SoxProspects News

Red Sox renew Player Development Contract with Lowell

2012-01-26T16:06:00.001-05:00

The Red Sox announced today that they have renewed their Player Development Contract (PDC) with the Lowell Spinners for two more seasons. The Red Sox and Spinners, who play in the New York-Penn State league, will now continue their relationship through the 2014 season.

The Spinners have been affiliated with the Boston Red Sox since they moved to Lowell prior to the 1996 season. In 1998, they moved into Edward A. LeLaucheur Park where they had a 413 game sellout streak, clearly showing the strong support of the community.

Red Sox Director of Player Development, Ben Crockett, made a point of emphasizing this when he made the announcement today along with Spinners owner, Drew Webber, and President/General Manager, Tim Bawmann.

"The Spinners organization and the community of Lowell really embrace our young players and provide them an exciting introduction to Red Sox Nation. Drew Weber, Tim Bawmann and the entire Spinners staff foster an excellent atmosphere for development and we look forward to our continued partnership," Crockett said.

Over the 21 year partnership, many past and current prospects have made their way through Lowell, including current Red Sox Clay Buchholz, Felix Doubront, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Kevin Youklis. Prospects expected to begin the year in Lowell include some of the Red Sox 2011 draft picks such as Cody Kukuk, Mookie Betts, Jordan Weems, and Williams Jerez.

The Lowell Spinners will continue to act as the Short-Season-A affiliate, joining the Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA), Portland Sea Dogs (AA), Salem Red Sox (High-A), Greenville Drive (Low-A), Golf Coast Red Sox (Rookie), and DSL Red Sox (DSL) as the Red Sox minor league organizations.

Lumps of rookie year behind him, Coyle ready to power into 2012

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Sean Coyle (Kelly O'Connor)

Rookie lessons are a reality for any professional baseball player. The grind of the road and playing every day from spring training through the Fall Instructional League, adjusting to professional pitching, and dealing with slumps and injuries are among the myriad things that every player deals with at some point for the first time.

In his first full season as a pro, these are things that Sean Coyle was able to deal with splendidly, en route to his being named SoxProspects.com Rookie of the Year following a promising first full season.

“You have to control the things that you can control,” he said of what he learned. “You can’t control whether a guy comes out and throws you three fastballs or three curveballs. You can’t control whether you hit a line drive at the shortstop or you hit a double in the gap. You can’t control those things, but you can control coming into the park every day and working hard and getting after it. You can’t really worry about statistical things. Those are going to follow directly with your work ethic.”

Coyle showed great resiliency throughout the year. This included bouncing back from the slumps all players face, but also the occasional injury. The worst injury – and most impressive show of toughness, came when Coyle was hit in the face by a pitch. Coyle has a few fake teeth from the beanball, and he suffered a fractured jaw. However, he missed just 10 games, and somewhat stunningly, had no issues getting back in the box when he returned.

“You know, people always ask that,” he said, “but I think it was just that I’ve been playing for however many years, and I’ve never been hit in the face before, and I guess I thought, ‘it’s probably just not going to happen again, or at least for another 20 years.’”

Although Coyle’s batting average (.247) and strikeout (110) numbers may not have screamed a successful season, a look at his on-base percentage and power numbers tell a different story. With a .362 on-base percentage, his .115 Isolated Discipline number was the highest for any state-side Sox minor leaguer with at least 100 plate appearances. Similarly, he showed great power for a high schooler in his first full season, adjusting to wood bats by slugging more extra-base hits (48) than singles (47), finishing with a .464 slugging percentage. The 5-8 Coyle did not necessarily say he was surprised by his power display, but he admittedly did not expect it either.

“I guess I didn’t know how power numbers would really be affected coming out of high school. I’d never taken a full season and really looked at my stats,” he said. “In high school, you play every day, and nobody keeps a stat sheet over the summer. … I’m not out there trying to hit home runs, but you get under a ball here or there and it just kind of happens.”

Right now, Coyle is preparing for the season back home in Pennsylvania, but he plans to report to Ft. Myers on February 1 in order to get outdoors earlier than he otherwise would in the northeast. With that first full season under his belt, it will be exciting to see what he can do with what pitchers throw at him – both figuratively and, hopefully not, literally – in 2012.

Putting in the hard work

2012-01-24T19:46:00.000-05:00

Even in the winter, when progress can’t be tracked by stats or scouting reports, every prospect in the Red Sox organization is working toward the goal of playing big-league ball. Many have their own routines; nuanced approaches developed from experience.

But a few Sox have been training at a facility that has become synonymous with high-level training for athletes of all ilk -- Athlete’s Performance Institute, shortened by many to “API.” Third baseman Will Middlebrooks and catcher Carson Blair are training at API’s Frisco, Texas, location alongside major-leaguers like Angels outfielder Torii Hunter and A’s pitcher Brandon McCarthy.

Check out the full article on ESPN Boston.

Jacobs continuing transformation from multi-sport star to "baseball player"

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

Brandon Jacobs
(Kelly O'Connor)

It was a common refrain among those who saw Brandon Jacobs in his first taste of full-season ball after having seen him the season before at Lowell. It was offered as if no further explanation was needed.

“He looks more like a baseball player.”

Now, that phrase could take on a number of meanings. It could refer to Jacobs’ slimmer physique. A running back in addition to an outfielder in high school, it is well-reported at this point that Jacobs had a scholarship offer to tote the rock for Auburn if he had not signed with the Sox. Anyone who saw Jacobs in Greenville last season that had seen him the season before saw a marked change in his body, as he brought a slimmer, more toned physique into the 2011 campaign. The change was intentional.

“(This offseason), all the heavy weights, I let them go and just tried to get in (baseball) shape, lose a couple pounds,” he said. “Baseball’s a game of speed, especially playing the outfield, and going through a full season will definitely shape your body right.”

Of course, the whole “looking like a baseball player” label could easily apply to his on-field skills as well. Jacobs earned South Atlantic League Player of the Year honors after a stellar campaign, hitting .303/.376/.505 with 17 home runs and 30 stolen bases in his age 20 season. He at least partially attributed his success to playing left field in a Greenville lineup that boasted an impressive number of the system’s breakout players, including right fielder Bryce Brentz, second baseman Sean Coyle, shortstop Xander Bogaerts, and first baseman Miles Head, all of whom were named SoxProspects.com All-Stars along with Jacobs.

“I’ve always had the mentality to get better, but when they’re doing great, everybody else wants to do great, and everybody else wants to get on that bandwagon,” he said. “I think that played a part in everyone’s year this year.”

Still, Jacobs is not one to rest on his laurels. His game may have taken leaps forward in his two-plus years in this system, but he plans on targeting areas of his game that need improvement this offseason.

“I just started throwing – I want to get my arm stronger and become an all-around outfielder,” he said. “I had the speed in the outfield last year, making some plays, but I want to be an all-around outfielder with a great arm, so I’m doing some long tossing this offseason to strengthen that up.”

If he keeps the work up, expect the comments from those who see him play to change to something even better, like, “He looks like a major leaguer.”

Player Development Contract with Greenville Drive extended through 2016

2012-01-23T18:55:00.000-05:00

According to a press release on the team website, the Red Sox announced that they have extended the player development contract with the Greenville (S.C.) Drive through the 2016 season. The original contract was agreed to prior to the 2005 season and was extended twice, with the most recent extension being prior to the 2008 season. The contract would have expired at the end of 2012.

The Drive, who play in the Low-A South Atlantic League, have seen many great Red Sox prospects over the past seven years including Clay Buchholz, Daniel Bard, Ryan Kalish, and Ryan Lavarnway. The home stadium for the Drive, Fluor Field, was built in 2006 and has many similarities to Fenway Park, including a 30-foot Green Monster replica in left field.

The Drive have had a winning record each of the past four seasons and appeared in the South Atlantic League Championship Series in 2010. To see which players are projected to play in Greenville this season, check out the SoxProspects 2012 Projected Rosters.

SoxProspects.com Podcast #22

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

The guys hook back up after a brief hiatus for the first podcast of 2012, discussing transactions since the last episode, debating their projections for Will Middlebrooks and Xander Bogaerts, and reacting to some audio from New Stars for Young Stars.

Direct Link (Right-click to download)
Podcast Archive
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Caribbean League Roundup: January 16-22

2012-01-23T06:50:00.000-05:00

With the winter leagues winding down, here are how the Red Sox prospects still in action fared over the past week in the Caribbean and around the world:

Australian Baseball League

Mitch Dening (Sydney Blue Sox):Went 7 for 21 with 3 doubles and 3 runs scored in 5 games against Perth.

Justin Erasmus (Brisbane Bandits): Notched two saves by tossing 2.2 innings across two appearances. Erasmus allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and a walk while striking out 1 over the two outings.

Colombian Winter League

Reynaldo Rodriguez (Monteria): Rodriguez appeared in six contests this week, including both games in doubleheaders on Tuesday and Thursday. He went 7 for 19 with 4 doubles, 5 RBI and 3 runs scored.

Mexican Pacific League - Play concluded on December 30. Playoffs began January 1.

Tony Thomas (Algodoneros de Guasave): Since the last update on December 30, Thomas has gone 11 for 51 with 2 home runs, 5 RBI and 6 runs scored in 14 playoff contests. Guasave lost their first round match up with Obregon 4 games to 2 but defeated Culiacan in the semifinals to advance to the championship round against Obregon. Guasave currently trails Obregon 2-0 in the best of 7 championship series.

Marco Duarte (Aguilas de Mexicali): Has made three starts for Mexicali during the playoffs. On January 2 against Hermosilo Duarte picked up the loss for his 5.0 innings of work, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits and 4 walks, striking out 4. On January 11 against Obregon, Duarte allowed 1 run on 3 hits and 4 walks while striking out 5 in 5.2 innings during a no decision. In a dreadful final start of the winter, Duarte failed to record an out on January 16 against Obregon, allowing 6 runs on 4 hits and a walk, striking out 2.

Mexcali defeated Hermosilo in the first round of the playoffs 4 games to 1 before falling to Obregon 4 games to 1 in the semifinals.

Dominican Winter League - Play concluded on December 21. Playoffs began December 27.

Tony Pena (Aguilas Cibaenas): Pena has tossed 5.1 innings of relief during Aguilas' playoff run, allowing no runs on 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4. Aguilas currently leads Escogido 2-0 in the best of nine championship round.

Puerto Rico Baseball League - Play concluded on January 3. Playoffs began January 7.

Mike Aviles and Henry Ramos did not participate in the playoffs for Ponce who was eliminated three games to two by Mayaguez in the Puerto Rico League's semifinal.

Christian Vazquez has not appeared for Mayaguez who defeated Ponce in the semifinals and currently leads Caguas four games to two in the nine game championship round.

Sox finally send Scutaro to Rockies for right-hander Mortensen

2012-01-21T19:12:00.001-05:00

A day after the first rumblings of a potential deal in the offing, the Red Sox have traded shortstop Marco Scutaro to the Colorado Rockies for 26-year-old right handed pitcher Clayton Mortensen. The move presumably provides valuable financial flexibility for the Red Sox to spend money at another position, as the organization has been reported to strongly desire to stay below the 2012 luxury tax ceiling. Scutaro will make $6-million this season.

Last season, Mortensen split time between the majors and Triple-A for the Rockies. In the majors, he went 2-4 with a 3.86 ERA in 16 appearances, 6 of them starts, allowing 25 earned runs on 55 hits (.257 BAA) in 58.1 innings of work, striking out 30 and walking 26. A former first-round sandwich pick of the St. Louis Cardinals out of Gonzaga, Mortensen is 4-8 with a 5.12 ERA in 24 major league appearances, including 13 starts, over 95 innings pitched with stops in St. Louis, Oakland and Colorado.

According to a report by WEEI.com's Alex Speier, Mortensen has one option remaining. Mortensen primarily utilizes an 89-90 mph sinker, also throwing a changeup, slider, and curveball. Mortensen went to Oakland from St. Louis in the trade for outfielder Matt Holliday, and last year was sent to the Rockies in exchange for minor league pitcher Ethan Hollingsworth.

Scutaro, 36, played two seasons in Boston showing solid offense for the shortstop position and the versatility to play second base. He will play second base for the Rockies, who already have Troy Tulowitzki at short.

Red Sox announce minor league coaching staffs

2012-01-20T14:57:00.002-05:00

The Red Sox have formally announced their 2012 minor league coaching staffs. The breakdown for each team is as follows:

Triple-A Pawtucket

Manager: Arnie Beyler

Pitching Coach: Rich Sauveur

Hitting Coach: Gerald Perry - Perry returns to the Boston organization after serving as the hitting coach for the Oakland Athletics in 2011. Perry previously served as hitting coach for Single-A Michigan (1997) and Pawtucket (1998, 2010).

Trainer: Jon Jochim

Double-A Portland

Manager: Kevin Boles

Pitching Coach: Bob Kipper

Hitting Coach: Dave Joppie

Trainer: Brandon Henry - Henry moves to Portland after spending the past two seasons as trainer for the High-A Salem Red Sox. Henry has also carried the same role with the Low-A Greenville Drive (2009) and Short-Season-A Lowell Spinners (2007-2008)

High-A Salem

Manager: Billy McMillon - Debuts as Salem's manager in 2012 after spending the past two seasons as manager of the Low-A Greenville Drive.

Pitching Coach: Kevin Walker

Hitting Coach: Rich Gedman - Enters his first year as Salem's hitting coach after serving in the same capacity for Lowell last season.

Trainer: David Herrera - Moves to Salem after serving as trainer for Greenville the past two seasons and Lowell (2009) and the Rookie-Gulf Coast League Red Sox (2008).

Low-A Greenville

Manager: Carlos Febles - Makes his Greenville managerial debut after serving in the same capacity for Lowell last season. Febles previously served as hitting coach for Salem (2009-2010) and High-A Lancaster (2008).

Pitching Coach: Dick Such

Hitting Coach: Darren Fenster - Joins the Red Sox organization after spending six seasons with the Rutgers University baseball squad, the past three seasons as assistant coach. Fenster also served as an assistant coach for the Cape Cod League's Orleans Cardinals and spent five seasons in the Kansas City Royals minor league system after being drafted by them in 2000.

Trainer: Mauricio Elizondo - Joins Greenville after spending the past two seasons in the same role with Lowell. Elizondo originally joined the organization as an intern with the Gulf Coast League Red Sox in 2008.

