out 21 and walking three. In addition to a strong statistical performance, Espinoza has generated a great deal of buzz in the scouting community. His fastball has been reported to touch 99 mph with a smooth, easy delivery, and he complements that with a curveball and changeup, both of which have potential to become plus pitches.

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Podcast Ep. 78: Checking in on the PawSox

Many outlets have noted the abundance of prospects on the Pawtucket Red Sox roster this season. So what about it then? We're past the midway point of June, and after getting plenty of looks at what the Triple-A club has to offer, Chris, Matt, and Ian talked about who's up and who's down for the PawSox, including Travis Shaw, Garin Cecchini, Jackie Bradley, Brian Johnson, Henry Owens, Pat Light, Dayan Diaz, Jonathan Aro, and more. At the other end of the ladder, the Lowell Spinners started their season on Friday, and the GCL Sox will start on Monday. What did the guys think of the season-opening Lowell roster, and what that probably means down at the complex? Listen and find out. And as always, we answered your listener emails, which led to a discussion regarding the development of Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts.

Click through for download links and in-site player!

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Cup of Coffee: Carlos Peguero powers PawSox past Braves

6/21 Cup of Coffee: Greenville inched closer to locking down a playoff berth with its win over Lakewood, thanks largely to six shutout innings from starter Dedgar Jimenez. Right fielder Carlos Peguero continued his power surge for the PawSox, smashing his third home run since joining the team on June 17. Salem's win in game two of its doubleheader featured a well-rounded performance from center fielder Manuel Margot (pictured, right), while a trio of draft picks made their debuts for Lowell.

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Pawtucket Red Sox 5, Gwinnett Braves (ATL) 4

Right fielder Carlos Peguero's home run in the top of the fourth – his third in two days – helped spark a PawSox comeback, with the team overcoming an early 2-0 deficit to earn the win. The 28-year-old journeyman went 2 for 4 with the homer as well as a double and a walk. Third baseman Garin Cecchini reached base three times, finishing 1 for 3 with two walks and one run scored. Shortstop Deven Marrero went 1 for 3 with an RBI sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth.

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2015 Annual Drive - Help Keep SoxProspects Free!

Dear readers,

We’re asking for your help to help raise $5,000 to help keep SoxProspects.com free for another year. We've kept the site 100% free to the public for almost 12 years now, and we hope to do so for the foreseeable future. As you may have also noticed, we continue to expand and improve our first-hand scouting content. Unfortunately, costs continue to pile up to travel to games and host the site. So we're reaching out to the community for donations to help keep the site free for everyone. Donations help cover site costs in two primary areas: (1) first-hand coverage travel costs for scouting and player columns; and (2) web hosting fees (including forum hosting costs).

Your donations help us travel to Ft. Myers in the spring to cover spring training and in the fall to cover the Instructional League. They also help cover the costs of travelling to Pawtucket, Portland, Salem, Greenville, and Lowell games for scouting and regular first-hand coverage. In terms of web hosting costs, the site resides on four servers, each with its own set of annual fees. We anticipate that our costs will exceed $15,000 in 2015. While we make limited funds from online advertising revenue, your donations help us ensure we can cover those costs. 

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Cup of Coffee: Lowell opens with a bang, Peguero powers Pawtucket

6/20 Cup of Coffee: It was a great day for the affiliates, as they won six out of seven contests. Lowell opened up its 2015 campaign with a victory in an offensive battle, while Pawtucket, Portland, and Salem all used the home run ball to their advantage on Friday. The DSL squads continued to go in opposite directions as the DSL Sox continued their losing streak while the DSL2 squad improved to 13-5.

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Pawtucket Red Sox 7, Gwinnett Braves (ATL) 5 

A five run third inning helped the PawSox snap their five game losing streak. Brian Johnson improved to 8-4 despite allowing five runs (four earned) on ten hits in six innings of work. Jonathan Aro was impressive in relief, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out five in three innings out of the bullpen. Aro earned his first save as a member of the PawSox. Pawtucket took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning on a Carlos Peguero two-run home run. The Braves quickly responded and tied the game in the bottom of the second inning.

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Red Sox announce signing of five more 2015 draftees

The Red Sox announced the signings of five of their 2015 draft choices on Friday. Each of the five signees are college pitchers: left-handers Logan Boyd from Sam Houston (TX) St. (19th-round pick) and Brad Stone from North Carolina St. (24th), and right-handers Kevin Kelleher of University of New Orleans (12th), Trevor Kelley (pictured) of North Carolina (36th), and Adam Lau of UAB-Birmingham (37th).

