Weekly Notes: Minor league season ends, Moncada struggles in Bigs

Here are this week's minor league notes:

• The Red Sox minor league season concluded this week, as the Lowell Spinners and Salem Red Sox were eliminated from playoff contention but the DSL Red Sox1 wrapped up the summer in style with a DSL championship.

• With the expanded September roster, Boston recalled relief pitchers Heath Hembree and Noe Ramirez, catcher Christian Vazquez, and left-handed pitcher Henry Owens for starting pitching depth. 

• Episode #105 of the SoxProspects.com Podcast tackles September call-ups and top prospect Yoan Moncada’s debut, as well as a round of updates on some of the most intriguing prospects from the 2016 draft.

• Red Sox 2016 first-round selection Jason Groome made one start with the Lowell Spinners last week after beginning his professional debut in the GCL. SoxProspects.com Director of Scouting Ian Cundall broke down the lefty in this week’s Scouting Scratch.  

• Six Sox prospects across four minor league levels were named to end-of-season All-Star teams, the most for the organization since 2012. Top prospects Yoan Moncada and Rafael Devers were named All-Stars in the Carolina League, Chris Marrero in the International League, Aneury Tavarez in the Eastern League, and Luis Alexander Basabe and Tate Matheny in the South Atlantic League. 

• After making opponents look silly throughout August, Michael Kopech was named Player of the Month in the Carolina League. The righty went 4-0 with a 2.73 ERA in six starts, striking out 10 or more in four of the starts. 

• Bobby Dalbec absolutely tore up New York-Penn League pitching on his way to be being named the league’s Player of the Month for August. Dalbec’s power numbers — six home runs, two triples and 10 doubles — helped him post a league-best 1.094 OPS and amass a whopping 18 more total bases than any other player in the league last month.

• Baseball America tabbed Yoan Moncada as the second baseman for its Minor League All-Star team and honored Andrew Benintendi with a Second-Team selection. 

• Baseball America also placed four Red Sox prospects on Classification All-Star teams. Rafael Devers received the nob for the High-A team, Luis Alexander Basabe earned a spot on the Low-A team, and Tyler Hill and Bobby Dalbec represent Lowell on the Short-Season team. 

• The Red Sox were the only organization to place two players on MLBPipeline.com’s Prospect Team of the Year, as first- and second-ranked prospects Yoan Moncada and Andrew Benintendi received the honor. 

• Moncada’s major league stint took a sour turn this week, as the top prospect has struck out in his last eight at-bats and made another baserunning blunder. The third baseman has been moved a reserve role in Boston. Scott Lauber of ESPN says the Red Sox should take it slow with the prized prospect. 

• Benintendi is progressing quickly in his rehab from a left knee strain. Rob Manfred of WEEI.com reports that the outfielder is getting close and could return in the next Red Sox homestand.

• The Boston Globe also weighed in on Moncada’s strikeout troubles with Boston. Nick Cafardo writes that, for all his promise, Moncada is a work in progress, and Alex Speier examines his strikeout numbers in context.

• Finally, Ian Browne of ESPN reveals what the Red Sox brass is looking for from the struggling Moncada.

• With the minor league season coming to an end, Portland Press Herald’s Kevin Thomas takes a look at some of the Rule V eligible players in the organization that the Red Sox will have add to the 40-man roster to protect.

• Mauricio Dubon turned plenty of heads with a 2016 campaign that saw him hit .339 and post a .909 OPS between two levels. Wilson Karaman scouted the shortstop this week for Baseball Prospectus.

• SB Nation’s Minor League Ball analyzed the Red Sox’ 2016 draft class following the close of its first professional season. 

Photo Credit: Yoan Moncada by Kelly O'Connor

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