Short-Season-A Lowell

Manager: Bruce Crabbe - Crabbe begins his third stint as Spinners manager after previously leading them in 2006 and 2010. He served as manager of the Salem Red Sox in 2011.

Pitching Coach: Paul Abbott

Hitting Coach: Nelson Paulino - Paulino comes to Lowell after serving as the hitting coach for the Gulf Coast League Red Sox for five seasons (2001-2002, 2008-2011).

Trainer: TBD

Rookie-Gulf Coast League Red Sox

Manager: George Lombard

Pitching Coach: Goose Gregson - Gregson, a long time coach, briefly served as Boston's interim pitching coach in 2003. He had been the Red Sox Latin American pitching coordinator since 2005.

Pitching Coach: Walter Miranda

Coach: Dave Tomlin

Hitting Coach: U.L. Washington

Coach: Noah Hall - Hall joins the Boston organization to make his professional coaching debut after spending 16 years playing professionally. Hall spent time with the Montreal Expos, Cincinnati Reds, Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, and Seattle Mariners organizations. He spent the past two seasons playing in the independent leagues for the Somerset Patriots and Camden Riversharks.

Vitek still learning, working toward majors

2012-01-18T12:46:00.001-05:00

Kolbrin Vitek
(Kelly O'Connor)

Since being selected with the Red Sox’ first pick in the 2010 draft, Kolbrin Vitek has faced plenty of questions about his future. What position would he play? After a season in the cavernous parks of the Carolina League during which he slugged .372, some have asked whether he has enough power to make it in the majors.

However, the fact remains that the Ball State product is pacing his draft class up the ladder to the majors – as one would expect a first-round college pick to do – becoming the first of the 2010 draftees to make it to High-A when he opened the 2011 season with Salem, and presently projected by SoxProspects.com to begin the 2012 season with Double-A Portland along with fellow 2010-ers Bryce Brentz and Anthony Ranaudo.

Vitek, drafted as somewhat of a man without a position, understands that he needs to continue improving at third base to man the spot in the majors. In college, Vitek spent his first season at first base, his sophomore year at third, and his junior year at second base in order to lessen the strain on his arm, as he also pitched. The Red Sox chose to slot Vitek at third base, at least to start his development, and while scouts still are not sold on his future there, if he moves, it will not be for lack of effort. The sight of Vitek taking extra ground balls off to the side was a regular part of catching Salem’s pre-game workout last season.

“Last year was a big stepping stone for me,” he said last week at the New Stars for Young Stars fundraiser. “First half of the season compared to the second half, I felt like I made major improvements. It’s just about getting that repetition in, and getting more comfortable with the position. But I’m feeling great there and I’m feeling more comfortable.”

In discussing his goals for the season at the event – at which, this author notes, he ran away with unofficial Best Dressed honors, sharply clad in a French-cuffed collared shirt, skinny tie and gold tie clip – Vitek included both advancing to Double-A Portland and to “continue playing third base, and be an every day player there.”

Vitek also kept a realistic perspective on his season in the notoriously pitcher-friendly Carolina League. Last season, the only American professional baseball league in which fewer runs were scored per game than the 4.19 from that circuit was the National League. So while Vitek’s .372 slugging percentage looks subpar for a third baseman, it was actually not far below the league average of .379 (compared to .386 in the Florida State League and .430 in the California League). Vitek was aware of the Carolina League’s reputation coming into the year and mindful of it throughout.

“It was tough mentally because most of us have never struggled like that before,” he said, “but we all helped each other out through it and just reminded ourselves that it is a tough hitters’ league. We just had to stay positive with it and just work on other things when the hitting’s not going the way you want it to. You just work on your small game, or defense, and just stay positive with it.”

Once Vitek does officially escape the clutches of the Carolina League, he also knows that he will be just a couple steps from the majors. Although he was “kind of oblivious” about the comings and goings in Boston last offseason, he admitted to paying a lot more attention to transactions at the major league level recently. Who could blame him? Going through the system at this pace, it may not be long before Vitek can sniff the majors.

Chris Hatfield is Executive Editor of SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter: @SPChrisHatfield

Help Wanted: Web/Content Developer

2012-01-18T09:41:00.000-05:00

Help Wanted: Web/Content Developer

Position Overview: We're looking for a volunteer web content developer to join the SoxProspects.com staff through at least December 2012. The primary responsibility of the position will be developing player pages for new players as they enter the Red Sox minor league system. This job will involve a little bit of commitment, as creation of each player page can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on your skills and depending on the scope of the player's background. On average, the system tends to add about 0-1 players per week during slow time periods, 1-3 players per week during regular time periods (which is most of the time), and larger amounts during heavy periods such as the draft or minor league free agency. We will train whoever gets this position from the ground up on our style guides and the best places to find all of the requisite information. While this position will not be responsible for the creation of every new player page, hopefully the new hiree will take responsibility for creating a large portion of the new pages. This is a great opportunity for an aspiring web/content developer to gain some experience and exposure in the sports industry.

Although this is a volunteer position, we evaluate applications based on their professionalism, attention to detail, and merits as if this were a paid job, so please approach your initial email application accordingly. Familiarity with the site is a plus, but level of fandom of the Red Sox will not really be a consideration.

Basic Requirements

Looking for a one-year commitment from January through at least December 2012
Some experience with HTML or web editing programs
Some familiarity with Adobe Photoshop (preference if the applicant has his/her own copy)
Attention to detail. Every player page has countless bits of data, stats, reports, and intricate design elements that we need to keep consistent to the greatest extent possible
A perfunctory understanding of (or willingness to learn): formulas for primary baseball stats, player options, MLB service time calculations, minor league free agency, and Rule 5 eligibility
Solid writing skills, ability to draft and compile cursory scouting reports from available data (which will later be updated by the scouting department using first-hand data)
Professional attitude and demeanor
The ability and availability to create player pages within a timely manner of each acquisition, preferably within 24 hours (outside of normal vacations and other important personal responsibilities)
Knowledge of Microsoft Excel
Age 18+

Compensation

This is an unpaid opportunity, as are all the positions on the SoxProspects Staff. However, there are a few nice perks, including access to insider information, invitations to staff events (including occasional games), and networking opportunities.

Selection Process

If interested, please email mike@soxprospects.com by 2:00 PM ET on January 25, 2012. Please provide a list of relevant skills and experience with respect to the position. A resume is not required, but can't hurt either. We look forward to hearing from you! We hope to make some decisions in early February.

Thanks!

Mike

Injuries healed, Cecchini looking to get on track in 2012

2012-01-17T19:16:00.001-05:00

Garin Cecchini
(Kelly O'Connor)

A year and a half after the Red Sox gave him a $1.31-million bonus to sign as a fourth-round draft pick, injuries have held Garin Cecchini to just 133 plate appearances as a professional. A torn ACL was largely responsible for the Louisiana native’s drop from his pre-season first-round projection and kept him from making his pro debut until 2011, when he reported to short-season-A Lowell. After just 32 games for the Spinners, a wrist fracture ended Cecchini’s 2011 season. For fans eager to follow the high-ceiling high school pick out of Louisiana, the past two seasons have been an exercise in patience.

To make things worse, Cecchini's wrist injury came at a horribly inopportune time. He went just 5 for 32 from June 16 to June 29, posting a .156/.308/.218 slash line, but Cecchini caught fire from June 30 to his final game on July 23, going 29 for 82 with a .354/.436/.610 slash line. Speaking at the New Stars for Young Stars fundraiser recently, Cecchini credited the turnaround to adjusting to life as a baseball player.

“It’s just getting into playing pro ball and learning how to be a professional and going about your business on and off the field,” he said of his adjustments. “I really attribute that to our coaching staff and the front office just trying to help me learn how to be a professional. Just slowing the game down, learning to do things the right way – it’s quality not quantity.”

With his wrist now healthy – Cecchini was a full participant in the Fall Instructional League – Cecchini will likely break camp with Single-A Greenville in 2012. Although he did start to figure things out at the plate in Lowell, the high school shortstop continues to work on adjusting to his new position at third base, following a path similar to Sox top prospect Will Middlebrooks.

“It’s definitely challenging,” he said. “I’ve never played third in my life, so you’ve got to get the angles right, you’ve got to learn how to play balls, you’ve got to learn that you can’t play balls like you did at shortstop. I feel like I’ve worked tremendously hard this offseason trying to get better at third base. Hopefully it’s going to pay dividends next season.”

In the meantime, expect to see the Cecchini name making double the news come June, as Garin’s younger brother Gavin is projected to be a first-round pick himself. After going through the process, Garin has given his brother advice on how to approach his senior year and the draft.

“Just enjoy it. He’s never going to get to have a senior year ever again,” Cecchini said. “This is going to be the last time he plays for my dad. He’s going to go through the process just like I did and he’s going to enjoy every moment like I know he will.”

Chris Hatfield is the Executive Editor of SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter: @SPChrisHatfield

On cusp of majors, Wilson ready for highs and Lowe's

2012-01-16T15:00:00.000-05:00

Alex Wilson (Dave Letizi)

It would be hard to blame Alex Wilson for getting ahead of himself this offseason. Many a minor leaguer has fallen into that trap before him, and many will after. On the precipice of a major league debut – which, for Wilson, will almost certainly come this season if he remains healthy – players can sometimes spend more time worrying about external circumstances, such as how the major league team is doing and when that first opportunity might come, than about their own performance. Wilson, however, maintains that while he is focused on making the major league roster, he is not distracted by the comings and goings this offseason on the Boston roster.

“I try to stay away from that. I hear it enough from family members and everything else,” he said at the New Stars for Young Stars fundraiser on Saturday. “I try to stay out of it as much as I can and do what I’ve been doing. I know what’s going to work and what’s going to get me there. I’ve been working hard all year and we’ll see where it takes me in spring training.”

Wilson has been working hard this offseason as well, but not just on the mound. Facing the realities of a minor league salary, he worked mornings at Lowe’s Home Improvement for the first half of the offseason, when many pitchers power down a bit to let their arms recover from the rigors of the season, before stopping around Christmas to focus completely on the coming season. He will begin throwing off a mound this week, looking to replicate a bounce-back 2011 season that saw him named the system’s Pitcher of the Year by both the Red Sox and SoxProspects.com.

In 2010, his first full season, Wilson needed just 11 starts in High-A Salem, during which he allowed 24 runs on 43 hits and 15 walks while striking out 50 over 55.2 innings, to earn a promotion to Portland. However, Double-A brought Wilson’s first struggles as a professional, as he allowed 59 runs in 78.1 innings for a 6.66 ERA. He allowed 95 hits, seeing his strikeout rate drop from 8.08 per 9 innings in Salem to 6.43 in Portland.

In 2011, Wilson rebounded nicely, providing the prototypical example of why the Sox aggressively promote their prospects, in part to induce such struggles. Returning to Portland, he dropped his ERA back to 3.05 in 21 starts. He allowed 103 hits and 37 walks while posting 99 strikeouts in 112.0 innings. He also applied the lessons he learned in 2010 to his late-season promotion to Pawtucket, where he was even better, striking out 24 batters in 21.0 innings, allowing just 19 hits and 7 walks.

“At some point, you’re going to struggle, it’s just a matter of when. My first go-around in Double-A was not a fun one, but I went home, regrouped, and put myself in better shape and came in prepared, and knew what to expect going in,” he said. “I think that was a huge part of it. I just went ahead and tried to take the bull by the horns and control my own destiny and not worry about the outside influences and stuff like that of saying ‘oh man, you just got promoted, what are they expecting?’ I had the mindset of do your thing, go out and work hard, and everything else will take care of itself.”

Wilson expects that he will be used as a reliever at the start of camp before being stretched out to start, similar to how the team worked him last spring. Many scouting projections have Wilson working out of the bullpen at the major league level, allowing his fastball-slider combination – Baseball America rated both as the best in the system this offseason – to play up. Although Wilson prefers starting, the former Texas A&M closer thinks the transition to the bullpen would not be too difficult.

“Being in a constant routine as a starter’s always really nice, but once you get used to being a reliever, you get into your routine there as well. For me, it would be finding another routine. It’s been a long time since I have relieved, but I think the transition would be easy,” he said.

Whether Wilson will remain a starter will depend in large part on the development of his changeup to accompany the fastball and slider, something the Red Sox will likely allow him to do with a return trip to Pawtucket to start the year. However, if he picks up 2012 where he left off last season, expect to see him on the major league roster before the year is out.

Chris Hatfield is the Executive Editor of SoxProspects.com.
Follow him on Twitter @SPChrisHatfield.

Padilla signs minor league deal with Boston

2012-01-16T14:56:00.000-05:00

As first reported by Peter Gammons on Twitter, the Red Sox have agreed to a minor league deal with veteran right-hander Vicente Padilla.

Padilla, 34, originally signed as an international free agent with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998. The right-hander made his major league debut with Arizona in 1999 before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies as part of a package for Curt Schilling. After spending his entire career in the bullpen, Padilla was moved to the rotation by the Phillies in 2002 and went 14-11 with a 3.28 ERA, earning his lone career All-Star selection.

Padilla boasts a 140-90 record with a 4.31 ERA and a 2:1 strikeout to walk ratio over his 13 year major league career with the Diamondbacks, Phillies, Rangers and Dodgers. Last year as a member of the Dodgers, Padilla appeared in just 9 games out of the bullpen, posting a 4.15 ERA with 3 saves after battling multiple injuries all season. He has been pitching in Nicaragua this winter and has shown that he is pitching well with his normal velocity, giving the Red Sox hope he can regain the form that made him a servicable starter for the better part of the last decade.

The Red Sox now seem to have multiple candidates for the fifth spot in the rotation with Padilla, Aaron Cook, Carlos Silva and Andrew Miller all looking to compete in Spring Training.

Caribbean League Roundup: January 9-15

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

With the winter leagues winding down, here are how the Red Sox prospects still in action fared over the past week in the Caribbean and around the world:

Australian Baseball League

Boss Moanaroa (Sydney Blue Sox): Appeared in 4 games this week as Sydney went 3-2 in its series against Adelaide. Moanaroa was 3 for 11 at the plate with a double, 3 runs scored a home run and 3 RBI.

Mitch Dening (Sydney Blue Sox): Dening appeared in all five of Sydney's games this week, going 4 for 17 with 5 runs scored, a double, home run and 2 RBI.