Kelley, sixth all time in UNC history in appearances, was born in Barrington, Rhode Island. He told Brett Friedlander of the Star News Online that he "grew up wanting to play for the Red Sox. This couldn’t have been a better scenario for me." The rubber-armed reliever appeared in 41 games in 2015 for the Tar Heels, ranking third in Division 1.

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Cup of Coffee: Buttrey shines again, DSL offense explodes

Cup of Coffee 6/19: Ty Buttrey (pictured) is now unbeaten in his last 11 starts between Low-A and High-A. The 6-foot-6 righty cruised to his fifth win for Salem. Michael Chavis has started to find a bit of consistency at the plate and Michael Kopech had another short, but solid start for Greenville. Garin Cecchini crept back over the Mendoza line with a much-needed big night at the plate in a blowout loss for Pawtucket

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Charlotte Knights (CWS) 15, Pawtucket Red Sox 5

On a night where there was little to write home about on the pitching side for Pawtucket, Garin Cecchini finally broke out at the pate. Cecchini went 4 for 5 with a pair of solo shots and three runs scored to get his batting average over .200 for the first time since May 22. Deven Marrero fared well at the plate too, going 3 for 5. Jackie Bradley, Jr., who currently has the most votes in the International League All-Star Game voting, went 0 for 5.

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The Write-Up: Travis Shaw, Jackie Bradley Jr., Garin Cecchini

PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- Last weekend, Assistant Director of Scouting Chaz Fiorino sat on three games between the Pawtucket Red Sox and Toledo Mud Hens at McCoy Stadium. What follows are his reports on three members of the Pawtucket lineup.

Travis Shaw

The Line: 4 for 9, 1 2B, 0K, 1BB

The 25-year-old, left-handed hitter saw time at third base Friday and Saturday night before his one-day call up to the big leagues on Sunday. Shaw had 10 impressive plate appearances, consistently putting the ball in play and driving the ball to all fields. Shaw’s success came up the middle and pull side to right field, where his four hits fell in. The lone extra base hit came on an 0-1 breaking ball he was able to catch out front and drive into right-center field for a double.

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Cup of Coffee: Travis, Wilkerson lead Salem to win, Craig homers

6/18 Cup of Coffee: It was a rough night on the farm, as the Salem Red Sox and the DSL Red Sox2 were the only victorious teams. Sam Travis (pictured) had a good night and blasted his fifth home run. Aaron Wilkerson also put together another strong outing, tossing six shutout innings. Allen Craig homered for the second time in four games for Pawtucket. Rafael Devers also hit a pinch-hit home run in a Greenville loss.

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Charlotte Knights (CWS) 7, Pawtucket Red Sox 5

Pawtucket's bats were alive in this one, but the bullpen let a late lead slip away in a tough loss. Jess Todd started the back-and-forth affair and went just four innings while allowing two earned runs. The PawSox got down 2-0 but answered right back when Luke Montz hit a two-run homer to tie things up. A Bryce Brentz sacrifice fly gave the PawSox the lead, but Charlotte went right back ahead 4-3. Allen Craig knotted things up with his third home run for Pawtucket. The PawSox took a 5-4 lead in the seventh when Brentz drove in Jackie Bradley Jr. with a single. Bradley Jr. roped his 17th double of the year to begin the frame.

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Red Sox announce signings of five draftees (UPDATED)

The Red Sox announced the signings of five members of their 2015 draft class today, including three players who were selected in the top 10 rounds. Seventh-round pick Ben Taylor (pictured), ninth-rounder Tucker Tubbs, and 10th-rounder Mitchell Gunsolus will all have their bonuses count against the team's draft cap, though the amounts of their bonuses have not yet been reported. All three players were college seniors, so the Red Sox figure to save a decent amount of money with these three players.

11:45 UPDATE: According to the MLB.com signings tracker, Taylor and Gunsolus each signed for $10,000, while Tubbs signed for $5,000. In total, the Red Sox saved $506,700 against their draft signing cap, which would make up most of the difference between the reported $725,000 bonus that eighth-round pick Logan Allen will receive and the $175,100 slot value for that pick.

