Scouting Report Updates: Frank German and Jose Adames

Over the last week, the Red Sox a pair of new minor league pitchers for whom we've posted new scouting reports. First, signed right-handed reliever Jose Adames to a minor league contract. Adames last pitched in rookie ball for the Reds in 2019 and we project him to go to Salem. A few days later, as part of acquiring veteran reliever Adam Ottavino from the Yankees, the club also obtained right-hander Frank German and cash considerations. German was the Yankees' 2018 fourth-round pick out of North Florida, and slots in at twenty-seventh in the SoxProspects Rankings. We project him to start in Portland. 

Here are our initial reports on the pair, compiled from data and reports as well as our scouting sources across the game. Please note that these reports will be updated after we have seen these players in person.

Frank German

Physical Description: Athletic right-hander who has filled out considerably over the last few years. Minimal remaining projection.

Mechanics: Throws from a high-three-quarters arm slot. Long arm action with lots of moving parts. Slight trunk twist before coming forward. Effort in delivery. Has had trouble repeating delivery over longer outings.

Fastball: 93-97 mph. Tops out at 98 mph. Below-average command. Velocity has increased in pro ball and now routinely sits mid-90s. Potential plus-to-better offering.

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Fall/Winter League Roundup: Duran wins LBPRC Final's MVP

This week's roundup covers the week of January 18 through January 24. For the full list of Red Sox prospects participating in these leagues, check out our Fall & Winter Leagues page, which will be updated continuously through the first week of February.

Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (Puerto Rico)

The week started off with outfielder and SoxProspects.com fourth-ranked prospect Jarren Duran's team, Caguas, already having clinched their spot in the league final. That left one spot remaining with Jack Lopez, Alan Marrero, and Jeremy Rivera playing with Indios de Mayaguez. On Monday, Rivera was the only one to play, going 3 for 5 with a home run, triple, two runs scored and four RBI as Mayaguez blew out Manati to take a 3-0 lead in the series. Rivera raked again on Tuesday, going 2 for 2 with a double and two runs scored as Mayaguez clinched the series win while Lopez went 0 for 3.

The best-of-seven final started on Thursday with Caguas shutting out Mayaguez with Duran hitting second and going 0 for 3 with a walk and run scored in the 4-0 win. Duran picked it up a bit on Friday with a 2 for 4 day with a double, two runs scored, an RBI, and a walk, with Caguas again winning 7-5. Over the weekend, Duran showed why he is such a highly regarded prospect and also his recent gains in power. On Saturday, he hit a three-run home run and a run-scoring double in yet another win. The series came to a quick end with a 7-6 Caguas win on Sunday. Duran started that game off with a leadoff home run, later walking in the game and scoring two more runs. 

Duran finished the series 5 for 15 with two doubles, two home runs, seven runs scored, six RBI, and three walks for which he was awarded the Final's Most Valuable Player award. It remains a strong possibility that Duran will compete in the Caribbean Series starting on January 31. Jeremy Rivera and Jack Lopez both hit well in the losing effort with Rivera going 6 for 13 with two doubles and Lopez finishing 5 for 13 with a double. Marrero did not appear in a game this week.

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Podcast Ep. #200: Interview with Red Sox CBO Chaim Bloom

Chris and Ian welcome Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom to celebrate our 200th episode. The guys discuss Bloom’s first year at the helm of the Red Sox, as well as Bloom’s start in the game. Bloom also talks through his experience at the Rays, taking the helm of an organization during a season altered drastically by a global pandemic, roster management, the draft, and much more. 

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Podcast Ep. #199: It's the Amuse Bouche

Welcome to 2021. The Commissioner is telling teams to prepare to start the season on time. Free agency and the hot stove are both heating up as well. And our episode is setting the table for bigger things to come. Still, we have some interesting moves to analyze, both made by the Red Sox and by other clubs. Another set of international free agents have begun to sign, and Chris and Ian have the run down on them and the first round of non-roster invitees. Additionally, rumors have been flying about a possible trade involving a young outfielder, and the guys share their thoughts before we crack open the mailbag for your questions. 

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Fall/Winter League Roundup: Rivera homers as play in Puerto Rico resumes

A Red Sox prospect is either in the finals, or on a team leading its semifinal series, in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Venezuela, and Colombia. The league in Puerto Rico was on pause and resumed on Sunday night, so action there was limited this week. Elsewhere the playoffs continued on as planned. This week's roundup covers the week of January 11 through January 17. For the full list of Red Sox prospects participating in these leagues, check out our Fall & Winter Leagues page, which will be updated continuously through the first week of February.

Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (Puerto Rico)

With Jarren Duran and Caguas already in the finals, the other semifinal series finally resumed on Sunday after a two-week, COVID-related pause, with Mayaguez pummeling Manati 30-8. Jeremy Rivera (pictured) did his part in the blowout, going 4 for 6 with a home run, three RBI, and four runs scored. Alan Marrero also reached base in both of his plate appearances, going 1 for 1 with a walk and two runs scored. The best-of-seven series will continue on Monday, with Mayaguez up 2-0. 

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Scouting Report Updates: Jay Groome, Aldo Ramirez and more from Fall Instructs

The latest SoxProspects scouting report update features a pair of top 15 pitching prospects in Jay Groome and Aldo Ramirez, as well as three other players who participated in the 2020 Fall Instructional League. 

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

Jay Groome, Left-handed pitcher

Physical Description: Very large pitcher's frame. Wide, mature upper body and filled-out lower half. Looks all of his listed height and weight. Average athlete. Height is imposing on the mound. Body will need maintenance and bears watching as he matures; has already had problems maintaining his conditioning. How his body develops will depend on how much work he puts in off the field both in-season and during the offseason. Came back from Tommy John surgery in late 2019 in excellent shape, visibly slimmed down, but returned to the mound in 2020 in noticeably worse shape.

Mechanics: Medium-effort delivery. Throws from a high three-quarters arm slot. Starts on the third base side from the wind-up. Starts with his feet close together and slightly pointed towards the on-deck circle on the first-base side. Utilizes a high leg lift and is upright and stiff. Hides the ball briefly when he brings it behind his back and then again behind his head as he comes forward. Delivery is inconsistent and has gotten noticeably stiffer as his athleticism and coordination have regressed. Has trouble getting his arm in sync with the rest of his delivery. Has a tendency to open up his front side early while his arm lags behind and comes through late. When arm is out ahead, will miss up to the glove side; when it drags behind, tends to miss arm-side.

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Fall/Winter League Roundup: Meneses, Pereda stay hot

The postseason continued for multiple leagues, while another wrapped up their regular season. Joey Meneses and Jhonny Pereda (pictured) both stayed hot this past week, as Meneses helped send his team to the finals. 

This week's roundup covers the week of January 4 through January 10. For the full list of Red Sox prospects participating in these leagues, check out our Fall & Winter Leagues page, which will be updated continuously through January.

Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (Puerto Rico)

The semifinal series kept going this past week for Caguas and RA12, as Duran went 0 for 4 in the second game, got a day off in the third game, and bounced back in the fourth game with a 2-for-4 performance, including a double and a walk. Duran hit in the number two spot for Caguas in both games. Henry Nunez Rijo appeared in the third game for RA12, getting the first two outs of the sixth inning while walking two, allowing a hit, and striking a hitter out. He did not allow a run. Caguas swept the series, going 4-0 against RA12 and will play in the finals. 

The other series between Manati and Mayaguez has been dealing COVID-19 cases all week, so they were unable to take the field, and haven't played in games since January 2. 

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December notes: Winter leagues, podcasts, and scouting updates

Here are December's minor league notes:

• Some winter leagues started in the second half of November and the rest got going over the month of December. The most prominent Red Sox prospect to participate is the fourth-ranked prospect on the SoxProspects.com rankings, outfielder Jarren Duran (pictured, right). His team in the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League, Criollos de Caguas, has made the playoffs but Duran has struggled a bit, hitting only .236/.386/.273 to end the regular season. Like almost all winter league stats, the struggles come with the caveat of being over a very small sample size of 55 at-bats.

• Every Monday, you can get a weekly roundup of all the Red Sox prospect action in the fall and winter leagues on the SoxProspect.com news page. Here are the five released in December: Week of November 23-29, Week of November 30-December 6, Week of December 7-13, Week of December 14-20, and Week of December 21-27.

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Fall/Winter Leagues: Duran delivers RBI in playoff opener; Meneses goes deep

It was a light week for the winter leagues, as the Christmas breaks bled into the New Year's Day holiday as well. In several leagues, playoffs are now getting underway, including in Puerto Rico and Mexico. While Joey Meneses (pictured) was not integral to his team's bid toward the postseason, he drilled a three-run home run in Game 1 of Culiacan's series in the Mexican Pacific League. 

This week's roundup covers the week of December 28 through January 3. For the full list of Red Sox prospects participating in these leagues, check out our Fall & Winter Leagues page, which will be updated continuously through January.

Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (Puerto Rico)

The regular season wrapped up on December 30 with two final regular season games for each squad. Jarren Duran, the No. 4 prospect in the system, was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts in the penultimate game before getting the finale off, dropping his average to .238 on the short season. He was ejected from Tuesday's contest for throwing his helmet.

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