Dening and Moanaroa were nominated for the ABL's Fan Choice Award. The voting takes place on the Sydney Blue Sox Facebook page and begins today. Each team in the ABL will have one winner that will face off against the other winners in a final vote. The victor of the second vote will be presented with the fan choice award at the completion of the post season on February 5. Justin Erasmus was one of the candidates nominated from the Brisbane Bandits.

Colombian Winter League

Reynaldo Rodriguez (Monteria): Rodriguez appeared in seven contests this week, including both games in doubleheaders on Tuesday and Thursday. The 25-year-old went 6 for 27 with a double, home run, 4 RBI and 2 runs scored.

New Stars for Young Stars VII brings together minors, majors, fans for good cause

2012-01-14T19:22:00.001-05:00

Garin Cecchini and Sean Coyle play pool with
a young fan and her father. (Chris Hatfield)

Saturday marked the seventh annual New Stars for Young Stars at Jillian’s Boston, the annual Jimmy Fund fundraiser that gives fans a chance to meet and get autographs from some of their favorite Red Sox, past, present, and future. Sox prospects Garin Cecchini, Sean Coyle, Brandon Jacobs, Kolbrin Vitek, and Alex Wilson were in attendance at the event, joining Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, manager Bobby Valentine, and the unquestioned headliner of the event, Sox great Pedro Martinez. This year, in addition to benefiting the Jimmy Fund and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, the event also benefited the Pedro Martinez and Brothers Foundation.

The event kicked off with a meet-and-greet between Sox players and patients from the Jimmy Fund Clinic and their families. While Valentine and, later, Martinez, sat at tables signing autographs and taking photos with the patients, the players mingled with the “young stars,” some playing pool with the children while others chatted with families and Wally the Green Monster made the rounds to the delight of the younger folks present.

Cecchini, Coyle, Jacobs, Wilson, and Vitek
with Boston's new skipper. (Chris Hatfield)

Although the players were all only in town temporarily – Jacobs, for example, will not even be staying the night in Boston – they were unanimous in saying they were happy to attend the event to raise money and put smiles on a few faces.

“This is a big thing for me. I’m very happy to be here whenever they call me,” said Kalish, who was attending the event for the third straight year and fourth time total. “You look at my situation and I’ve had a few injuries, but nothing like what these kids have been through. It keeps everything in perspective, and it’s a good cause.”

“This is, I think, my third children’s event that I’ve done since I’ve been playing with the Red Sox organization, and I enjoy it,” Wilson said. “This is one of the things that I look forward to every year, getting a chance to do this, and the camps throughout the year, I always enjoy getting out and helping with those as well. It’s for a great cause, and just for us to be able to put a smile on a kid’s face for a few days is all that I could ask for.“

The scene at New Stars for
Young Stars VII. (Chris Hatfield)

Cecchini, who gave $20,000 of his signing bonus to the Jimmy Fund and participated in the Jimmy Fund telethon almost immediately after signing, echoed those thoughts.

“To see the smile on the kids’ faces when you talk to them, it just brightens up your day. The real reason you play baseball is for people like this,” he said.

Following the meet-and-greet, the players signed autographs for three hours, while fans had the opportunity to win other Sox memorabilia through a silent auction and several raffles.

Bobby V. holds court

Valentine clearly is getting comfortable with the Sox media horde, as he and the reporters spoke in terms like “since last week.” Among the topics he hit on:

- He spoke glowingly of his visit to Portland for the Sea Dogs’ hot stove event, and commented about how easy it would be to get up there and see a player rehab if he ever had the opportunity on an off day.

- He also said that he visited the under-construction JetBlue Park, the club’s future spring training home in Ft. Myers. He spoke with Daisuke Matsuzaka – in Japanese – and saw a bullpen thrown by Andrew Miller. He also related his experience with one of the drawbacks of the Sox’ old two-field Spring Training setup, driving to City of Palms Park when he was supposed to go to the team’s minor league complex.

- Valentine spoke with Carl Crawford this week. Ben Cherington and Crawford’s agent were both on the call as well, which Valentine described as positive. “He’s very determined and very understanding of the fact that things got spinning so fast for him last year and he’s determined to correct that,” Valentine said.

- On new Yankee Michael Pineda, he said that Pineda looked “unhittable” early in the season and “okay” in the second half. He also said that Hiroki Kuroda is “probably an upgrade” over Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia in the New York rotation, despite leaving a great pitchers’ park in the National League for Yankee Stadium in the AL East. He also spoke about how the Red Sox only have “half of a pitching staff,” that while that half is good, the club is not finished putting it together.

- Regarding Tim Wakefield and Jason Varitek, Valentine said that he could not imagine either coming into camp without having a defined role on the team, saying he “couldn’t imagine” either coming to spring training trying to compete for a job. "I'm trying to think if I ever had a guy with a 'C' on their chest who came as a non-roster player," he said.

Kalish not putting timetable on return

Kalish would not commit to a timetable for his return from shoulder surgery (and who could blame him, given how his 2011 season unfolded?). He said that he learned from the twists and turns of his attempts to return from injuries to his shoulder and neck in 2011, and that he and the club would make sure his shoulder is healthy before he returns to the lineup this year. His response when pressed for an answer on his return when July was tossed out as a potential target was a playful, “That’d be cool.” Somewhere, Bill Belichick silently nodded his approval.

Stay tuned to SoxProspects.com this week, as we will have more from our discussions with all of the players present.

Chris Hatfield is the Executive Editor of SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter @SPChrisHatfield.

First Take: Eek-Emaus

2012-01-12T23:46:00.002-05:00

The Move: Rockies trade 2B/3B Brad Emaus to Red Sox for player to be named later or cash considerations

After announcing a slew of signings to bolster their pitching depth, the Red Sox added Emaus to augment their infield depth. It made sense for the Sox to add one more legitimate “taxi squad” infielder in Pawtucket. Although this makes for a “one too many” situation in the infield for the PawSox, one need look no further than the team’s 2011 outfield situation to see how quickly depth can turn into a glaring hole. Entering the season with four legitimate starting Triple-A outfielders, the club lost JC Linares and Ryan Kalish to injury early on and saw Josh Reddick promoted to Boston for most of the season, leading to Ronald Bermudez, who probably belonged in High-A, becoming the club’s starting right fielder.

As for Emaus himself, as easy as it can be to dismiss his .313/.389/.564 line from last year as a product of playing in a great hitters park in a hitters league, according to the MLSplits MLE calculator, his numbers would have translated to a .302/.378/.531 line in Pawtucket. He can hit, and although Emaus faltered in a short major league audition with the Mets last April as a Rule 5 draft pick, going just 6 for 37, Emaus still has all three options and is a legitimate depth option for the Sox this season should the need arise.

Colorado's return will likely be a C-level prospect chosen from a list of players the Rockies' scouts will watch during spring training. A good comparison can be found as recently as last season, when Pedro Perez was sent to Detroit at the end of Spring Training to complete a prior trade for Brent Dlugach. The Rockies' return would be a similar player.

Players affected

Pedro Ciriaco, Nate Spears, Tony Thomas – Since Will Middlebrooks and Jose Iglesias will get their at-bats, there are at most three rosters spots available for Ciriaco, Spears, Thomas and Emaus if everyone in the Pawtucket and Boston infield enters the season healthy. In such an unlikely situation, one player could start the year in Portland or on the phantom DL. Given Spears’ versatility and Ciriaco’s ability to play shortstop, Thomas, who only plays second base, would likely be the odd man out in such a situation.

Red Sox acquire infielder Brad Emaus from Rockies

2012-01-11T17:42:00.002-05:00

As announced by the team on Twitter, the Red Sox have acquired infielder Brad Emaus from the Colorado Rockies for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Emaus, 25, was originally drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 18th round of the 2004 amateur draft. Emaus did not sign and enrolled at Tulane University, later being drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 11th round of the 2007 amateur draft.

After showing promise and steady improvement during his four seasons in the Toronto system, Emaus was selected by the New York Mets in the first round of the Rule 5 draft after the 2010 season. The 6'0" right-handed hitter appeared in 14 games with the Mets, recording 6 hits and 1 RBI before being designated for assignment in mid-April. Emaus was eventually returned to the Blue Jays and subsequently traded to the Colorado organization. He spent the remainder of the 2011 season with Triple-A Colorado Springs, hitting .313/.389/.564 with 9 home runs and 28 RBI in 45 games. Over the course of a five year minor league career, Emaus has hit .280/.366/.439 while primarily playing second and third base.

First Take: Germano joins battle for bullpen spots

2012-01-10T17:09:00.000-05:00

The Move: Red Sox sign RHP Justin Germano to minor league contract with invitation to spring training

To repeat myself from yesterday – do not fret about the continually growing size of the Flying Spaghetti Monster the Red Sox are amassing to compete for the final few spots on the pitching staff during spring training. Ben Cherington is smart to bring in as many potential major league arms as possible to camp, as there is a lot of uncertainty in that staff - more than you may realize. The following are the spots that we can truly consider locked up:

Rotation: Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Clay Buchholz, The soon-to-be-signed fourth starter*

Bullpen: Andrew Bailey, Mark Melancon

One or the other: Daniel Bard, Alfredo Aceves

(* - Yes, this is going to happen. Take it to the bank.)

And… that’s it. In theory, then, there are four spots on the pitching staff that could be up for grabs this spring. Franklin Morales and Matt Albers certainly have the inside track to bullpen spots, but their jobs are not secure enough that they could stink the place up in March and still make the team if they get significantly outpitched by a non-roster invitee.

This is why the Spaghetti Monster is growing larger than it has been in prior years. Germano is the 11th pitcher to receive a non-roster invite, and will be competing with the likes of Felix Doubront, Andrew Miller, Michael Bowden, Scott Atchison, Junichi Tazawa and fellow NRIs Justin Thomas, Jesse Carlson, Will Inman, Doug Mathis, and Tony Pena for a roster spot. Some of those players have better chances than others of making the club, but this is shaping up to be the most wide-open competition for roster spots the Red Sox have had in years.

As for Germano himself, with 253 major league innings, he has a decent amount of big-league experience. He pitched mostly in Triple-A for the Indians last year after making the major league club out of spring training. He was eventually sold to the Samsung Lions in Korea, and the club offered him a $1 million contract to come back this season. However, he is apparently determined to pitch in the majors. Since spending 2009 pitching in Japan, Germano has logged over 100 Triple-A innings, so he is not an obvious candidate for an early opt-out clause, although he may have required one to turn down Samsung’s offer. Although he has started a fair number of games in recent years – even tossing a perfect game in Triple-A last season – he is a reliever at the major league level, and I would expect him to pitch in that role for the Sox no matter the level.

In the end, Germano is another cheap option to throw into the pitching staff competition with the names above, and is probably a better option than many of them. We’ll see what he has this spring.

Others Affected:

See above list of relievers.

Chris Hatfield is the Executive Editor of SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter @SPChrisHatfield.

Red Sox sign RHP Justin Germano

2012-01-10T08:57:00.000-05:00

Jon Heymanof CBS Sports is reporting on Twitter that the Red Sox have signedright-handed pitcher Justin Germano to a minor league contract. Germano reportedlyhad an offer of over $1M to pitch for the Samsung Lions of the Korean Baseball Organization, but turned it down forthe opportunity to pitch for Boston. He spent the last two seasons in theCleveland Indians organization.

Germano, 29, has appeared in 79 games over six major leagueseasons, compiling a 8-20 record and 5.20 ERA. While he served primarily as astarter for the Padres and Reds earlier in his career, 31 of Germano’s32 appearances for the Indians came out of the bullpen. His best major leagueseason was 2010. Appearing in 23 games, Germano had a 3.31 ERA over 35.1innings pitched, striking out 29 with only 8 walks.

Germano split 2011 between Cleveland and the Triple-AColumbus Clippers. He had a 5.68 ERA in 9 major league appearances, but wasmore effective in 16 minor league appearances, of which six came as a starter. With Columbus, Germano had a 1-2 record with a 4.22 ERA, 1.102 WHIP, 39 strikeouts and4 walks in 49 innings pitched. The highlight of his season came on July 26. Whilepitching for Columbus against the Syracuse Chiefs, Germano pitched the fifthperfect game in International League history. He needed just 95 pitches torecord seven strikeouts on his way to the first IL perfect game since formerRed Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo’s on August 10, 2003.

Germano will go into spring training looking to win a spot in the Red Sox bullpen. If he fails to make the major league roster, he may be used as either a starter or reliever at Triple-A Pawtucket.

First Take: Sox add another Cook to pitching broth

2012-01-09T17:24:00.002-05:00

The Move: Red Sox sign RHP Aaron Cook to minor league contract

The Take: As with Carlos Silva last week, the Red Sox added another relatively established major league starter to the competition for the number five spot in the rotation on a minor league contract. But although Cook, 32, is on a minor league deal, I have sincere doubts that he will pitch in Pawtucket for any significant length of time this season, if he does so at all. Make no mistake – Cook and Silva may have signed minor league deals, but that is simply so that they can come into camp on the cheap. Cook’s deal calls for him to make $1.5 million if he makes the club, and his contract almost surely has an opt-out clause, my guess being that it can be exercised in early-to-mid April.

A player who relies heavily on his sinker, Cook battled injuries early last season that kept him out of action until June. He was uncharacteristically wild when he did pitch, allowing more than 3.4 BB/9 for the second straight year after not going over 2.7 in the previous five seasons. For a pitcher who relies on generating contact, a lack of control can be a death sentence. If Cook’s wildness the past two seasons was injury-induced, then he could represent a great value to the Sox if he is now healthy. If it is instead a trend for a player on the wrong side of his prime, albeit not by much, then it is unlikely he will make the club.

One last thing: although the group of pitchers competing for a spot in the rotation as of now is starting to grow – hereinafter, I’ll refer to this group as “The Flying Spaghetti Monster” – these signings do not mean that the Sox are out on the bigger-name free agents like Hiroki Kuroda and Roy Oswalt. At worst, the Silva and Cook signings are low-risk insurance options in case the club is unable to bring in such a big-name pitcher to man the number-four spot in the rotation. At best, this is the Sox acquiring the depth necessary to make it through the spring and, if necessary, the early part of the season, with an off chance that one of these guys gets his groove back and winds up becoming this season’s Aceves-level bargain bin steal.

