Minor Notes: Shortened season comes to a close

 Here are Tuesday's minor league notes:

• 
  Ian and Chris, the SoxProspects.com podcast crew, celebrated the end of the year by recording an episode covering Tanner Houck's (pictured, right) end to the year as a major leaguer, Nick Pivetta's first start with the Red Sox, new addition Jacob Wallace, and other notes from the alternate site. 

• Currently ranked 10th on the SoxProspects.com rankings, Houck made his third and final start of the season on Saturday, throwing six innings with 10 strikeouts while allowing only one run. He ends the season with a 0.53 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and 21 strikeouts over 17 innings. Julian McWilliams for the Boston Globe writes about Houck's debut season and his future in the rotation.

• The Boston Globe's Alex Speier also wrote about Houck, discussing the unconventional and bold approach the Red Sox took to the development and redevelopment of the athletic righty.

• During Houck's second start of the season, his velocity dropped and he had to switch gears and throw more two-seamers at Bill Koch writes for the Providence Journal.

• 
  One player raking down at the alternate site is an unexpected one, and also the youngest one there. 2020 first-round pick Nick Yorke (pictured, left) has been turning heads at only 18-years old as MLB.com's Ian Browne writes.

• Koch of the Providence Journal also wrote about Yorke and how he is settling in just fine down in Pawtucket.

• The Red Sox traded outfielder Kevin Pillar to the Rockies at the trading deadline for a player to be named later and International Bonus Pool money. Turns out that player was Methuen, Mass. native and UConn alumnus Jacob Wallace. Wallace is currently ranked 20th on the SoxProspects.com rankings and the scouting staff updated his scouting report this past week. 

• Fall and Winter League rosters will begin to roll out over the coming weeks and months. One of the first was that right-hander Daniel McGrath will pitch for his hometown team of Melbourne in the Australian Summer League (remember their summer is our winter) as announced on the league's website.

• Based on the Red Sox final record of 24-36, the team will select 4th in the 2021 draft, assuming the draft order is based on the 2020 records. Should that be the case, the team will have a slot value for their first pick of $6,664,000, and as SoxProspects.com Director of Scouting Ian Cundall points out, this one pick has a higher value than the Red Sox entire pool each of the last two seasons. The last time the Red Sox had a top 5 pick was 1967.

Photo Credit: Tanner Houck and Nick Yorke by Kelly O'Connor.

Will Woodward is a Co-Owner and Senior Staff Writer for SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter @SPWill.

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