Updated: Espinoza to Greenville, Allen to Lowell highlight GCL promotions

With the Gulf Coast League season concluding Tuesday with the Red Sox repeating as champions, the organization has promoted four players from that team. Reportedly highlighting the group is right-handed pitcher Anderson Espinoza (pictured), whose promotion to the Low A Greenville Drive was first reported by Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com. Hannable also first reported that left-hander Logan Allen will be making the trip north to join the Short Season-A Lowell Spinners. SoxProspects sources confirm Allen's promotion, and that he will be joined by right-handed pitcher Travis Lakins and outfielder Tyler Hill. Those sources also say that there may be further promotions, but no others are known at press time.

9/3 Update: In addition to the above-listed players, right-handed pitcher Yankory Pimentel, third baseman/catcher Roldani Baldwin, shortstop Carlos Tovar, and left-handed pitcher Enmanuel De Jesus are also being added to the Lowell roster.

Espinoza, 17, is having an excellent first season in professional baseball. Signed to a $1.8 million bonus out of Venezuela in July 2014, doubling the previous record for a native of that country, Espinoza was assigned to the Dominican Summer League to start 2015. He made quick work of that circuit, allowing only two earned runs on 13 hits in 15 innings across four appearances before earning a promotion stateside to the GCL Red Sox. Instead of finding himself challenged, Espinoza was even more dominant there, giving up just three earned runs in 40 innings, good for a 0.68 ERA to go with a .170 opponents batting average and 40 strikeouts against nine walks. Espinoza would be the youngest player to appear in a South Atlantic League game this season, and would be the youngest player in the circuit at present time by more than 13 months.

Allen, the Red Sox eighth-round selection in this June's draft, was nearly as dominant as Espinoza during his run with the GCL Red Sox. The 18-year-old southpaw appeared in seven games, allowing only two runs on 12 hits in 20 innings and posting a superb 24-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Allen dropped in the draft due to signability concerns, but a $725,000 bonus convinced him to forgo his commitment to South Carolina.

A sixth-round pick in June, Lakins did not make his professional debut until Sunday's Gulf Coast League finals opener. The right-hander out of Ohio State tossed a scoreless inning in the team's 3-2 victory. Lakins was a draft-eligible sophomore who posted a 3.75 ERA and 1.34 WHIP for the Buckeyes this spring.

Hill, 19, was the only position player among the group. Playing primarily right field, Hill had a .250/.344/.280 line in 151 plate appearances, and stole 11 bases in 13 attempts. He was originally drafted in the 19th round of the 2014 draft out of the Delaware Military Academy.

Photo Credit: Anderson Espinoza by SoxProspects.com forum contributor johnsilver52

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