Others affected:

Carlos Silva – Cook is basically a version of Silva that actually pitched in the majors last season, beyond just being another player competing for a major league spot. In fact, the players are so similar that Cook is #1 on the list of similar players on Silva’s Baseball Reference page (Silva is #6 on Cook’s list).

Daniel Bard, Alfredo Aceves, Andrew Miller, Felix Doubront – Cook's addition gives this group another guy to compete with for a rotation spot.

Chris Hatfield is the Executive Editor of SoxProspects.com. Follow him on Twitter @SPChrisHatfield.

Caribbean League Roundup: January 3-8

2012-01-09T08:42:00.002-05:00

Reynaldo Rodriguez

With the winter leagues winding down, here are how the Red Sox prospects still in action fared over the past week in the Caribbean and around the world:

Australian Baseball League

Boss Moanaroa (Sydney Blue Sox): Appeared in 5 games this week as Sydney dropped five straight games to Canberra. Moanaroa was 3 for 19 at the plate with a double, 3 runs scored and 2 RBI. He is currently hitting .273/.368/.438 with 4 home runs and 19 RBI through 35 contests.

Mitch Dening (Sydney Blue Sox): Dening started the week off cold, going 0 for 9 with an RBI in his first three games, but was 4 for 7 with a triple, and 2 RBI in his final two contests. He is currently hitting .273/.400/.436 with 1 home run and 10 RBI in 16 games.

Colombian Winter League

Reynaldo Rodriguez (Monteria): Rodriguez and his hot hitting led Monteria to a 4-1 record this week. The 25-year-old first baseman went 12 for 20 with a home run, 4 doubles, a triple, 7 RBI and 6 runs scored across five games. Rodriguez is currently hitting .341 with 2 home runs and 18 RBI through 25 games played.

Red Sox sign RHP Aaron Cook to minor league deal

2012-01-08T23:07:00.001-05:00

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports is reporting that the Red Sox have signed RHP Aaron Cook to a minor league contract pending a physical. Cook was a free agent after the Colorado Rockies declined to pick up his $11 million contract option for 2012.

After debuting with the Rockies in 2002, Cook has spent his entire ten-year career in Colorado. He missed the beginning of 2011 after suffering a broken ring finger on his pitching hand during spring training. He returned in June, and finished the year with 97.0 innings pitched and a 6.03 ERA. The 32-year-old has a long injury history, and he has only started 30 games once over the past five years. He will battle for a rotation spot in spring training.

First Take: Sox announce 12 minor league signings

2012-01-05T23:15:00.003-05:00

(Note: With the new year, we’re debuting a new feature called First Take, in which we will analyze organization transactions as they occur.)

The Move: Red Sox announce the signing of 12 players to minor league contracts with spring training invites: RHPs Brandon Duckworth, Charlie Haeger, Will Inman, Doug Mathis, Tony Pena, Jr., Carlos Silva, and Chorye Spoone; LHPs Jesse Carlson, Rich Hill, and Justin Thomas; SS Pedro Ciriaco, and UT Nate Spears

The Big Picture: The Sox typically announce such a list of signings around this time each year. I use the term “announce” because many of these transactions were reported already, some as far back as late October/early November in the case of the re-signings of Duckworth, Haeger, Pena and Spears.

About 10-15 non-roster players – those not on the 40-man roster – receive invitations to major league spring training each year, so expect this list to more or less represent the full list of non-roster invitees (“NRIs”), perhaps with a couple of additions between now and March. From a practical standpoint, these players will really be competing for spots in Triple-A Pawtucket, but injuries could always open the door for one to make the major league club. In fact, when negotiating with minor league free agents, the Sox use examples of recent NRIs like infielder Nick Green, who made the club out of Spring Training as a NRI in 2008 and stayed up for the entire season, and outfielder Darnell McDonald, an NRI in 2009 who has been on the Boston roster for most of the last two seasons, to show the club’s willingness to promote such players to the majors when there is a need.

The Breakdown: With a multi-player transaction like this, it can be hard to keep the players straight. In an attempt to help, here’s a quick look at these 12 in a few different ways.

Position

Ciriaco, SS (2B/3B/LF) – Primarily a shortstop, but has also played third base and left field in the majors, and second base in the minors.

Spears, True UT (Best position 2B) – He was Portland’s starting second baseman in 2010, but last year played all four infield positions and both corner outfield positions. The club loves his versatility.

Silva, SP – Has been a starter since 2004.

Duckworth, SP – Has worked primarily as a starter in his career, and anchored the Pawtucket rotation last season. Possible that he moves to the bullpen for a better opportunity to help the major league club however.

Haeger, SP – Has been a starter for most of his career, with nearly all of his relief appearances coming in 2002 in Rookie ball and in the majors. It’s always tough for knuckleballers to come out of the bullpen and have success, so he’ll start.

Carlson, RP – Has been a relief pitcher for his entire professional career.
Hill, RP – Once a starting pitching prospect with the Cubs, he was en route to establishing himself as a solid major league bullpen lefty last year before getting hurt.

Thomas, RP – Drafted as a starter, he moved into the bullpen in 2008 and has relieved since.

Inman, SP/RP – Had been a starter for his entire career until moving to the bullpen in June last season in Triple-A. It is most likely that he will try to regain some of his lost prospect luster in the bullpen full-time.

Mathis, SP/RP – Has worked almost exclusively as a starter in the minors, but almost exclusively as a reliever in the majors, albeit a multi-inning reliever. Role will be determined in spring training.

Pena, SP/RP – Was a stereotypical swingman for Pawtucket last year, starting the year as a reliever before moving into the rotation when a spot opened up midseason. However, his most likely path to the majors is in the bullpen, so expect him to work in relief.

Spoone, SP/RP – Much like Inman, had spent his entire career as a starter until moving to the bullpen in July last season in Double-A. Role is similarly unclear.

Options Remaining

0 – Silva (5+ seasons), Ciriaco, Duckworth, Haeger, Hill, Pena, Spoone

1 – Carlson (OAW*), Mathis (OAW*), Thomas (OAW*)

3 – Inman, Spears

* - Player must clear optional assignment waivers before being optioned.

In this case, the 12 players can be split into a few different categories for more direct analysis:

The Redemption Project: Carlos Silva

The biggest name in the group is Silva, a 32-year-old who was once a well-established major league starter, receiving a four-year, $48-million contract from the Mariners in 2007. However, things took a turn for the worse last season, as he failed to make the Cubs rotation out of spring training and was unceremoniously released, with General Manager Jim Hendry taking some shots at him on his way out the door for his declining ability and poor attitude. Silva caught on with the Yankees soon thereafter, pitching at three levels before being released again in July.

Given his pedigree, it is entirely possible that Silva could pitch his way into a major league rotation spot out of spring training with the roster as currently constructed, but the chances of that happening will drop significantly if the Red Sox acquire an established starter to slot into the number four spot in the rotation as expected. As a non-roster player, Silva would have to pitch significantly better than the club’s other options that are already on the 40-man roster in order to justify his addition. The most likely scenario has Silva beginning the season in Pawtucket, trying to position himself to be the first option for the Sox should an injury lead to an opening in the rotation, or at least to pitch well enough that a team with an opening is interested when his opt-out comes up.

The Rehabber: Rich Hill

Hill was released earlier this offseason in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster. At the time, he said he was open to a return to the organization on a minor league contract, but that he first wanted to test the waters and see if he could find a major league deal elsewhere. Apparently, such an opportunity failed to materialize, an unsurprising development given that he underwent Tommy John surgery in June.

Hill claims that he might be ready for spring training. Although such a quick return from Tommy John is atypical, it is not impossible. Fans will remember that Hill was very effective in his brief time in Boston last year before being injured. Still, in order to break camp on the Boston roster, Hill will have to show that he is clearly a better lefty option out of the bullpen than Doubront, Miller, and Franklin Morales, a tall order this soon after Tommy John. The more likely scenario is that the club takes a conservative approach to his rehab that starts him at lower levels of the minors, perhaps first at extended spring training before progressing through the minors up to Triple-A, making him a potential option in Boston around midseason.

The Guys with Options and Service Time: Jesse Carlson, Doug Mathis, Justin Thomas

These three will likely compete for the honor of being the Scott Atchison Memorial Taxi Squad Reliever, given that Atchison himself is now out of options. Carlson, Mathis, and Thomas each have one option remaining, and although they technically would need to clear optional assignment waivers to return to the minors, as we learned during Atchison’s time, this is really just a formality. All have spent parts of at least two seasons in the majors as well, meaning they could be expected to be called up on short notice without having the “star-struck” experience that some rookies do in similar situations.

Carlson, who missed all of 2011 after rotator cuff surgery, was a key part of Toronto’s bullpen in 2008 and 2009, making 142 appearances over those two seasons for the Blue Jays. In 2010, however, he made 45 of his 65 appearances in Triple-A. Mathis spent his entire career with the Rangers organization until last season, when he pitched in Triple-A for the Giants and A’s before finishing his season with the Samsung Lions of the Korean Baseball Organization. He has almost exclusively been a starter in the minor leagues, making 121 of his 128 appearances in that role, but he has worked out of the bullpen in 39 of his 45 major league appearances. Perhaps he could find a better rhythm working as a reliever for an entire season? Thomas, meanwhile, has pitched pretty well in Triple-A since first reaching the level in 2008 (17-7, 3.67 ERA in 201.0 innings), but he has gotten shelled in the majors (30 hits and 12 runs in 17.0 innings) and will need to shake the “AAAA” label. His best chance to reach Boston is likely to pitch well for Pawtucket throughout the season and hope for an opening in July or August.

The Speed and Defense Guy: Pedro Ciriaco

Players like Ciriaco who can field their positions well and can run like crazy tend to find ways to stick on Triple-A rosters. Ciriaco's role on the PawSox seems unclear, but he seems pretty clearly to have a role, at least as infield depth at that level. With both Jose Iglesias and Will Middlebrooks on the 40-man, and Spears also a possible major-league call-up, Ciriaco could slide into a starting spot if any of those three are called up to Boston. However, he quite likely begins the year behind those three, playing perhaps two or three times a week.

The Returners: Brandon Duckworth, Charlie Haeger, Tony Pena, Nate Spears

Duckworth, Pena, and Spears were key members of the Pawtucket roster last season, while Haeger joined the Portland rotation midseason and was poised to make a playoff start for the PawSox if necessary until the club was eliminated from the International League playoffs.

Duckworth was a consistently good, not great, member of the Pawtucket rotation, and it is most likely he will reclaim his rotation spot this year. However, there is a chance that he could move to the bullpen if the club considers him a better depth option for the major league club in such a role. He did pitch out of the bullpen for Pawtucket in the playoffs last September, although that came after an extended layoff of more than two weeks from his last start.

Pena moved into the rotation and ate up a ton of innings in the second half of the season after pitching in relief for the first half. His projection for 2012 is similar to Duckworth’s, as he might be put in whatever role positions him best to contribute to the major league club if needed as a depth option. After working as a reliever for Aguilas in the Dominican this winter, it is most likely he takes as spot in the 'pen in Pawtucket to start the year.

Spears will enter his third season in the organization. In 2010, he was arguably the MVP in Double-A Portland as the club's regular second baseman. Last year, he was poised to be a core member of the PawSox after an outstanding spring training in which he caught the eye of Sox Manager Terry Francona, who praised his efforts in major league camp on a regular basis, but a number of injuries kept him from getting on track much in Pawtucket, although he did make his major league debut in September. Given the projected composition of the Pawtucket roster, expect Spears to slot in as the club’s starting second baseman, although his versatility could see him play pretty much any position on the field should the need arise due to injuries or other roster moves. The Sox will also be unafraid to call upon him if the need for a utility player arises at the major league level, especially given that he has all three of his options remaining.

Haeger, a knuckleballer who spent the first half of 2011 pitching for Triple-A Tacoma (SEA), slotted in to an opening in the Portland rotation after signing to eat innings for a struggling Sea Dog club that eventually finished 59-83. The Sox rewarded him with a playoff promotion to Pawtucket, where he would have made a playoff start had the club not been eliminated from the International League playoffs. In the past, part of the utility of knuckleballers like Charlie Zink was to prepare catchers for the possibility of catching Tim Wakefield at the major league level (although it warrants mentioning that Zink threw a much different knuckleball than Wakefield and threw it far less often). However, Haeger will need to earn a rotation spot in Pawtucket on his own merit with Wakefield gone, and given that the club went through the trouble of re-signing him, expect him to get that opportunity.

Still Looking for a Shot: Chorye Spoone, Will Inman

Inman, a former Top 100 prospect in 2007 and Futures Game participant in 2008, moved to the bullpen for the first time last season after suffering through a rough start in the launching pad that was Tucson. In more comfy pitching environs, he represents something of a dark horse and a low-risk investment for the Sox. Spoone is the most likely of the 12 players to begin the year in Portland, rather than Pawtucket, with a mere 34 innings above the Double-A level, in part due to injuries that all-but cost him the 2008 and 2009 seasons. Like Inman, he moved to the bullpen for the first time last year, and that likely presents the best option for him to finally break through to the bigs.

Red Sox announce signing of Carlos Silva and 11 others to minor-league contracts

2012-01-03T17:15:00.000-05:00

Nate Spears (Dave Letizi)

The Red Sox officially announced today that they have signed 12 players to minor-league contracts. All 12 will receive non-roster invites to spring training. Most of the signings had been previously reported, some as long ago as November, but new to the list are right-handed pitcher Carlos Silva and shortstop Pedro Ciriaco. Among those whose signings had already been reported are right-handed pitchers Brandon Duckworth, Charlie Haeger, Will Inman, Doug Mathis, Tony Pena Jr., and Chorye Spoone, left-handed pitchers Rich Hill, Jesse Carlson, and Justin Thomas, and utility player Nate Spears.

Silva is the biggest name on the list, as the 32-year-old right-hander has spent nine years in the major leagues. He pitched in the Yankees minor-league system last year after being cut by the Chicago Cubs in spring training, throwing 36.0 innings across three levels with a 2.75 ERA, striking out 28 and walking 6 before being released in July. Silva last pitched in the major leagues in 2010 with the Cubs, notching 113.0 innings with a 4.22 ERA, striking out 80 and walking 24. The 6.4 K/9 was actually the highest of Silva's career and the 1.9 BB/9 was in line with his career averages. He is a pitcher who gives up a lot of contact, but his high groundball rate (48 percent for his career) has been what has kept him effective. With a below-average fastball that sits in the high 80's, Silva will need to rely on his changeup, slider, and control to get hitters out. He will most likely be trying to earn a spot as major league depth in Triple-A Pawtucket this spring.