Matt Kent and Chad De La Guerra, who were drafted in the 13th and 17th rounds respectively, also signed, and all five players are expected to begin their careers with Lowell. Kent and De La Guerra's bonuses will only count against the draft cap if the amount is greater than $100,000, which is unlikely as De La Guerra was a college senior and Kent was a junior who did not make Baseball America or Perfect Game USA's top 500 pre-draft rankings. 

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Cup of Coffee: Masterson notches quality start, Margot homers

6/17 Cup of Coffee: Several players who are likely to help the big league club later this year contributed for the PawSox, including Justin Masterson, who made a rehab appearance, and Matt Barnes, who was just optioned. Jordan Betts hit a clutch home run for Salem, while Manuel Margot (pictured) also went deep. Nick Longhi stayed hot for the Drive, and Michael Chavis connected on his sixth home run of the year. 

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Charlotte Knights (CWS) 2, Pawtucket Red Sox 0

The PawSox struck out 18 times and collected only six hits as they were shut out by the Knights. Justin Masterson made his fourth rehab start, allowing two runs on four hits in six innings, while walking three and striking out four. He has now thrown 18 1/3 innings in his rehab starts, giving up seven earned runs. Matt Barnes made his first appearance since being sent back down, tossing one inning of scoreless relief with two strikeouts, and Pat Light followed with a shutout inning of his own. 

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Cup of Coffee: Moncada scores three, drives in three in Greenville win

6/16 Cup of Coffee: It was a big night in Greenville, as the Drive exploded for nine runs on 11 hits to take sole possession of first place. Salem saw both its winning streak and scoreless-innings streak come to an end. While the DSL Red Sox1 fell in their contest, their Red Sox2 counterparts swept a doubleheader.

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Wilmington Blue Rocks (KC) 4, Salem Red Sox 1

Salem was able to extend its streak without allowing a run in 25 innings, but Wilmington reached Teddy Stankiewicz for a pair in the third inning. Stankiewicz was solid, allowing three runs (two earned) on nine hits in six innings. His control was typically excellent. The right-hander did not issue a walk, and has allowed only four free passes in 47 1/3 innings since the beginning of May. Stankiewicz falls to 1-8, but that record has been mostly indicative of rotten luck. He has lost five games in which he has allowed two or fewer earned runs.

Salem's lone run was scored, unsurprisingly, by Sam Travis. The first baseman has reached base safely in every game in June, crushing the Carolina League to the tune of .435/.490/.652.

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2015 Annual Drive - Help Keep SoxProspects Free!

Dear readers,

We’re asking for your help to help raise $5,000 to help keep SoxProspects.com free for another year. We've kept the site 100% free to the public for almost 12 years now, and we hope to do so for the foreseeable future. As you may have also noticed, we continue to expand and improve our first-hand scouting content. Unfortunately, costs continue to pile up to travel to games and host the site. So we're reaching out to the community for donations to help keep the site free for everyone. Donations help cover site costs in two primary areas: (1) first-hand coverage travel costs for scouting and player columns; and (2) web hosting fees (including forum hosting costs).

Your donations help us travel to Ft. Myers in the spring to cover spring training and in the fall to cover the Instructional League. They also help cover the costs of travelling to Pawtucket, Portland, Salem, Greenville, and Lowell games for scouting and regular first-hand coverage. In terms of web hosting costs, the site resides on four servers, each with its own set of annual fees. We anticipate that our costs will exceed $15,000 in 2015. While we make limited funds from online advertising revenue, your donations help us ensure we can cover those costs. 

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Weekly Notes: Red Sox select 'Benny Baseball' with 7th overall pick

Here are this week's minor league notes:

The 2015 MLB Draft took place June 8-10 and SoxProspects.com had you covered from start to finish, with round-by-round pick recaps, daily previews and more.

Headlining the Red Sox' draft was the selection of University of Arkansas outfielder Andrew Benintendi (pictured) with the seventh overall pick. The draft-eligible sophomore was named Player of the Year by both Baseball America and the Southeastern Conference, and won the Dick Howser Trophy – college baseball's Heisman Trophy – after posting a .380/.489/.715 slash line with 19 home runs in the regular season.

