Scouting Report Updates: Rodriguez, Bell, Windle, Pantoja, Jimenez, Perez, Schwaab, Curcio

Despite the absence of live baseball at the moment, the SoxProspects.com team will continue to examine all levels of Boston's minor league system and update our player page scouting reports with data compiled from in-person scouting, reports from sources within the game, and statistical data. Today's series of updates includes two of the site's top 40 prospects in Jorge Rodriguez and Brock Bell. These two young hurlers are far from similar—in profile as well as career origin—but both pitchers ended their seasons by appearing in one game for Lowell, and both show the early signs of major league potential.

SoxProspects.com scouting reports are written by our scouting report team, led by Director of Scouting Ian Cundall.

Jorge Rodriguez, Left-handed pitcher

Physical Description: Small-framed left-hander with some projection.

Mechanics: Starts open with his glove low, then brings it above his head. Medium-to-high leg kick. Brings leg across his body for torque.

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Scouting Report Updates: Pereda, Allie, Meneses, Mieses, Puello, Jones

Our latest scouting report update for the 2020 season includes six new faces to the Red Sox organization. The front office has been aggressive in adding depth to a minor league system that is undergoing a strategic shift with a new Chief Baseball Officer at the helm. This set of updates is headlined by Jhonny Pereda, a catcher traded to the Red Sox in exchange for Travis Lakins, as well as Stetson Allie, a former top prospect for the Pittsburgh Pirates who can still touch triple digits with his fastball.

SoxProspects.com scouting reports are written by our scouting report team, led by Director of Scouting Ian Cundall.

Jhonny Pereda, catcher

Physical Description: Solid catcher's frame. No remaining projection.

Hit: Starts square and utilizes a leg kick timing device. Hands start around his chest, but end up in a good hitting position. Solid bat-to-ball skills. Puts the ball in play consistently, understands the strike zone. Does a good job taking what the pitcher gives him and not expanding the strike zone.

Power: Minimal power projection. Currently has below-average raw power and projects for well-below average game power at best. Doesn’t lift the ball with authority. Not a part of his game.

Run: Not a part of his game. Bottom-of-the-scale speed.

Field: Receiving and framing need work. Framing is inconsistent, has varied between above-average to below-average from year-to-year. Receiving can get a little loose and needs to tighten up those skills. Potential average defender.

Arm: Plus arm. Quick release. Does a good job controlling the running game.

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Podcast Ep. #176 - Small Prospects

Before we get started, to all our listeners, colleagues, supporters and friends of the site, we all want to send our sincere wishes for health, safety and security. We’re planning to keep episodes of the podcast coming, so you have things to listen to while you’re sheltering in place, working from home and taking breaks from MLB Vault marathons. We’re releasing this podcast on what would have been Opening Day. And while baseball is still shut down, we have plenty to talk through. Chris and Ian update us the negotiations between MLB and the Players Association. They tackle the time needed to get both the big leaguers ready to play as well as the minor leaguers. Then they turn to the mailbag to answer your questions.

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Fort Report: Financial assistance for minor leaguers; scouting activity prohibited

With play halted for the foreseeable future, the main baseball topics revolve around supporting minor leaguers while play is suspended and figuring out a solution to the service time issues in a shortened season. 

• While minor leaguers are not paid for spring training, they do receive a few hundred dollars per week per diem. MLB announced that these players will receive a lump sum that represents what they would have received under this allowance through April 8 and the Red Sox also covered any costs that it would take for the minor leaguers to travel home. 

• Another group of people set to lose out on the delayed start to the season is ballpark employees. Each team has committed $1 million to help these employees, who are almost all hourly workers. 

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Fort Report: Coronavirus halts play

Opening Day will be delayed this season, as the coronavirus has forced baseball to shut down. We will continue to try and provide a distraction with Red Sox minor league coverage.

• Check out the 175th episode of the SoxProspects.com podcast, where Chris and Ian discuss the unfortunate cancellation of their trip to Fort Myers. Prior to the decision to cancel, they discussed some things they were looking forward to seeing in camp. They also give their thoughts on roster cuts and the active roster. 
• Red Sox minor leaguers were originally given the option to stay in camp or go home, but now they have been encouraged to go home. By the looks of it, a lot of players have opted to go home.
• On a conference call on Friday, Chaim Bloom discussed the difficulty of getting pitchers ready again for whenever the season ends up starting. 

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Podcast Ep. #175: Minor League Camp "Preview"

A lot can change in a couple days. In this episode, Chris and Ian engaged in an in-depth preview of their then-upcoming trip to minor league spring training, running through the players they were looking forward to seeing in camp and taking your listener questions. Days later, as Chris explains in the new intro, the trip was unfortunately canceled due to concerns related to the coronavirus, but we are still releasing the episode as a preview of the players and storylines we have our eyes on entering the year.

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Fort Report: Duran keeps rolling; Houck, Mata, Dalbec reassigned

There are only 17 days to go until Opening Day and there is plenty of news coming out of Fort Myers that doesn't involve Chris Sale and his elbow. The roster is beginning to take shape, with several players moving over to minor league camp and the departure of a valuable member of the 2018 championship team.

• The first rounds of cuts from major league camp began this week as 19 players--including five of the top 10 prospects in the system--were optioned or reassigned:
• Five players on the 40-man roster were optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket: infielders Bobby Dalbec and CJ Chatham and pitchers Kyle Hart, Mike Shawaryn, and Phillips Valdez. Dalbec ranks sixth in the system in the SoxProspects.com Top 60, with Chatham checking in at number 10. 
• Outfielder Marcus Wilson was optioned to Portland and lefty Yoan Aybar to Salem. 
• Those not on the 40-man reassigned to minor league camp were pitchers Daniel McGrath, Bobby Poyner, Bryan Mata, Denyi Reyes, RJ Alvarez, Trevor Hildenberger, Tanner Houck (pictured), and Mick Kickham, infielders Tommy Joseph, Jeter Downs, Josh Ockimey, and catchers Connor Wong and Roldani Baldwin.

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Fort Report: Duran and Mata impress in first full week of Spring

Here are Monday's minor league notes:

• With the first full week of spring training behind us, SoxProspects coverage is in full swing. On the SoxProspects twitter account (@SoxProspects) you can find daily reports on prospects playing in major league games, as well as follow the #SP60 breakdown of the systems top 60 prospects (updated daily). Stay tuned as the SoxProspects scouting team is set to arrive in Fort Myers on March 19th to bring in-person reports of minor league camp. 

• One of the stand out prospect performers thus far in Red Sox spring training has been Jarren Duran who has turned heads with his red hot start to spring. The speedy outfielder has appeared in five games thus far in which he's notched five hits in twelve plate appearances, including a home run and a triple. Bryan Mata has also impressed in his two spring appearances, fanning two across three scoreless innings.

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