Fort Report: Returning to Camp

The Red Sox hosted their first full-squad workout on Feb. 19, signaling the return of baseball as well

as the Fort Report, which will again be running on a Monday and Thursday schedule, starting next week.

Here are this week's minor league notes:

• Bryce Brentz, who was expected to be in the mix for a bench spot on the major league club after being added to the 40-man roster in November, was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday in exchange for cash. He was the corresponding move to make room for JD Martinez, who agreed to terms with the team on Monday.

• With all the recent graduations, the Red Sox minor league system is not as strong as it has been in the past, but there are still solid prospects in Jay Groome (pictured) and Michael Chavis at the top of the list. MLB Pipeline has updated their Top 30 prospects in the system and Jim Callis also broke down the system in its entirety.

• As for the major leagues as a whole, Boston has just two prospects on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 prospects list in Groome and Chavis at No. 85 and No. 79, respectively but former prospects Michael Kopech is ranked 10th and Anderson Espinoza is slotted at No. 89.

• Baseball America also released their Top 100 list and seemed to reach a consensus with MLB Pipeline, as Chavis (No. 85) and Groome (No. 83) are in similar spots near the bottom of their list as well.

• Baseball Prospectus struck a different tune with their Top 101 list. Chavis does not appear, but they regard Groome as the 78th-best prospect in baseball.

• As for ESPN's Keith Law, he is higher than most on Groome, ranking him No. 30 in baseball on his Top 100 list, but he is in line with the rest on Chavis (No. 76). Tanner Houck is also in his 10-man just missed list.

• Law also ranked the Red Sox system 24th after placing it 16th in 2017, noting that promotions and big trades have dragged the organization down to the bottom third, but that there is potential after the 2017 Draft, where the team got great value for where they picked.

• Law's sleeper was Jake Thompson. At Oregon State, he was discouraged from throwing a curveball and was mostly a sinker and slider type of pitcher, but while in Lowell after being selected in the fourth round in 2017, added the curveball as well as a plus changeup, becoming a completely different pitcher.

• Ben Taylor was designated for assignment on Sunday to make room on the 40-man roster for Eduardo Nuñez. Sean McAdam reported on Wednesday that they are expecting him to be claimed on waivers.

• On Feb. 12, the team signed international free agent Juan Rojas, which came after the Feb. 9 signings of Villarroel Irvin, Robinson Parra and Oscar Rangel, all international free agents.
• Jake Romanski was placed on the restricted list on Feb. 8 and will be suspended 100 games for a positive amphetamine test.

• Steve Selsky re-signed with the Red Sox on Feb. 6, adding depth at the corner outfield spots and first base. He will be a non-roster invitee to Spring Training. 

• Should you be going to Spring Training, SoxProspects' Will Woodward wrote a guide to help out those headed to Fort Myers for the first time.

Photo credit: Jay Groome by Kelly O'Connor

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