Ciriaco spent 2011 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, splitting time between Triple-A and the major leagues. He hit .303 with a .324 on-base percentage and .424 slugging percentage in 23 games over six stints with the Pirates, and hit .231/.243/.300 in 71 Triple-A games. He played a majority of his games at shortstop, but also played second base, third base, and left field, and could likely see action at a number of positions in Pawtucket this year as well. Ciriaco has shown very poor plate discipline throughout his career, as he has consistently had walk rates below 4 percent. Although he lacks power, he has some good tools that can be useful to the Sox. According to Baseball America, Ciriaco's speed, defense, and throwing arm all rate out as above-average to plus, and in November, they rated him as the best defensive infielder in the Pirates system.

Duckworth, Pena, Spears, and Haeger all spent time in the Red Sox system in 2011, the first three spending the entire season with Pawtucket and Haeger pitching mostly for Portland after signing in July. Spears has been a consistent producer since joining the Sox in 2010. He was among the most talked-about players in major league spring training in 2011 before suffering through a number of injuries during the season, but he did make his major league debut in September. Pena threw 116.1 innings with a 3.56 ERA as Pawtucket's swingman, pitching in 33 games, 14 of those starts. Haeger, a knuckleballer who had spent the first half of 2010 with Triple-A Tacoma in the Mariners system, pitched 50.0 innings for Portland, and was in line to make a playoff start with Pawtucket if needed at the end of the year. Duckworth threw 118.0 innings for the PawSox last season, posting a 3.97 ERA. All four are likely headed to Pawtucket this year as well.

For more on the signings of the other players, see the below links:

Dec. 30: Red Sox re-sign left-hander Rich Hill to minor league deal
Dec. 10: Red Sox sign right-handed pitcher Doug Mathis
Dec. 8: Red Sox sign left-handed reliever Jesse Carlson
Nov. 22: Red Sox sign Spoone, Thomas, and Inman

Caribbean League Roundup: December 26-January 2

2012-01-02T17:25:00.001-05:00

Here are how Red Sox prospects fared over the past week in the Caribbean and around the world:

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League - Play concluded on January 2.

Franklin Morales (Leones del Caracas): Did not make an appearance this week. Had a dominant winter season, allowing just 3 unearned runs in 22.0 innings pitched while striking out 26 and walking 4.

Justin Thomas (Leones del Caracas): Tossed a scoreless inning of relief on December 29 against Magallanes, allowing 1 hit. Was 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in 9 relief appearances for Caracas.

Mexican Pacific League

Tony Thomas (Algodoneros de Guasave): Went 2 for 12 with a home run, 3 RBI, 2 runs scored and a walk in three games this week.

Jesus Loya (Naranjeros de Hermosillo): Did not see game action this week.

Marco Duarte (Aguilas de Mexicali): Received the start on December 26 against Hermosillo, tossing 5.1 innings, allowing 1 run on 3 hits and 2 walks, striking out 4.

Dominican Winter League - Play concluded on December 21. Playoffs begin December 27.

Tony Pena (Aguilas Cibaenas): Did not see game action this week.

Felix Sanchez (Tigres del Lacey): Was 4 for 9 with an RBI and 2 runs scored in four games this week.

Puerto Rico Baseball League

Mike Aviles (Leones de Ponce): Last appeared in game action on December 15. Currently hitting .289/.413/.526.

Henry Ramos (Leones de Ponce): Was 1 for 9 with a run scored in 2 games played.

Australian Baseball League

Boss Moanaroa (Sydney Blue Sox): Appeared in 6 games, going 7 for 16 with a triple, 2 doubles, 2 home runs and 5 RBI.

Mitch Dening (Sydney Blue Sox): Went 4 for 14 with a home run and 2 RBI in 4 contests.

Justin Erasmus (Brisbane Bandits): Made two relief appearances totaling 2.0 innings, allowing 1 run on 1 hit and 3 walks while striking out 2.

Colombian Winter League

Reynaldo Rodriguez (Monteria): Was 2 for 6 with an RBI in two contests.

Red Sox re-sign left-hander Rich Hill to minor league deal

2011-12-30T15:20:00.001-05:00

Rich Hill (Kelly O'Connor)

Per John Tomase of the Boston Herald, the Red Sox have re-signed left-handed reliever Rich Hill to a minor league deal with an invitation to Major League Spring Training.

Hill, 31, was originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the fourth round of the 2002 amateur draft. The Massachusetts-native spent the majority of his career as a starting pitcher for both the Cubs (2005-2008) and Baltimore Orioles (2009). In the winter of 2010, Hill signed as a minor league free agent with the St. Louis Cardinals, but opted out of the contract in June. The Red Sox quickly signed Hill to a minor league contract and he pitched very well in his time with the organization, compiling a 3-1 record with a 3.74 ERA in 19 appearances (6 starts) with Triple-A Pawtucket and hurling 4.0 scoreless innings with Boston.

The left-hander began the 2011 season with Pawtucket, impressing with a 1.12 ERA in 10 relief appearances, striking out 18 in 16.0 innings. Hill was called up to Boston on May 5 and was dominant in 9 appearances out of the bullpen, not allowing a run while striking out 12 in 8.0 innings pitched. He underwent Tommy John surgery on June 9 after tearing an elbow ligament during a game on May 29. The 6'5" southpaw has a chance to become a key member of the Boston bullpen in 2012 if all goes well with the rehabilitation.

Ryan Kalish to miss start of 2012 season

2011-12-30T12:17:00.000-05:00

The Boston Globe is reporting that outfielder Ryan Kalishhad surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. The surgery wasperformed by Dr. Lewis Yocum back on November 8, and will sideline Kalish untilMay at the earliest. The shoulder surgery follows a September procedure torepair a bulging disc in his neck.

Kalish, 23, was injured in the second inning of Pawtucket’sApril 21 game making a diving catch on a Michael Aubrey line drive. He left thegame, and did not return to the PawSox lineup until August, appearing in onlyeight games before shutting down for the season and electingto have surgery.

The Red Sox 2009 Minor League Player of the Year, Kalish iscurrently ranked the second prospect in Boston’s system on SoxProspects.com. Despitehis injury-shortened 2011 season, Kalish was expected to compete for thestarting right field position in spring training. He hit .252/.305/.405 with 4home runs and 10 stolen bases in 179 major league plate appearances in 2010.

Prospect analysis: What Sox lost for Bailey

2011-12-28T21:56:00.001-05:00

The Boston Red Sox have sent outfielder Josh Reddick, first baseman Miles Head and right-hander Raul Alcantara to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for closer Andrew Bailey and outfielder Ryan Sweeney. Here’s a look at the players the Red Sox are giving up as part of the deal.

Check out the full column at ESPN Boston.

Red Sox acquire reliever Andrew Bailey and outfielder Ryan Sweeney in five player trade

2011-12-28T18:21:00.000-05:00

As first reported by ESPN's Buster Olney, the Red Sox have acquired reliever Andrew Bailey and outfielder Ryan Sweeney from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for outfielder Josh Reddick, first baseman Miles Head and pitcher Raul Alcantara.

Bailey, 27, was originally drafted in the sixth round of the 2006 amateur draft out of Wagner College. The right-hander quickly became one of the top relievers in baseball by going 6-3 with a 1.84 ERA, 26 saves, and 91 strikeouts in 83.1 innings pitched as a rookie in 2009. The impressive debut earned Bailey American League Rookie of the Year honors and his first All-Star Game invitation. Bailey followed up his stellar 2009 campaign with an impressive 2010 season, posting a 1.47 ERA with 25 saves. In 2011, Bailey compiled a 3.24 ERA with 24 saves and 41 strikeouts in 41.2 innings. The 6'3" closer features three quality pitches, a curveball, four-seam fastball, and cutter. Bailey is under Red Sox control until 2014 and is eligible for arbitration this offseason.

Sweeney, 26, was originally drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the second round of the 2003 amateur draft. The left-handed hitting outfielder was a former top prospect in the Chicago system before being traded to Oakland in 2008 as part of a package for Nick Swisher. Sweeney is a versatile outfielder who is known for his strong defensive skills and is adept at all three positions. In 2011, Sweeney appeared in 108 games, hitting .265/.346/.341 with 1 home run and 25 RBI. A career .283/.342/.378 hitter, Sweeney appears to be an option for Boston's opening in right field and is also eligible for arbitration after making $1.4 million in 2011.

Reddick, 24, was selected by the Red Sox in the 17th round of the 2006 amateur draft. The left-handed hitting outfielder impressed in 2007 with Low-A Greenville, hitting .305/.351/.530 with 18 home runs and 72 RBI in 95 contests. He followed the 2007 campaign with another solid season in 2008 with Greenville, High-A Lancaster and Double-A Portland, hitting a combined .311/.356/.544 with 23 home runs and 91 RBI. Reddick made his major league debut in 2009, hitting .169/.210/.339 with 2 home runs and 4 RBI in 59 at-bats. Due to injury to Red Sox right-fielder J.D. Drew, Reddick saw significant time with Boston in 2011, hitting .280/.327/.457 with 7 home runs and 28 RBI in 87 games.

Head, 20, was drafted by Boston in the 26th round of the 2009 amateur draft. The right-handed hitting first baseman had a breakout year in 2011 with both Low-A Greenville and High-A Salem, hitting .299/.372/.515 with 22 home runs, 82 RBI and 37 doubles in 129 games. At the time of the trade, Head was ranked 17th on SoxProspects.com.

Alcantara, 19, was signed by the Red Sox as an international free agent in July of 2009. In his rookie season with the Dominican Summer League Red Sox in 2010, Alcantara went 5-3 with a 3.28 ERA in 13 starts. The right-hander made his American debut in 2011, splitting time between the Rookie-Gulf Coast League Red Sox and the Short Season A-Lowell Spinners, posting a 1-4 record with a 2.20 ERA in 13 starts. At the time of the trade, Alcantara was ranked 25th on SoxProspects.com.

Caribbean League Roundup: December 19-25

2011-12-26T10:53:00.000-05:00

Here are how Red Sox prospects fared over the past week in the Caribbean and around the world:

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League

Franklin Morales (Leones del Caracas): Made two relief appearances, tossing 2.1 flawless innings, striking out 3 and picking up the save on Tuesday against Caribes.

Justin Thomas (Leones del Caracas): The 27-year-old left-hander had a busy week, appearing in four contests, hurling 1.1 innings, allowing 1 run on a walk.

Ryan Lavarnway (Bravos de Margarita): Left Venezuela due to sickness. His last game was on October 23.

Ronald Bermudez (Leones del Caracas): Has not played since November 6.

Oscar Perez (Tiburones de La Guaira): Perez appeared in two games for La Guaira earlier in the season, but has primarily played for the Red Sox team in La Liga Paralela (see below).

Mexican Pacific League

Tony Thomas (Algodoneros de Guasave): Went 2 for 12 with a home run, 3 RBI, 2 runs scored and a walk in three games this week.

Jesus Loya (Naranjeros de Hermosillo): Has played sparingly and did not see game action this week.

Marco Duarte (Aguilas de Mexicali): Did not see any game action this week. Currently is 5-1 with a 2.83 ERA in 11 starts this offseason.

Dominican Winter League - Play concluded on December 21. Playoffs begin December 27.

Tony Pena (Aguilas Cibaenas): Pena finished his offseason with a 3.20 ERA with 3 saves in 23 relief appearances.

Felix Sanchez (Tigres del Lacey): Went 0 for 5 with a walk, RBI and stolen base in three games. Sanchez concluded his fall play without recording a hit in 5 at-bats, adding an RBI and stealing 4 bases in 8 contests.

Stolmy Pimentel (Estrellas de Oriente): Last pitched on November 23. Finished the offseason with a 2-1 record with a 3.94 ERA in 7 games (2 starts).

Oscar Tejeda (Gigantes del Cibao): Did not play since October 25, recording just 1 hit in 8 at-bats this offseason.

Puerto Rico Baseball League

Mike Aviles (Leones de Ponce): Failed to make an appearance this week. Aviles is currently hitting .289/.413/.526 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI in 10 games this offseason.

Henry Ramos (Leones de Ponce): Was 1 for 9 with a run scored in 2 games played.

Christian Vazquez (Indios de Mayaguez): Did not make an appearance this week. Last played on November 20.

Australian Baseball League

Boss Moanaroa (Sydney Blue Sox): Did not see game action this week due to the All-Star break.

Mitch Dening (Sydney Blue Sox): Went 1 for 3 with 2 walks as the starting center fielder for the Australian team in the Australian League All-Star Game.

Justin Erasmus (Brisbane Bandits): Tossed a scoreless sixth inning, allowing 2 hits as a member of the Australian team during the Australian League All-Star Game.

Colombian Winter League

Reynaldo Rodriguez (Monteria): Was 6 for 16 with 2 doubles, 4 RBI and 2 runs scored in 5 games this week.

Liga Paralela (Liga Venezuela Beisbol Professional)- All participants are part of the Red Sox Bravos de Margarita squad. Play concluded on December 16, statistics are season ending totals.

Oscar Perez - Hit .308/.357/.400 with 9 RBI in 18 games played.

David Sopilka - Hit .293/.369/.364 with 10 RBI and a stolen base in 31 contests.

Ricardo Betancourt - Went 2-3 with a 4.93 ERA in 10 appearances (9 starts).

Yeiper Castillo - Compiled a 4.00 ERA in 6 starts, striking out 16 in 18.0 innings pitched.

William Cuevas - Went 2-3 with a 3.55 ERA in 9 appearances (8 starts).

Jose Espitia - Only tossed a total of 2.0 innings across two appearances, allowing 4 runs on 2 hits and 5 walks.

Elis Jimenez - Went 3-2 with a 4.03 ERA in 10 relief appearances.

Leonel Vazquez - Compiled a 6-0 record with a 2.76 ERA in 10 appearances out of the bullpen.

Michael Almanzar - Had a stellar fall campaign, hitting .325/.428/.608 with 8 home runs, 10 doubles and 29 RBI in 34 games.

Andres Garcia - Hit .253/.368/.274 with 8 RBI in 29 games played.

Aly Gonzalez -Appeared in 26 games, hitting .229/.349/.271 with 7 RBI.