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Cup of Coffee: Salem shutout streak continues, Drive lose in extras

6/15 Cup of Coffee: The Salem Red Sox pitching staff, led by Trey Ball (pictured), was excellent once again, as they extended their shutout streak to 23 innings with a 7-0 win on Sunday. But they were the only victorious team in the Red Sox organization on Sunday. The Sea Dogs' slide continues as they've lost eight of their last 10 games, and the PawSox struggled to produce a big hit despite a solid start from Henry Owens, and the Drive dropped a tough one in extras.

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Toledo Mud Hens (DET) 4, Pawtucket Red Sox 3

Down two in the ninth, the PawSox got within one thanks to a home run from Bryce Brentz (his team-leading, eighth of the season), but the rally fell short as Pawtucket's win streak comes to an end at four games. The PawSox stranded 11 men on base and went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position. The top three hitters in the lineup, Quintin Berry, Deven Marrero, and Brentz each went 2 for 5. Third baseman Sean Coyle reached base three times, drawing two walks and hitting a triple.

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Cup of Coffee: Cuevas, Johnson highlight strong night for pitchers

6/14 Cup of Coffee: Strong pitching performances from starters Brian Johnson, William Cuevas (pitcured, right) and Ty Buttrey helped guide their respective teams to victory, while Greenville struggled to produce at the plate. The Sea Dogs battled to a 4-3 victory in extra innings against Bowie, while Salem walked off against Wilmington.

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Pawtucket Red Sox 7, Toledo Mud Hens (DET) 5

The PawSox mounted two comebacks to earn their fourth straight win, and were led offensively by first baseman Allen Craig and third baseman Travis Shaw. Craig, who was demoted from Boston on May 18, went 2 for 3 with four RBI, three of which came via a three-run home run. Shaw went 2 for 4 with a double and three runs scored, while shortstop Deven Marrero finished 2 for 3 with a double. Right fielder Bryce Brentz went 2 for 5 and chipped in a run and two RBI.

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Cup of Coffee: Travis powers Salem, Bradley plays hero in Pawtucket

6/13 Cup of Coffee: Pawtucket fans were sent home happy, courtesy of a walk-off victory. Despite a great attempt at a comeback, Portland fell just short against Bowie. Salem was lifted by a massive performance from an All-Star, and Greenville won an offensive tussle thanks to the power of their shortstop. Despite a notable pitching performance, neither DSL team was able to pull out a win Friday.  

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Pawtucket Red Sox 3, Toledo Mud Hens (DET) 2

Jackie Bradley Jr. played the hero Friday night, lacing a two-out, walk-off RBI double, giving Pawtucket its third straight victory. Bradley was a spark plug for the offense at the top of the order, going 2 for 2 with two double, two walks and an RBI. The center fielder is now hitting .333/.407/.500 with four home runs and 14 RBI.

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Cup of Coffee: Light earns first Triple-A save, Devers leads Greenville

Cup of Coffee 6/12: One huge inning catapulted Greenville to victory, with Rafael Devers leading the charge on offense and Jalen Beeks having one of his best starts of the season. Portland rallied late with Luis Martinez providing the spark at the plate. Pat Light (pictured, left) quickly acclimated to Triple-A, earning his first save at that level with a dominant ninth inning in Pawtucket's victory.

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Pawtucket Red Sox 5, Toledo Mud Hens (DET) 3

Pat Light needed just nine pitches to earn his first save at the Triple-A level after being called up to Pawtucket on Tuesday. He struck out one in a perfect ninth, reportedly touching 98 mph on his fastball. Jackie Bradley Jr. launched his fourth home run of the season in the fifth inning. Quintin Berry went 2 for 4 with two RBI and swiped his 20th stolen base of the season, and provided the deciding two-run single in the sixth. Jess Todd worked around a rough third inning to earn the win. He struck out six and walked none in six innings pitched, giving up three runs on five hits.

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Travis to represent Salem as Carolina League All-Star

Salem Red Sox first baseman Sam Travis has been selected as a Carolina League All-Star and will play in the California vs. Carolina League All-Star Game. The game will be held on June 23, and will be played in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, home of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

Travis was the Red Sox second round pick in the 2014 draft out of Indiana University. He was a SoxProspects.com Pre-Season All-Star and is currently ranked 16th here at SoxProspects.com. Travis is having a tremendous season so far, batting .303/.366/.433 with three home runs, eight stolen bases, and 31 RBI in 235 plate appearances. Among players with at least 140 at-bats, Travis ranks first for Salem in OPS with a .799 mark.

