Here are December's minor notes:
- The Rule 5 Draft was on December 13, and while the Red Sox did not take anyone or lose anyone in the major league portion, they picked up Andrew Schwaab and Anyelo Gomez in the minor league part of the draft, while Tyler Hill went to Detroit and was then traded to the Yankees. James Dunne has the in-depth recap for SoxProspects.
- Schwaab split 2018 between the Detroit and New York Yankees organizations, finishing with Double-A Erie of the Tigers' organization. He also spent time with New York's High-A and Double-A affiliates and finished with a .275 batting average against, though that was merely .213 in 18 1/3 innings with Erie to end the year to go along with a 1.31 WHIP.
- Gomez was a 2018 Major League Rule 5 pick, going to the Braves, but he was returned to the Yankees on March 20 and missed most of the season with a shoulder injury, pitching only 7 1/3 innings. His last appearance came on May 5 but he pitched to a 1.02 WHIP in 70 1/3 frames across four levels in 2017, going from Low A all the way to Triple-A. If he can be healthy, he could be an asset at the major league level with a fastball that touches 97 mph.
- Hill slashed .248/.354/.312 in 124 games for Salem this year and came into the organization as a 19th-round pick in the 2014 Draft and hadn't hit as well in 2018 as he had at lower levels.
- The SoxProspects podcast hit Episode No. 150 on December 19, with Chris and Ian discussing the Rule 5 Draft and recapping the Winter Meetings, with an in-depth discussion on how the bullpen is shaping up for 2019.
- SoxProspects' Nick Rabasco continued the Fall/Winter Roundup series for the second half of December as the Winter Leagues wrap up and players start to get ready for the new year. Deiner Lopez (pictured, left) is the only player who is still getting consistent playing time in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League, while Rusney Castillo is playing in the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League.
- Covering December 3-9, SoxProspects' Shawn McGrath has the story on what happened in another edition of the Fall/Winter Roundup.
- Boston also signed Gorkys Hernandez to a minor league contract on December 13. He spent the last two seasons playing every day for San Francisco, hitting .234/.285/.391 in 142 games for the Giants last year. He figures to be a depth option should there be any injuries at the major league level.
- Bryce Brentz (pictured, left) also returned as a potential depth option, inking a minor league deal on December 28. The Red Sox made him a first-round pick in 2010 and was traded to Pittsburgh for cash considerations before the 2018 season. He ended up in the Mets' organization, playing 55 games for Triple-A Las Vegas, posting a slash line of .264/.332/.580 with 15 home runs.
- Boston also brought back Carson Smith on a minor league contract on December 20. He came over to the Red Sox before the 2016 season from Seattle along with Roenis Elias in exchange for Wade Miley and Jonathan Aro, but only pitched 2 2/3 innings before requiring Tommy John surgery, missing the rest of 2016 and almost all of 2017. After 14 frames in 2018, Smith had a subluxation of his right shoulder after throwing his glove, shelving him for the rest of the year and he was outrighted from the 40-man roster in November.
- On December 3, the team purchased Keith Curcio from Kansas City of the American Association, signing him to a minor league contract. Curcio was a sixth-round pick by Atlanta in the 2014 Draft out of Florida Southern and made it to Double-A Mississippi, but he was released before the 2018 season. As an outfielder, he has some speed, as he stole 20 bases for Kansas City in 2018.
- Kyle Wren, who the Red Sox signed on July 4 after he was released by Milwaukee, signed with Cincinnati on December 8. The son of Vice President Frank Wren, he played in 37 games for Pawtucket after his signing, slashing .230/.308/.317.
- Two days later, the Reds claimed Robby Scott off waivers. Scott pitched 48 1/3 innings for Boston over the last three seasons, spending much of 2017 in the majors after making the Opening Day roster and was out of options. On December 21, the team would designate him for assignment and trade him to Arizona for cash considerations.
- Ryan Weber, who was in the Tampa Bay system last year, started 18 of his 25 appearances for Triple-A Durham with a 2.73 ERA in 115 1/3 innings and could be a potential emergency starter for the major league team, signed on December 20.
- Also filling that role could be Erasmo Ramirez, who the team signed to a minor league deal on December 18, made 10 starts for Seattle, pitching 45 2/3 innings. He also made five starts for Triple-A Tacoma.
- Reidis Sena, a 17-year-old from the Dominican Republic, signed as an international free agent on December 15. Standing at 5-foot-10, 160 pounds, he is a right-handed pitcher.
- Missing 2018 due to having Tommy John surgery, Zach Putnam signed a minor league deal as the Red Sox continued to acquire pitching depth in the minor league free agent market. Putnam had struck out 30 batters in 27 innings for the White Sox in 2016 before his injury and was a fifth-round pick by Cleveland in 2008.
- The Red Sox also extended to non-roster invitees to Spring Training, including catchers Juan Centeno and Oscar Hernandez; outfielder Gorkys Hernandez; infielder Tony Renda (pictured, right); and pitchers Zach Putnam, Erasmo Ramirez, Carson Smith, Josh Smith, Domingo Tapia and Ryan Weber.
- Billy McMillon will manage the PawSox this year, announced by Ben Crockett on December 7. McMillion spent the last three years as an outfield and baserunning coordinator and before that, managed Portland from 2014-2015.
- Alex Speier of the Boston Globe wrote about how the Red Sox flipped their pitching infrastructure around, changing their bullpen from one of the league's worst to a formidable weapon, helping win a World Series.
- SoxProspects is also looking for new blood! We are looking for a new Web Editor and Copy Editor. Read about the positions in detail here and apply!
Photo Credit: Deiner Lopez, Bryce Brentz and Tony Renda by Kelly O'Connor