Deiner Lopez - Hit .252/.389/.282 with 10 RBI and 7 stolen bases in 33 games played.

Heiker Meneses - Hit .391/.463/.565 with 8 doubles, 2 triples and 12 RBI in 20 contests.

Cleuluis Rondon - Hit .307/.393/.395 with 2 home runs, 18 RBI and 4 stolen bases in 34 games.

Aneury Tavarez - Hit .198/.297/.279 with a home run, 10 RBI and 6 stolen bases in 31 contests.

Wilfred Pichardo -in 34 games, Pichardo hit .306/.363/.478 with 4 home runs, 4 triples, 19 RBI and 8 stolen bases.

Jeremias Pineda - Hit .263/.407/.284 with 8 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 30 games.

Caribbean League Roundup: December 12-18

2011-12-18T23:13:00.001-05:00

Here are how Red Sox prospects fared over the past week in the Caribbean and around the world:

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League

Franklin Morales (Leones del Caracas): Tossed 3.1 scoreless innings of relief across three appearances, allowing 2 hits and a walk while punching out 5. Morales has yet to allow a run in 19.2 total innings pitched, striking out 23.

Justin Thomas (Leones del Caracas): Made two relief appearances, tossing 3.0 innings, allowing 1 run on 4 hits and a walk.

Tony Thomas (Algodoneros de Guasave): Appeared in six contests, going 3 for 23 with an RBI, 2 runs scored, 3 walks and a stolen base. Thomas also struck out 9 times.

Jesus Loya (Naranjeros de Hermosillo): Has played sparingly and did not see game action this week.

Marco Duarte (Aguilas de Mexicali): Received the start on Friday against Mochis, tossing 5.0 innings, allowing 1 run on 7 hits while punching out 4.

Dominican Winter League

Tony Pena (Aguilas Cibaenas): Made two relief appearances totaling 0.2 innings, allowing 3 hits.

Felix Sanchez (Tigres del Lacey): Entered his only contest of the week on Friday, collecting a stolen base as a pinch runner.

Stolmy Pimentel (Estrellas de Oriente): Did not appear this week. Last pitched on November 23.

Oscar Tejeda (Gigantes del Cibao): Has not played since October 25.

Puerto Rico Baseball League

Mike Aviles (Leones de Ponce): In three games this week, he went 3 for 11 with a run scored, double, and 2 walks.

Henry Ramos (Leones de Ponce): Appeared in 4 contests, 2 as a defensive replacement, going 0 for 2.

Christian Vazquez (Indios de Mayaguez): Did not make an appearance this week. Last played on November 20.

Australian Baseball League

Boss Moanaroa (Sydney Blue Sox): Went 4 for 12 with 2 runs scored, a home run, 5 RBI and a walk in four games this week.

Mitch Dening (Sydney Blue Sox): Appeared in three contests, going 2 for 8 with a run scored, a double, an RBI and 2 walks.

Justin Erasmus (Brisbane Bandits): Tossed 2.0 innings of scoreless relief over two appearances, allowing just 1 hit.

Colombian Winter League

Reynaldo Rodriguez (Monteria): Did not see any game action this week due to four straight rain outs.

Liga Paralela (Liga Venezuela Beisbol Professional)- All participants are part of the Red Sox Bravos de Margarita squad.

Oscar Perez - Did not get into a game this week.

David Sopilka - Went 5 for 16 with 2 runs scored, a walk and 2 RBI in 4 games.

Ricardo Betancourt - Picked up the victory on Thursday against Tampa Bay, hurling 5.1 innings, allowing 5 runs, 3 earned, on 10 hits, striking out 2.

Yeiper Castillo - Received the start on Tuesday against La Guaira, tossing 3.0 innings, allowing a hit and a walk, striking out 4.

William Cuevas - Was charged with the loss on Tuesday against La Guaira, twirling 5.0 innings of relief, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits and a walk, striking out 10.

Jose Espitia - Did not appear this week.

Elis Jimenez - Hurled 2.0 innings of relief on Friday against Caracas, allowing a run on 3 hits and a walk, striking out 1.

Leonel Vazquez - Added a scoreless inning of relief against Caracas on Friday, allowing 2 walks and striking out 1.

Michael Almanzar - Did not make an appearance this week.

Andres Garcia - Appeared in 4 games, going 2 for 14 with a run scored and 4 walks.

Aly Gonzalez -Went 4 for 11 with an RBI, run scored and 2 walks in 4 games.

Deiner Lopez - Was 4 for 13 with 2 runs scored, 2 walks and 2 RBI.

Heiker Meneses - Did not appear this week.

Cleuluis Rondon - In 4 games, Rondon went 3 for 14 with 2 runs scored an RBI and 2 walks.

Aneury Tavarez - Did not see any game action this week.

Wilfred Pichardo -Did not see any game action this week.

Jeremias Pineda - Did not see any game action this week.

Jed Lowrie and Kyle Weiland traded to Astros for Mark Melancon

2011-12-14T13:10:00.000-05:00

Jed Lowrie (Kelly O'Connor)

Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Red Sox have traded Jed Lowrie and Kyle Weiland to the Astros for RHP Mark Melancon.

Melancon was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 9th round of the 2006 Draft. He put up very good numbers in his minor league career and he was eventually traded to the Astros as part of the deal that brought Lance Berkman to New York in 2010. Melancon has three above-average pitches with his fastball, cutter, and curveball, and he has good command of all three pitches. In 2011 he pitched 74.1 innings with a 2.78 ERA, 66 strikeouts, and 26 walks, and was 20 for 25 in save opportunities. He forces a lot of groundballs, and his excellent groundball to fly ball ratio makes him well suited for Fenway Park. The status of the Red Sox bullpen is still up in the air, and Melancon's role has yet to be determined. Whether Daniel Bard is the closer, or if a free-agent like Ryan Madson is signed remains to be seen, but this move provides depth to the back-end of the bullpen.

Lowrie had a promising future with the Red Sox, but injuries and inconsistent play made him expendable. Lowrie was drafted in the supplemental first round of the 2005 Draft out of Stanford with the compensation pick for losing Orlando Cabrera. He got off to a great start in Lowell putting up an OPS of .887 in 53 games. Lowrie spent all of 2006 in High-A Wilmington, where he had a disappointing season. An ankle injury in May limited his production and he finished the year playing in 97 games with a .726 OPS. He bounced back in a big way in Portland in 2007, batting .297 with a .410 on-base percentage and .501 slugging percentage. Those numbers, combined with his average defense at shortstop, made him a top prospect. He was ranked fifth on the SoxProspects rankings at the end of 2007.

2008 saw Lowrie get his first taste of the majors as injuries to Mike Lowell and Julio Lugo made the Red Sox call up the versatile infielder. Lowrie played 134 games between Boston and Pawtucket in 2008, which is by far the most in his career. The most games he has played in a season since 2008 was 93 this year. From 2008 to 2010, Lowrie bounced back and forth between Boston and Pawtucket. He put up great numbers after the All-Star break for Boston in 2010, and that earned him a spot on the Red Sox to start 2011. While he was the starting shortstop over Marco Scutaro in the beginning of 2011, a shoulder injury forced Lowrie to miss time in June, and Scutaro produced well in his absence. The Red Sox are set to go into 2012 with Scutaro as the starting shortstop and use Mike Aviles as the utility man. Long-term, Lowrie was blocked in Boston by Jose Iglesias, and becasue Lowrie was going into his first year of arbitration eligibility, he was going to start getting more expensive.

Weiland was drafted in the third round of the 2008 draft out of Notre Dame. It seemed like a reach at the time because Weiland had an ERA over 5.00 in both his sophomore and junior years of college. The Red Sox saw a projectable arm with limited mileage who they could convert into a middle of the rotation starter. Weiland went to Lowell after he signed in 2008 and put up dominating numbers with a 1.50 ERA in 60.0 innings pitched with 10 walks and 68 strikeouts. He went straight to High-A Salem in 2009 where he spent the entire year. He put up good strikeout numbers, but showed iffy command, walking 57 in 132.2 innings pitched. The 2010 season was up and down for Weiland. He started off in Portland where the jump to Double-A proved to be a difficult one. In April, he had a 9.00 ERA in 14.0 innings. He bounced back to have a great May and June before struggling again in July and August. He ended the season with 128.1 innings pitched, a 4.42 ERA, and a 120/49 K/BB ratio.

2011 looked to be a breakout year for Weiland as he put up great numbers from April to June. He kept his strikeout rate up while lowering his walk rate. This performance caused him to jump in the SoxProspects rankings, and on June 17th, he was the eighth ranked prospect on the site. The Red Sox noticed his improvement and called him up to bolster the major league rotation which was troubled by injuries and poor performance. Unfortunately, Weiland could not do much to stop the bleeding and his final line of 24.2 innings pitched with a 7.66 ERA and a 13/12 K/BB ratio was one of many poor pitching performances the Red Sox saw down the stretch. This trade offers a great opportunity for Weiland. He was going to begin the year in Triple-A, but now he has a chance to make the Astros rotation out of spring training. His delivery and average control probably make Weiland destined for the bullpen, but moving out of the AL East makes him more likely to stick in the back-end of a rotation.

Red Sox sign catcher Kelly Shoppach

2011-12-13T11:27:00.001-05:00

Kelly Shoppach (Elsa/Getty Images)

As Jerry Crasnick first reported, the Red Sox have signed catcher Kelly Shoppach to a one-year guaranteed deal worth $1.35 million, which is expected to be announced later today. Last season for Tampa Bay, Shoppach hit .176/.286/.339 with 11 home runs over 87 games, although he hit much better against left-handed pitching both last season (.241/.344/.444) and historically (.274/.373/.536), making him a very good potential platoon partner with Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Shoppach's baseball life now comes full circle, returning to the team that drafted him in the second round of the 2001 amateur draft. He began his career in 2002 at High-A and advanced up to Triple-A in 2004. He made his major league debut in 2005, going hitless in 15 at-bats for the Sox. Before the 2006 season, he was traded to Cleveland along with Andy Marte, Guillermo Mota, Randy Newsom, and cash in return for Coco Crisp, David Riske, and Josh Bard. Shoppach peaked at number 3 on the SoxProspects.com rankings in early 2004, and was ranked in the site's top 10 from its inception until his trade to Cleveland. He was voted a SoxProspects.com All-Star after the 2005 season by members of the site's forum.

The signing of Shoppach most likely means that Ryan Lavarnway will start the year at Triple-A Pawtucket, where his focus will be on improving his defense. The signing also likely means the end of Jason Varitek's fifteen-year career with the Red Sox, over which he hit .256/.341/.435 over 1,546 games.

Caribbean League Roundup: December 5-11

2011-12-12T07:42:00.000-05:00

Here are how Red Sox prospects fared over the past week in the Caribbean and around the world:

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League

Franklin Morales (Leones del Caracas): Tossed 2.0 scoreless innings of relief across two appearances, allowing no hits and punching out 4. Morales has yet to allow a run in 15.1 total innings pitched, striking out 16.

Justin Thomas (Leones del Caracas): Thomas made his debut on December 9. Hurled 1.1 innings of relief across two appearances this week, allowing just 1 walk.

Ryan Lavarnway (Bravos de Margarita): Hit .357/.550/.429 in 14 at-bats over five games before leaving Venezuela due to sickness. His last game was on October 23.

Ronald Bermudez (Leones del Caracas): Has not played since November 6. Line sits at .154/.185/.192 in 26 at-bats over 13 games.

Oscar Perez (Tiburones de La Guaira): Perez appeared in two games for La Guaira earlier in the season, but has primarily played for the Red Sox team in La Liga Paralela (see below).

Mexican Pacific League

Miguel Gonzalez (Venados de Mazatlan): Received the start on December 9 against Mexicali, hurling 6.0 shutout innings, allowing 2 hits and a walk while striking out 8 to pick up the victory.

Tony Thomas (Algodoneros de Guasave): Appeared in six contests, going 6 for 18 with 2 doubles, 3 RBI, 2 runs scored and 2 stolen bases.

Jesus Loya (Naranjeros de Hermosillo): After not appearing since October 22, Loya returned to action on December 8, going 0 for 1 in his lone at-bat. Also appeared as a late-inning replacement on December 10 and 11.

Marco Duarte (Aguilas de Mexicali): Duarte was acquired by the Red Sox in exchange for their Rule 5 selection, Marwin Gonzalez, after the Astros selected Duarte in the Triple-A phase of the draft. He has been working exclusively as a starter in the Mexican League, going 5-1 with a 2.93 ERA to date. In his latest start on December 10 against Mazatlan, Duarte picked up the victory for his 6.2 innings of work, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and a walk, striking out 5.

Dominican Winter League

Tony Pena (Aguilas Cibaenas): Totaled 1.1 innings of relief over two appearances, not allowing a base runner while striking out 1.

Felix Sanchez (Tigres del Lacey): Appeared in two games but went without a hit in his lone at-bat. Managed to pick up his second stolen base against Estrellas on the 11th.

Stolmy Pimentel (Estrellas de Oriente): Did not appear this week. Last pitched on November 23.

Oscar Tejeda (Gigantes del Cibao): Has not played since October 23. He technically entered the game on October 25 as a pinch hitter, but did not complete the at-bat, perhaps because of an opposing pitching change.

Puerto Rico Baseball League

Mike Aviles (Leones de Ponce): In three games this week, he went 3 for 9 with a run scored, RBI, 4 walks and a stolen base.

Henry Ramos (Leones de Ponce): Failed to make an appearance this week. Last played on November 27.

Christian Vazquez (Indios de Mayaguez): Did not make an appearance this week. Last played on November 20.

Australian Baseball League

Boss Moanaroa (Sydney Blue Sox): Did not appear this week due to Sydney having an extended break since their last game on December 4.

Mitch Dening (Sydney Blue Sox): Did not appear this week due to Sydney having an extended break since their last game on December 4.

Justin Erasmus (Brisbane Bandits): Tossed 1.2 innings of scoreless relief on December 9 against Perth, allowing 1 hit.

Colombian Winter League

Reynaldo Rodriguez (Monteria): Had a quiet week at the plate in his three games, going 2 for 10 with a double.

Liga Paralela (Liga Venezuela Beisbol Professional)- All participants are part of the Red Sox Bravos de Margarita squad.

Oscar Perez - Did not get into a game this week.

David Sopilka - Went 2 for 6 with 2 RBI and a run scored in three contests.

