Minor Notes: Draft signings continue to roll in

Here are Monday's minor league notes:

• The Red Sox added another third baseman to the upper minors last week as they signed Jhonny Peralta to a minor league deal. Peralta, who is a career .267 hitter over his 15 seasons in the big leagues, will help provide depth as the third base situation in Boston is still up in the air. 

• The lack of infield depth also led Boston to promote Tzu-Wei Lin (pictured, right) to the big league roster. With Josh Rutledge being placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list and Brock Holt being moved to the 60-day disabled list, Lin may get a chance for some playing time in Boston. 

• Both Stephen Nogosek and Nick Lovullo were promoted to Salem last week after the All-Star break. Nogosek struck out 45 batters in 35 1/3 innings for Greenville, while Lovullo hit .329/.441/.447 over 76 at-bats for the Drive. 

• With Doug Fister being signed and added to the 40-man roster, the Red Sox made some room by outrighting Kyle Kendrick off the 40-man while keeping him in Pawtucket.

• Pawtucket's pitching staff got some reinforcements, with Boston optioning Hector Velazquez to the PawSox, Ben Taylor being activated from the disabled list, and Austin Maddox reported and was activated after being optioned from Boston earlier in the week. 

• Another player coming to help the PawSox is Aneury Tavarez, who started a rehab assignment in Lowell. Tavarez has missed the last month with right-hand tendinitis. 

• Rusney Castillo, who has been one of the hottest hitters in the system, went on the disabled list with a right groin injury. 

• The Carolina League named Jordan Betts its player of the week. Betts went 9 for 16 for the week, with three doubles and two home runs, posting a .563/.588/1.125 line with five RBI and five runs.

• The Red Sox have officially signed 27 of their 40 draft picks, and they have also picked up two undrafted free agents. The only player who Boston picked in the first 10 rounds who has not signed is fourth-rounder Jake Thompson, as Oregon State was playing in the College World Series until Saturday. Below is a list of official 2017 draft signings so far, listed by round:

          1 - Tanner Houck, RHP - $2,614,500 (slot: $2,614,500)

          2 - Cole Brannen, OF - $1,300,000 (slot: $993,900)

          3 - Brett Netzer, 2B - $475,000 (slot: $532,800)

          5 - Alex Scherff, RHP - $700,000 (slot: $296,500)

          6 - Zach Schellenger, RHP - $175,000 (slot: $230,000)

          7 - Tyler Esplin, OF - $250,000 (slot: $180,700)

          8 - Zach Sterry, 1B - $5,000 (slot: $150,900)

          9 - Tanner Nishioka, 2B - $5,000 (slot: $138,600)   

          10 - Jordan Wren, OF - $5,000 (slot: $131,400)

          11 - Andre Colon, SS

          12 - Beau Hanna, C

          13 - Garrett Benge, 3B

          16 - Kutter Crawford, RHP

          17 - Frankie Rios, SS

          18 - Dominic LoBrutto, LHP

          19 - Angel Gonzalez, CF

          21 - Lukas Young, RHP

          22 - Hunter Haworth, RHP

          24 - Charlie Madden, C

          25 - Kory Behenna, LHP

          27 - Xavier LeGrant, 2B

          31 - Michael Osinski, 3B

          32 - Taylor Ahearn, RHP

          33 - Tanner Raiburn, LHP

          34 - Luis Torres, CF

          35 - Trey Ganns, 1B

          36 - Rio Gomez, LHP

          UDFA - Durin O'Linger, RHP

          UDFA - Jecorrah Arnold, 3B

          Total cap (cap + 5%): $5,667,100 ($5,950,455)

          Cap spent so far (amount +/- cap for picks signed): $5,529,500 (-$260,200)

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Players of the Week: 6/19-6/25

Michael Chavis, 3B/DH, Salem Red Sox/Portland Sea Dogs

3 G, 11 AB, 5 H, 1 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, .455/.500/1.091

It was an exciting week for the former first-round pick, as he was named the MVP of the Carolina League All-Star Game after lacing a two-run double in the first inning. He was promoted to Portland after the game, and he hit a home run on the first pitch he saw as a member of the Sea Dogs. He hit another home run and added a double on Sunday to cap off the week. Chavis’s final line in Salem was an absurd .318/.388/.641, with 17 home runs in only 59 games. The Carolina League tends to be pitcher-friendly, but Chavis had no issue hitting the ball out of the park, leading the league in home runs before being promoted.

Kyle Hart, LHP, Greenville Drive

1 GS, 0-0, 6 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 0.00 ERA, 4 H, 0.67 WHIP, 0 BB, 3 K

This is the first time Hart (pictured, right) has won a Pitcher of the Week award as he fired six shutout innings. He struck out three and also got 10 groundouts to only one flyout. Since joining the Drive in May, Hart has been one of the most consistent pitchers on the team, with an ERA of 1.62 while opponents bat only .227 against him. He has struck out 37 over 39 innings while posting strong groundball rates. The 24-year-old has not had any trouble navigating through the younger competition, and with continued success, he may find himself in Salem before the end of the year. 

Photo Credit: Tzu-Wei Lin and Kyle Hart by Kelly O'Connor

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