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Nine former Red Sox draftees selected in 2015 Draft

MLB teams combined to select nine previous Red Sox draftees in the 2015 June draft, the fourth year in a row that number has dropped. Notable selections included Alex Bregman and Carson Fulmer, both of whom were taken in the first round, going second and eighth, respectively. The Red Sox themselves re-drafted Max Watt, a right-handed pitcher out of Lynn University who they had previously selected in the 2013 draft. Watt is the first player Boston has drafted twice since Reed Gragnani, who was taken in both 2009 and 2013. See below for the complete listing of former Sox selections who were re-drafted this week.

2014 Red Sox Draftees
21. Ian Rice, C, Houston -- 29th round by Chicago (NL) 

2013 Red Sox Draftees
37. Max Watt, RHP, Lynn -- 22nd round by Boston

2012 Red Sox Draftees

15. Carson Fulmer, RHP, Vanderbilt -- 1st round by Chicago (AL)

29. Alex Bregman, SS, Louisiana State -- 1st round by Houston
34. Xavier Turner, 3B, Vanderbilt -- 19th round by Texas

2011 Red Sox Draftees

19. Sikes Orvis, 1B, Mississippi -- 17th round by Chicago (NL)
32. Julius Gaines, SS, Florida International -- 33rd round by Seattle
48. David Sosebee, RHP, Georgia -- 28th round by New York (AL)
50. John Gorman, RHP, Boston College -- 31st round by Oakland

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2015 Draft Recap: How Boston's picks ranked

The 2015 amateur draft saw the Red Sox target several talented collegiate players, especially in the initial rounds, a bit of a divergence from the high-school-heavy approach taken near the top in recent seasons. In total, the team selected just eight high school players, continuing a falling trend after taking 19 in 2013 and 14 in 2014. 

Among the team's selections, 16 made either the Baseball America Top 500 or the Perfect Game Top 500, a decrease from the 20 and 19 ranked players they drafted in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Of course, the Sox were dealing with only nine picks in the first ten rounds of this years draft, a result of losing their competitive balance and second-round picks due to the signings of Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez.

Below is the full list of 2015 Red Sox draftees who were ranked by at least one of BA and PG. The entire crop of draft selections can be found over at the SoxProspects.com Draft History page. 

Round-Pick: Player, Position (Rank)

1-7: Andrew Benintendi, CF (BA: 9, PG: 12)

3-81: Austin Rei, C (BA: 68, PG: 140)

4-111: Tate Matheny, CF (BA: 107, PG: 187)

5-141: Jagger Rusconi, CF (BA: 322, PG: 193)

6-171: Travis Lakins, RHP (BA: 229, PG: 152)

8-231: Logan Allen, LHP (BA: 128, PG: 117)

10-291: Mitchell Gunsolus, 3B (BA: 464)

11-321: Nick Hamilton, CF (BA: 440)

14-411: Bobby Poyner, LHP (BA: 277, PG: 342)

16-471: Marc Brakeman, RHP (BA: 141, PG: 123)

20-591: Yomar Valentin, SS (BA: 330)

23-681: Kyri Washington, LF (BA: 149, PG: 173)

25-741: Andrew Noviello, 2B/C (BA: 207)

26-771: Kevin Ginkel, RHP (PG: 338)

27-801: Saige Jenco, CF (BA: 211)

39-1161: Daniel Reyes, OF (BA: 189, PG: 103)

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2015 Draft Signing Period & Speculative Early Signing Predictions

Now that the 2015 First Year Player Draft is in the books, the signing period is upon us. As we have seen over the last few years, under the new CBA draft rules the signing period is much different than it was under the previous rules. As many of you know, the new CBA established a signing bonus cap for each team and pushed up the signing deadline from mid-August to mid-July. This year's signing deadline will be 5:00 pm ET on July 17, 2015. The bonus cap is determined by the number and placement of each team's selections. 

The bonus cap sets an aggregate limit for a team to spend on its selections in the first ten rounds, and also limits teams from spending over $100,000 on players taken after the 10th round (the excess on any late round bonuses will count against the bonus pool). Boston's cap is $6,223,800 this year. If the club exceeds its pool: (1) by 0-5%, it will be charged a 75% tax on the excess; (2) by 5-10%, it will pay the same tax and will also lose its first round pick next season; (3) by 10-15%, it will be charged a 100% tax on the excess and lose its 1st and 2nd round picks next season; and (4) by more than 15%, 100% tax on the excess and lose its next two first round picks.