Ricardo Betancourt - Pitched a complete game victory on December 6 against Navegantes, tossing 5.0 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and a walk, striking out 3.

Yeiper Castillo - Did not appear this week.

William Cuevas - Received the loss in his start on December 5 against Caribes, allowing 6 runs on 4 hits and 5 walks in just 1.2 innings pitched.

Jose Espitia - Did not appear this week.

Elis Jimenez - Hurled 2.0 innings of relief on December 9 against Zulia, allowing just 2 hits.

Leonel Vazquez - Moved to 6-0 thanks to 3.0 innings of perfect relief against Zulia on December 9.

Michael Almanzar - Was 3 for 15 with 2 runs scored and an RBI in 4 games.

Andres Garcia - Appeared in 4 games, going 4 for 15 with an RBI.

Aly Gonzalez -Went 0 for 4 in his lone start this week.

Deiner Lopez - Was 3 for 12 with a run scored in 4 contests.

Heiker Meneses - Did not appear this week.

Cleuluis Rondon - In 4 games, Rondon went 3 for 12 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI.

Aneury Tavarez - Appeared in three games, going 1 for 7 with an RBI and a stolen base.

Wilfred Pichardo -Went 4 for 16 with 2 RBI and a run scored in 4 contests.

Jeremias Pineda - Was 4 for 13 with 5 runs scored in 4 games.

Red Sox sign right-handed pitcher Doug Mathis

2011-12-10T00:41:00.001-05:00

As reported by Baseball America, the Red Sox have signed right-handed pitcher Doug Mathis.

Mathis, 28, was originally drafted by the Texas Rangers inthe 13th round of the 2005 draft out of the University ofMissouri. His six years in the Rangerssystem included 45 appearances at the major league level between 2008 and 2010,during which he went 3-3 with a 4.84 ERA and 1 save. His best season was 2009, when he had a 3.16 ERA and 25 strikeouts over 42.2 innings pitched. 39 of Mathis' 45 career major league appearanceshave come out of the bullpen, but he has been used almost exclusively as a starter whilein the minor leagues.

After leaving the Rangers organization following the 2010season, Mathis had quite a journey in 2011. He signed with the Indians in theoffseason, but was released at the end of spring training. Over the next threemonths he split 17 starts between the Triple-A affiliates of the Giants andAthletics, going 0-5 and posting a 4.27 ERA. After being released by Oakland onJuly 14, Mathis signed with the Samsung Lions of the Korean BaseballOrganization, where he had a 5-2 record and a 2.52 ERA, helping Samsung win its fourth championship in 10 years. Back stateside, Mathis is likely to begin 2012at Triple-A Pawtucket.

Red Sox trade Rule 5 selection, infielder Marwin Gonzalez, to Astros for right-hander Marco Duarte (Updated)

2011-12-08T10:40:00.000-05:00

With the 10th overall selection in the Rule 5 draft, the Red Sox selected infielder Marwin Gonzalez of the Chicago Cubs. However, according to a report from WEEI.com's Alex Speier, Boston will trade Gonzalez to the Astros for right-hander Marco Duarte, whom Houston selected in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft from the Rockies.

Duarte, a native of Mexico, has played in the Mexican League for the past three seasons while remaining property of the Rockies. The Mexican League is considered a Triple-A circuit. Duarte made 23 appearances in 2011 at age 24, 19 of those starts, going 12-4 with a 4.94 ERA. He struck out 93 batters and walked 53. Prior to last season, Duarte had worked almost exclusively out of the bullpen for two seasons.

Duarte's most recent State-side experience came in 2010, when he made nine appearances for the Single-A Asheville Tourists. In 12.1 innings, he gave up 24 hits, struck out 10, and walked 9, posting a 9.49 ERA. Per another Speier tweet, Duarte throws his fastball up to 94 mph, and also features a curve and changeup.

Gonzalez, 22, has been a part of the Cubs organization since 2006. Last season, Gonzalez split time between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa, hitting .288/.343/.400 with 4 home runs and 39 RBI in 124 games. Gonzalez has played all over the field, seeing time at at every infield position except catcher as well as getting some experience in the outfield. Gonzalez, a switch hitter, has been playing for Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League, hitting .321/.369/.357 with 16 RBI in 28 games.

Red Sox grab catcher Gerardo Olivares in Triple-A phase of Rule 5 draft

2011-12-08T10:37:00.001-05:00

In the Triple-A phase of the 2011 Rule 5 Draft, the Red Sox selected Tampa Bay Rays catcher Gerardo Olivares.

Olivares, 23, has been a member of the Tampa Bay organization since 2007. Last season with the Short Season A-Hudson Valley Renegades, Olivares hit .298/.355/.488 with 2 home runs and 18 RBI in 24 games. In his five minor league seasons, Olivares has caught 42% of attempted base stealers.

Red Sox lose Cabral to Kansas City in Rule 5 Draft (Updated: Cabral traded to Yankees)

2011-12-08T10:08:00.000-05:00

Cesar Cabral (Dave Letizi)

With the 5th overall pick of the 2011 Rule 5 Draft, the Kansas City Royals selected Red Sox left-hander Cesar Cabral.

Cabral, 22, was selected in last year's Rule 5 Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, compiling a 5.59 ERA in 9.2 innings during Spring Training. He was ultimately returned to Boston at the end of the Spring and began the 2011 season with High-A Salem. In just 12 relief appearances with Salem, Cabral posted a 1.62 ERA with 8 saves and 24 strikeouts in 16.2 innings pitched. He was promoted to Double-A Portland midway through May, posting a 2-4 record with a 3.52 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 38.1 innings.

Following up his stellar 2011 season, Cabral has dazzled this winter with Aguilas in the Dominican Winter League. Through December 6, Cabral has compiled a 0.87 ERA with 2 saves and 12 strikeouts in 10.1 innings of relief.

In order for Cabral to stick with the Royals, he must now remain on the 25-man roster for the entire 2012 season or be on the active major league roster for 90 days before any disabled list trips. If he fulfills the second requirement, he would have to be active for an additional 23 games in the 2013 season in order to have his Rule 5 status lifted.

As with any Rule 5 draftee, Cabral can be traded, waived, or offered back to the Red Sox at any time. Since Cabral was selected in last year's Rule 5 draft, he does not have to be offered back to the Red Sox if he clears waivers, he can elect for free agency.

UPDATE: Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star reports that the Royals immediately traded Cabral to the New York Yankees for cash.

Red Sox sign left-handed reliever Jesse Carlson

2011-12-08T09:30:00.001-05:00

First reported by Robert Mayer of the Berlin Patch, the Red Sox have signed southpaw reliever Jesse Carlson.

Carlson, who will turn 31 on December 31, was originally drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 15th round of the 2002 amateur draft. After spending six seasons in the minors with the Detroit, Houston, Texas and Toronto organizations, Carlson made his major league debut in 2008. During his freshman campaign with the Blue Jays, Carlson was a key member of the Toronto bullpen, compiling a 7-2 record with a 2.25 ERA in 69 relief appearances, striking out 55 in 60.0 innings pitched. He spent all of 2009 as a member of the Blue Jays bullpen, posting a 4.66 ERA in 73 outings. Carlson's last major league work came in 2010, when he pitched in 20 contests, compiling a 4.61 ERA in 13.2 innings.

Over his 8 season minor league career, Carlson has compiled a 31-13 record with a 3.50 ERA and 32 saves in 332 games. He missed the entire 2011 season due to rotator cuff surgery and will be looking to win a spot in the Boston bullpen during the spring. If Carlson fails to crack the major league roster, he will start the 2012 season as a member of Triple-A Pawtucket.

Westmoreland set to appear in first game action since 2010

2011-12-05T14:11:00.001-05:00

Ryan Westmoreland (Dave Letizi)

WEEI's Alex Speier reports that outfielder Ryan Westmoreland will face live pitching this week in the Dominican Instructional League, marking his first game action since undergoing surgery for a cavernous malformation on March 16, 2010. He will serve as the designated hitter and receive one at-bat Thursday and two on Friday.

Westmoreland, 21, was originally drafted in the fifth round of the 2008 amateur draft out of Portsmouth High School (RI), forgoing a commitment to play collegiality at Vanderbilt University. He burst on to the scene in his first professional season in 2009 as a member of the Short Season-A Lowell Spinners, hitting .296/.401/484 with 7 home runs, 35 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 60 games before he experienced a season ending collarbone injury.

Westmoreland received full medical clearance to participate in game action yesterday and the Red Sox organization also expressed its confidence that he was ready for this important step in his rehabilitation. The road to recovery has been slow but steady for the Rhode Island native, and this latest step is the most recent sign that Westmoreland has worked extremely hard to get to where he is now. The game action is not necessarily a precursor to Westmoreland resuming a normal playing schedule for Spring Training, and no further timetables have been set at this time.

Caribbean League Roundup: November 28-December 4

2011-12-04T21:12:00.001-05:00

Here are how Red Sox prospects fared over the past week in the Caribbean and around the world:

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League

Franklin Morales (Leones del Caracas): Tossed 2.0 scoreless innings of relief on Thursday against Anzoategui, allowing 1 hit and striking out 2.

Ryan Lavarnway (Bravos de Margarita): Hit .357/.550/.429 in 14 at-bats over five games before leaving Venezuela due to sickness. His last game was on October 23.

Ronald Bermudez (Leones del Caracas): Has not played since November 6. Line sits at .154/.185/.192 in 26 at-bats over 13 games.

Oscar Perez (Tiburones de La Guaira): Perez appeared in two games for La Guaira earlier in the season, but has primarily played for the Red Sox team in La Liga Paralela (see below).

In other news of note to long-time Sox fans, the Bravos de Margarita fired manager and former Red Sox Don Baylor on Monday. Margarita is last in the VWL in most relevant offensive categories, including runs, average, on-base percentage, and slugging, and presently sits in last place at 19-28.

Mexican Pacific League

Miguel Gonzalez (Venados de Mazatlan): Received the start on December 4 against Navojoa, tossing 1.2 innings, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks, striking out 2.

Tony Thomas (Algodoneros de Guasave): Went 8 for 23 with 2 home runs, 4 RBI and 8 runs scored in six games. An 0-for-4 on Sunday snapped a six-game hitting streak, during which he went 11-for-22 with 3 home runs, 6 RBI and 10 runs scored.

Jesus Loya (Naranjeros de Hermosillo): Loya has not played since October 22.

Dominican Winter League

Stolmy Pimentel (Estrellas de Oriente): Did not appear this week. Last pitched on November 23.

Cesar Cabral (Aguilas Cibaenas): Made two appearances out of the bullpen, hurling 1.1 innings of relief, allowing 1 hit while striking out 1. Picked up the save on November 30 against Escogido.

Tony Pena (Aguilas Cibaenas): Came on in relief on November 30 against Escogido, failing to record an out, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits and a walk. He redeemed himself on Sunday with a scoreless inning of relief, allowing 1 hit. The former Major League shortstop also pinch ran in Aguilas' 17-inning win on Saturday, getting stranded on third base in the 12th inning.

Felix Sanchez (Tigres del Lacey): The speedy Sanchez played his first game on November 27. He has pinch run twice, scoring both times and stealing one base. Coincidentally, he has pinch run for two former Red Sox, Tim Federowicz and Wily Mo Pena.

Puerto Rico Baseball League

Mike Aviles (Leones de Ponce): Made his first appearance on November 30. In four games this week, he went 5 for 18 with 2 home runs, 4 RBI, 3 runs scored, and two steals. He had a monster game to lead Ponce to victory on Sunday, going 2 for 5 with 2 home runs, 4 RBI, 2 runs, 2 walks, and a stolen base.

Henry Ramos (Leones de Ponce): Failed to make an appearance this week. Last played on November 27.

Christian Vazquez (Indios de Mayaguez): Did not make an appearance this week. Last played on November 20.

Australian Baseball League

Boss Moanaroa (Sydney Blue Sox): Appeared in 5 games, going 5 for 16 with 4 RBI and a walk.

Mitch Dening (Sydney Blue Sox): Made his first appearance for Sydney on December 1. Has gone 5 for 17 with 2 doubles, 4 RBI, and 2 runs scored in four games. He also stole 3 bases on Sunday while going 2 for 4 with a walk.

Justin Erasmus (Brisbane Bandits): Made two relief appearances, hurling 2.0 innings, allowing 1 run on 1 hit and a walk.

Colombian Winter League

Reynaldo Rodriguez (Monteria): Went 2 for 7 with a home run, RBI and 2 walks in two games.

Liga Paralela (Liga Venezuela Beisbol Professional)- All participants are part of the Red Sox Bravos de Margarita squad.

Oscar Perez - Went 2 for 12 with a run scored and an RBI in three contests.

David Sopilka - Was 5 for 14 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI in 4 games.

Ricardo Betancourt - Received the start on November 28th against Tiburones, hurling 6.0 innings, allowing 1 run on 3 hits, striking out 5.

Yeiper Castillo - Did not appear this week.

William Cuevas - Picked up the victory for his start on November 30th, tossing 6.0 innings, allowing 2 unearned runs on 6 hits and a walk, punching out 6.

Jose Espitia - Did not appear this week.

Elis Jimenez - Picked up the victory on November 28th, twirling 3.0 innings of relief, allowing 1 hit and 2 walks while striking out 2.

Leonel Vazquez - Moved to 5-0 thanks to his 4.0 innings of relief against Seattle on December 2nd, allowing just 4 hits and a walk while striking out 2.

Michael Almanzar - Went 1 for 13 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI in 4 contests.

Andres Garcia - Went 3 for 9 with 3 runs scored and 4 RBI in 4 games.

Aly Gonzalez -Was 2 for 4 with a run scored in his lone appearance.

Deiner Lopez - Went 1 for 6 with a run scored in two contests.

Heiker Meneses - Did not appear this week.

Cleuluis Rondon - Was 5 for 13 with 5 RBI and 2 runs scored in 4 appearances.

Aneury Tavarez - Went 1 for 6 with a run scored in 2 games.

Wilfred Pichardo -Was 4 for 14 with a run scored in 4 contests.

Jeremias Pineda - Went 5 for 14 with 2 RBI and 5 runs scored in 4 games.

Caribbean League Roundup: November 21-27

2011-11-28T05:00:00.000-05:00

Here are how Red Sox prospects fared over the past week in the Caribbean and around the world:

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League

Ryan Lavarnway (Bravos de Margarita): Did not make an appearance this week.

