May 23, 2023 at 12:00 PM
Minor Notes: Drohan promoted to Worcester; Hernández acquired from the Yankees
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Drohan promoted to Worcester; Gambrell moves up to Portland
The new top pitching prospect in the system, Shane Drohan (pictured), received a promotion to Worcester. Dating back to last year, he had an ERA of 2.17 over 58 innings in Double-A, with 20 walks and 57 strikeouts. He improved his walk and strikeout rates in 2023 while adding velocity, which has allowed him to shoot up the rankings. Taking his spot in Portland is Grant Gambrell. The 25-year-old came to Boston from Kansas City as part of the Andrew Benintendi trade. He missed the 2022 season with an ankle injury but returned to decent results with Greenville to start the year.
Whitlock nears return, Crawford finishes rehab
Kutter Crawford and Garrett Whitlock started rehab assignments with Worcester last week, and Crawford has already returned to Boston's bullpen. Crawford had one three-inning rehab appearance, while Whitlock has made two appearances thus far. All signs show him returning to Boston's rotation against the Diamondbacks this weekend.
Bullpen turnover
The Red Sox continued to turn over the end of the bullpen due to injuries. Richard Bleier got placed on the 15-day injured list with shoulder inflammation, and John Schreiber joined him with a right teres major strain. Justin Garza and Brennan Bernardino took their spots after being recalled from Worcester.
Greg Allen traded to the Yankees; Bradley Zimmer signed to minor-league deal
In a rare trade with their biggest rival, the Red Sox sent Greg Allen to the Yankees in exchange for Diego Hernández and cash considerations. Allen hit .250/.407/.388 with the WooSox this year and stole 23 bases without being caught. The Yankees added him to the major league roster, and he got a hit and a steal in his first game action.
Hernández is an 18-year-old who played in the Dominican Summer League in 2022. He had an ERA of 2.10 and struck out 48 in 34 1/3 innings. The right-hander is expected to miss the 2023 season after undergoing an internal brace procedure on his right elbow.
Allen's spot in Worcester's outfield was filled by Bradley Zimmer. Zimmer is a former first-round pick and top-20 MLB prospect. He was in the Dodgers organization earlier this year before being released last week. The Red Sox quickly signed him to a minor-league contract. He has appeared in 372 major league games over six seasons with three teams, hitting .213/.298/.333.
Edwin Díaz and Jake Thompson released
Edwin Díaz and Jake Thompson, who were most recently with Worcester, were released. Thompson was a 4th-round pick in 2017 who eventually underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019. He had identical ERAs of 5.40 in 2022 and 2023 with the WooSox. Díaz signed as a minor league free agent in January 2023 and appeared in 15 games between Portland and Worcester. He had struggled in Portland but did go 1 for 3 with a home run in his limited Triple-A action.
Awards
While he was the runner-up for the SoxProspects.com Pitcher of the Week award, Angel Bastardo did win the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week award. Bastardo allowed just one hit over six shutout innings, walking two and striking out seven. Bastardo has been one of the best pitchers on the farm so far and has risen from 56 to 40 in the rankings.
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Players of the Week
Bobby Dalbec, 1B/3B/RF, Worcester Red Sox
6 G, 24 AB, 11 H, 1 2B, 3 HR, 7 R, 10 RBI, 2 SB, .458/.519/.875
Dalbec had a flair for the dramatic, delivering two walk-off hits for the WooSox. He also hit a 515-foot home run on Friday night. It was a bittersweet week for Dalbec, as he turned in his best stretch of baseball shortly after being sent down from the major league club. Peter Gammons reported that the Red Sox are actively marketing Dalbec, and Pablo Reyes has taken the reins of the utility infielder role in Boston. Dalbec is doing his best to prove he belongs in the majors, and fans will need to wait and see if that opportunity comes in Boston or elsewhere.
Isaac Coffey, RHP, Greenville Drive
1 G, 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 11 K
Coffey had stiff competition from teammate Angel Bastardo, but Coffey's advantage in strikeouts gives him the nod. The 22-year-old leads the system in strikeouts with 50 in 37 2/3 innings. He's walked only seven but has also given up a system-leading 10 home runs. Limiting the long ball will be crucial for Coffey going forward, but his strikeout-to-walk ratio is among the best in the system.
Photo Credit: Shane Drohan by Kelly O'Connor