August 31, 2020 at 1:00 PM
Minor Notes: Potts and Rosario join the system; Dalbec homers in debut
- With the trade deadline approaching on Monday, the Red Sox traded first baseman Mitch Moreland to the San Diego Padres in exchange for prospects Hudson Potts and Jeisson Rosario. MLB Pipeline rated Potts at No. 16 and Rosario at No. 19 in a loaded San Diego farm system, while Baseball America had Potts at No. 17 and Rosario at No. 28.
- Potts was the 24th overall pick in the 2016 Draft, and while he was drafted as a shortstop, he has primarily played third base while also getting some reps at second base. Equipped with a strong arm and plus power, the Red Sox are hoping he can continue to develop his approach at the plate, as his hit tool is the main thing holding him back from being a more valuable prospect. Fangraphs had him rated as the 126th-best prospect in baseball after the 2018 season, but after striking out in 28.6 percent of his at-bats in Double-A in 2019 and hitting only .227, he dropped off the top-100 radar.
- Another player who was once on the top-100 radar but has seen his prospect value diminish in the past year, Rosario was a top international prospect in 2016, with the Padres signing him for $1.85 million out of the Dominican Republic. Rosario held his own as an 18-year-old in Low-A ball in 2018, hitting .271/.368/.353. A hamstring injury in 2019 saw him struggle in his High-A debut, hitting .242/.372/.314. A tremendous athlete who should be able to stick in center field, MLB Pipeline rates all his tools as average or better, except for his power, which the Red Sox hope will improve as he gets older and gains some strength. Rumors out of San Diego are that parting with Rosario has been the toughest part of their deadline deals.
- Both Potts and Rosario need to be added to the 40-man roster after the season, and the Red Sox will have plenty of room to add them when the time comes.
- With Moreland shipped to San Diego, the Red Sox made room for Bobby Dalbec (pictured, above) on the big league roster. He debuted on Sunday and lived up to his reputation, going 2 for 4 with a home run and two strikeouts while playing first base. His two hits came on fastballs, and his two strikeouts came on breaking balls. Dalbec figures to get regular playing time going forward, especially if JD Martinez misses any time with an injury.
- Ian Cundall put together an initial scouting report on Connor Seabold, one of the pitchers acquired from Philadelphia in the Brandon Workman trade.
- Ian and Chris discussed that trade further on the most recent episode of the Podcast. They also discussed other players, like Moreland, who could be on the move, and what the Red Sox might be looking for in potential returns.
- The Draft Retrospective series rolled on last week, with Nick Rabasco covering the 2014 draft. Led by Michael Chavis and Michael Kopech, there are a lot of interesting picks in this draft, both signed and unsigned. In the second post, this draft's impact on the 2018 World Series title came in to focus, though it was more as trade chips rather than individual contributors.
- As a countermove to the Moreland trade, the Red Sox released Marco Hernandez (pictured, right). Hernandez once ranked as high as fifth in the SoxProspects.com rankings, hitting his way to Boston in 2016 after being acquired from the Cubs in exchange for Felix Doubront in December of 2014. In 2016 with the Red Sox, he hit .294/.357/.373 in 51 at-bats as a 23-year-old, but his 2017 season ended in May after undergoing surgery to stabilize his left shoulder after a subluxation. The injury lingered into 2018 and led to another surgery, and in 2019 he had just a .617 OPS in 148 at-bats with Boston.
- On Saturday, the Red Sox recalled Chris Mazza from the Alternate Training Site and placed Nathan Eovaldi on the injured list.
- The roster churn under Chaim Bloom continued as Boston outrighted Stephen Gonsalves to the Alternate Training Site, outrighted Mike Shawaryn and removed him from the Club Player Pool, and released RJ Alvarez.
- Jalen Beeks, who the Red Sox traded to Tampa Bay in exchange for Eovaldi in 2018, will likely be undergoing Tommy John surgery.
- Alex Speier of the Boston Globe talked with arguably the most talented pitcher in the Red Sox farm system, Jay Groome. 2020 was the supposed to be a comeback season for Groome as he worked his way back from Tommy John surgery, but instead he has spent most of the season at the Alternate Training site in Pawtucket. In their conversation, they talk about the arc of Groome's career and what it has been like and what his goals are for the rest of the year.
- There was some troubling news from the Alternate Training Site on Sunday, as Bryan Mata left his start with a leg injury and had to be helped off the field. It appears to have just been a hamstring cramp, and he has hopefully avoided a serious injury.
Photo Credit: Bobby Dalbec and Marco Hernandez by Kelly O'Connor