These are obviously harsh penalties, making it highly unlikely that the Red Sox will go more than 5% over the pool limit this year. However, the team is likely willing to pay the requisite tax and go up to 5% over the cap, which would place the team's spending limit at about $6,534,990.  The first $100,000 spent on any single bonus after round 10 would not count against that limit. One other wrinkle to remember is that if Boston fails to sign any of its picks from the top ten rounds, the team's pool will be reduced by the amount of the slot amount for the unsigned player's draft position. Here are the bonus slots for each of Boston's top picks:

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Cup of Coffee: Masterson rehabs as Cecchini's walk-off double leads Pawtucket

6/11 Cup of Coffee: Garin Cecchini (pictured) and Derek Miller provided late-game heroics in an otherwise quiet night for the Red Sox farm system. Justin Masterson made his third rehab start and pitched very well.

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Pawtucket Red Sox 2, Charlotte Knights (CWS) 1

2010 fourth-round pick Garin Cecchini laced a walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth to score Deven Marrero that gave the PawSox a 2-1 victory. All eyes were on Justin Masterson as he took the mound for his third rehab start. He was solid, going six innings and allowing just two hits and one run. He struck out six and walked one. Al Skorupa of Baseball Prospectus wrote that Masterson sat at 85-87 MPH with his fastball and touched 88.

Zeke Spruill tossed three innings of scoreless relief and earned his fourth win of the season. Sean Coyle and Travis Shaw each added a pair of hits.

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MLB draft day three Red Sox recap: rounds 11-40

On the final day of the 2015 MLB draft, the Red Sox continued their trend of selecting college players. Seven of their first 10 picks were from the college ranks, and on Day Three, 19 of their final 30 picks have come from college.

The biggest question for late round picks is often whether or not they will choose to sign. For a little perspective, 10 of the final 20 picks Boston made last year did not end up signing with the club. At the same time, six players picked past the 10th round in 2014 are now on SoxProspects.com's top 60 list.

Overall on Day Three, the Red Sox took 10 right-handed pitchers, four left-handed pitchers, two catchers, six infielders, and eight outfielders.

Here is a look at the Day Three selections for the Red Sox pick-by-pick:

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Cup of Coffee: Trey Ball breaks out, Owens struggles again

6/10 Cup of Coffee: It was a tale of two nights for former first-round picks, as Trey Ball (pictured, left) had the best start of his career, while Henry Owens had another frustrating outing. Edwin Escobar made his season debut as he works his way back from an elbow injury, and Tzu-Wei Lin reached base seven times over two games. 

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Charlotte Knights (CWS) 4, Pawtucket Red Sox 2
Henry Owens struggled with his control again, walking four in five innings, while allowing four runs on three hits. The walk totals continue to rack up for Owens, who now has 42 walks in 64 1/3 innings. Jonathan Aro and Heath Hembree each continued their strong seasons, as they combined to allow only three hits over four scoreless innings.

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Red Sox select Mitchell Gunsolus with their tenth-round pick

With their tenth-round pick, the 291st-overall pick in the 2015 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the Red Sox have selected Mitchell Gunsolus, a third baseman from Gonzaga University.

A senior-sign from the Bulldogs, Gunsolus is described as an offensive-minded left-handed hitter at the hot corner. Listed at 6-feet and 200 pounds, The Kenmore, Wash., native ended his college career with First Team All-WCC honors, setting career highs with a .353/.449/.556 slash line,seven home runs, and 34 RBI. He only struck out 32 times in 207 at-bats. 

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Red Sox select Tucker Tubbs with their ninth-round pick

With their ninth-round pick, the 261st-overall pick in the 2015 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the Red Sox have selected Tucker Tubbs, a first baseman from the University of Memphis (TN).

While Andrew Benintendi leads Division 1 with 19 home runs this season, Tubbs finished only two off his pace, slugging 17 home runs while hitting .305/.393/.601 as a senior for the Tigers. While the right-handed hitter was not ranked in the top 500 by Baseball America or Perfect Game, Jim Callis mentioned on MLB.com that Tubbs has good power, some feel for hitting, and is athletic for a first baseman. The athleticism showed up in his stolen base numbers, as he swiped seven bags in eight attempts despite being 6-foot-4 and weighing 205 pounds.

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