Ronald Bermudez (Leones del Caracas): Did not make an appearance this week.

Oscar Perez (Tiburones de La Guaira): Did not make an appearance this week.

Franklin Morales (Leones del Caracas): Made three relief appearances, tossing 3.1 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits, 1 walk and striking out 3.

Mexican Pacific League

Jesus Loya (Naranjeros de Hermosillo): Did not make an appearance this week.

Miguel Gonzalez (Venados de Mazatlan): Appeared in two games, getting the start on the 27th against Los Mochis in which he picked up the victory for his 5.0 innings of work, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and a walk while striking out 4. Tossed a scoreless inning of relief on the 23rd against Obregon, allowing 2 hits and striking out 1.

Dominican Winter League

Stolmy Pimentel (Estrellas de Oriente): Picked up the victory for his 2.0 scoreless innings of relief against Escogido on the 23rd, allowing 2 hits.

Cesar Cabral (Aguilas Cibaenas): Made two appearances out of the bullpen, hurling 1.2 innings of relief, allowing 2 hits and a walk while striking out 3.

Oscar Tejeda (Gigantes del Cibao): Did not make an appearance this week.

Tony Pena (Aguilas Cibaenas): Tossed 0.2 innings of relief across two outings, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits.

Puerto Rico Baseball League

Henry Ramos (Leones de Ponce): Went 1 for 3 with 2 runs scored and a stolen base in 3 games.

Christian Vazquez (Indios de Mayaguez): Did not make an appearance this week.

Australian Baseball League

Boss Moanaroa (Sydney Blue Sox): Appeared in 4 games, going 3 for 16 with a run scored, RBI and a walk.

Moko Moanaroa (Sydney Blue Sox): Went 2 for 12 in three contests with a double, RBI and 4 strikeouts.

Justin Erasmus (Brisbane Bandits): Did not make an appearance this week.

Colombian Winter League

Reynaldo Rodriguez (Monteria): Went 0 for 3 with a walk in his lone game this week.

Liga Paralela (Liga Venezuela Beisbol Professional)- League has been in progress since October 12. All participants are part of the Red Sox Bravos de Margarita squad. Information listed below is for the season thus far as individual game information is scarce.

Oscar Perez - Is hitting .340 with 5 doubles and 8 RBI in 53 at-bats.

David Sopilka - Has hit .274 with 3 doubles and 4 RBI in 62 at-bats.

Ricardo Betancourt - Has compiled a 0-3 record with a 5.61 ERA in 7 appearances (6 starts).

Yeiper Castillo - Currently has a 4.80 ERA after 5 starts, walking 4 and striking out 12 in 15.0 innings.

William Cuevas - Has received 6 starts, compiling a 3.20 ERA with 18 strikeouts and 4 walks in 25.1 innings pitched.

Jose Espitia - In 2 appearances (2.0 innings), has allowed 4 runs on 2 hits and 5 walks.

Elis Jimenez - Has a 6.35 ERA after 6 relief appearances, allowing 15 runs (12 earned) on 21 hits and 7 walks in 17.0 innings pitched.

Leonel Vazquez - Has allowed 12 runs (9 earned) on 22 hits and 5 walks in 21.1 inning pitched, striking out 16.

Michael Almanzar - Has been impressive at the plate, hitting .380 with 8 home runs and 26 RBI in 26 games.

Andres Garcia - Currently hitting .263 with 3 RBI in 17 appearances.

Aly Gonzalez - Is 9 for 47 with 6 RBI in 19 games.

Deiner Lopez - Currently hitting .257 with 8 RBI in 22 contests.

Heiker Meneses - Is hitting .391 with 8 doubles, 2 triples and 14 runs scored in 69 at-bats.

Cleuluis Rondon - Is currently hitting .320 with 2 home runs and 10 RBI in 22 games.

Aneury Tavarez - Is hitting .204 with a home run and 9 RBI in 26 contests.

Wilfred Pichardo - Currently hitting .314 with 4 home runs, 4 triples and 17 RBI in 26 games played.

Jeremias Pineda - Is hitting .235 with 6 RBI in 22 contests.

SoxProspects.com Podcast #21

2011-11-23T00:16:00.001-05:00

In an incredibly happy coincidence, Mike, Mellen, Hatfield and Ian T. had a chat on what turned out to be quite a busy day. Among the topics the guys discussed were the terms of the new CBA, the Red Sox front office promotions and departures, the holes that need to be filled in the Boston lineup, and other offseason notes.

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Red Sox sign Spoone, Thomas and Inman, lose Hottovy and Sutton

2011-11-22T18:45:00.001-05:00

The Red Sox have been busy on the minor league front in recent days, including the signing of Will Inman, Chorye Spoone and Justin Thomas. Baseball America's Matt Edy first reported the signings of Inman and Thomas and MASN's Steve Melewski broke the news of Spoone's signing. Two key members of the Red Sox system in 2011 have also signed elsewhere, as Baseball America reports the Tommy Hottovy has signed a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals and Drew Sutton has signed with the Atlanta Braves.

Inman, 24, was originally drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 3rd round of the 2005 amateur draft. The right-hander was traded to the San Diego Padres as part of a trade for reliever Scott Linebrink before the trading deadline in 2007. He started off his professional career with some impressive numbers and control, compiling an ERA under 2 in 2005 and 2006 on his way to a 16-2 record, mostly as a starter, and a greater than 5:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He has spent the last three seasons as a member of Triple-A Tuscon and Portland for the Padres, compiling an 8-19 record with a 5.65 ERA in 65 games (40 starts).

Spoone, 26, was originally drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the eighth round of the 2005 draft. He was a member of the Orioles 40-man roster before being designated for assignment this July, ultimately opting to stay with the organization. Spoone has primarily been a starter for most of his 7 season minor league career, compiling a 36-41 record with a 4.14 ERA. The right-hander split last season between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk, going 7-6 with a 4.50 ERA in 31 games (19 starts).

Thomas, 27, was originally drafted in the fourth round of the 2005 draft by the Seattle Mariners. The 6'3" left-hander spent 5 seasons with the Mariners organization before being claimed on waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2009. In 7 minor league seasons, Thomas has compiled 45-35 record with a 4.15 ERA. He began his career as a starter, but has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen since 2009. Last season as a member of Triple-A Indianapolis, Thomas was 8-2 with a 3.89 ERA and 3 saves in 63 relief appearances. He made his major league debut as a member of the Mariners in 2008, appearing in 8 games out of the bullpen with a 6.75 ERA. Thomas made it to the big leagues again in 2010 with the Pirates, compiling a 6.23 ERA in 12 relief appearances.

Hottovy, 30, was originally drafted by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2004 draft. The left-hander had an impressive 2011 campaign, dominating to the tune of a 1.93 ERA in 8 relief appearances for Double-A Portland, compiling a 2.75 ERA in 24 games with Triple-A Pawtucket, and making his major league debut. Hottovy was called up to the Red Sox in early June and tossed 4.0 innings, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks. Following the completion of the minor league season, he was named the Red Sox first Lou Gorman Award recipient, highlighting his dedication and perseverance on his way to the major leagues.

Sutton, 28, was originally drafted by the Houston Astros in the 15th round of the 2004 draft. 2011 was Sutton's first season with the Red Sox, a season split between Triple-A Pawtucket and Boston. He hit .295/.382/.476 with 5 home runs and 27 RBI in 45 games with the PawSox and .315/.362/.444 with 7 RBI as a valuable utility man with Boston.

Red Sox announce front office promotions

2011-11-22T18:37:00.001-05:00

The Red Sox today announced their newly revamped baseball operations department, the first under new General Manager Ben Cherrington. The changes are as follows:

Major League Operations

Mike Hazen now holds the title of Vice President/Assistant General Manager. Hazen has been an integral part of the Red Sox player development model, serving as Director of Player Development from the time he joined Boston in 2006 until the end of the 2010 season. He has most recently been the team's Vice President of Player Development and Amateur Scouting. Prior to coming to Boston, Hazen was a member of the Cleveland Indians organization from 2001-2006, starting out overseeing the club's advance scouting and eventually being elevated to Assistant Director of Player Development in 2003. He played two seasons in the San Diego Padres system after being drafted by the team in the 1998 draft. During Hazen's tenure of overseeing the Red Sox minor league system, the team developed current stars such as Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Daniel Bard and Clay Buchholz.

Brian O'Halloran has also been promoted to the role of Vice President/Assistant General Manager. O'Halloran originally began his tenure with the team in 2002 as a Baseball Operations Assistant, serving as the team's Director of Baseball Operations from 2006 through January of this year. He was promoted to Vice President of Baseball Operations in February.

Allard Baird will now be the Vice President of Player Personnel after being the Vice President of Player Personnel and Professional Scouting during the 2011 season. Baird joined Boston in 2006 as an Assistant to the General Manager and Special Assignment Scout. He was a member of the Kansas City Royals organization for 18 years, beginning his career as the hitting coach for the Class-A Appleton Foxes and working his way up to General Manager in 2000.

David Finley has been named the Director of Player Personnel. He joined Boston in 2002 as the West Coast Crosschecker and served as the team's National Crosschecker from 2005-2009. He was most recently elevated to the position of Special Assistant to the General Manager in January of 2010. Before coming to Boston, Finley worked as an area scout for the Padres from 1991-1994 and the Florida Marlins from 1995-2001.

Zach Scott has been promoted to the role of Director of Major League Operations. Scott originally joined the team in 2004, and had been serving as the Assistant Director of Baseball Operations since 2006.

Player Development

Raquel Ferreira will now serve as the Senior Director of Minor League Operations. Ferreira joined Boston in 1999 and has served as the team's Director of Minor League Operations since 2008.

Ben Crockett has been elevated to the role of Director of Player Development. Crockett, a graduate of Harvard University, was drafted by the Red Sox back in the tenth round of the 2001 amateur draft after he was named the Cape Cod League Pitcher of the Year that summer. He ultimately did not sign with the team and was drafted in the third round of the 2002 draft by the Colorado Rockies and pitched professionally until 2006. He originally joined the Red Sox as an intern in 2007 and served as Advanced Scouting Coordinator from 2008-2009. He was promoted to Assistant Director of Player Development back in January of 2010.

Scouting

Amiel Sawdaye has received a contract extension to remain the team's Director of Amateur Scouting after serving in that role for the past two season. Sawdaye was previously the team's Assistant Director of Amateur Scouting from 2005-2009.

Jared Porter has been promoted to the role of Director of Professional Scouting after serving as the Assistant Director of Professional Scouting the past two seasons.

Eddie Romero Jr. will now serve as Boston's Director of International Scouting after previously serving as the Assistant Director of Latin American Operations and International Scouting. Romero joined the team in 2006 as an assistant in International and Professional Scouting, being elevated to Coordinator of Latin American Operations shortly thereafter. He is the son of former Red Sox infielder Eddie Romero Sr. who currently serves as a coach for the Greenville Astros. Prior to joining the Red Sox, Romero Jr. was a prosecutor for the State Attorney's office in Florida.

Galen Carr has been named Special Assignment Scout after serving as a Major League Scout since 2007. Carr originally joined the Red Sox organization during the 2000 season as an intern.

Bob McClure joins the Boston organization as a Special Assignment Scout/Coordinator after spending the last six seasons as the Pitching Coach for the Kansas City Royals. McClure is a veteran of 19 Major League seasons pitching for Royals, Brewers, Expos, Mets, Angels, Cardinals and Marlins between 1975-1993. He began his coaching career in 1994 with the Marlins and has also been a minor league pitching coach in the Colorado Rockies organization from 1999-2005.

David Keller also embarks on his first season with the Red Sox after spending the last two seasons as a Pro Scout in the New York Mets organization. He has previously interned with the Phillies and Diamondbacks and served as the Director of Baseball Operations for the Atlantic League's Camden Riversharks from 2007-2008.

MLB, union announce five-year labor agreement

2011-11-22T13:28:00.001-05:00

The basics of a soon-to-be-ratified Basic Agreement betweenthe owners and the Player’s Association were announced today, but the actualratification and publication of the new CBA is likely a few weeks, if notmonths, away. The new CBA will include several provisions that could alter thelandscape of the business side of baseball for the next five years. Changes atthe major league level will include the implementation of HGH testing, a newtobacco policy, changes to the competitive balance tax (also known as theluxury tax), new social media rules, changes to replay, the movement of the Houston Astros to the American League to evennumber of teams in each league, year-round interleague play, and additionalplayoff teams.

But our readers tend to be more interested in how the newCBA will affect the draft, international free agency, minor league prospects,rookies, and recently graduated prospects. Here’s what we’re hearing aboutthose changes from the Twitterverse. Hat tip to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports, who leaked many of the details early on.

Amateur Draft: The new agreement may have beencompleted months ago had the owners not been insistent in implementing somesort of slotting system to reel in bonus spending on the draft. The new CBAwill contain an overall luxury tax that will be calculated by the number ofdraft picks multiplied the recommended “slot” bonus for each pick that a teampossesses. If a team exceeds that figure by less than 5%, the extra spendingwill be taxed at 75%. If a team exceeds that figure by 5-10%, it will be taxed 75%and required to forfeit a first round pick. If a team exceeds that figure by 10-15%,it will be taxed 100% and required to forfeit a first round and a second round pick.If a team exceeds that figure by over 15%, it will be taxed 100% and requiredto forfeit two first round picks. If a player signs after the tenth round formore than $100,000, the excess money will go against the team's draft tax. Draftedplayers will no longer be allowed to sign major league deals.

Draft Compensation: In the new CBA, Type A and Type Bfree agent draft compensation will be eliminated beginning in the 2012-2013off-season. Starting next off-season, clubs that offer a free agent aqualifying offer of at least $12.4 million per season will receive first-roundcompensation if the player rejects the qualifying offer and signs with anotherclub, who would forfeit the draft pick as compensation. The $12.4 millionfigure may rise each year depending on a yet-to-be-disclosed formula. Teams inthe bottom 10 of overall standings will be protected from forfeitingfirst-round picks. Only Players who have been with their Clubs for the entire season will be subject to compensation.

Supplemental SmallMarket Rounds: Therewill be six draft picks immediately after the first round given out via lotteryto teams with the 10 lowest revenues. The teams that do not get one of thosesix picks will be entered in another lottery for picks after thesecond round.

Draft Signing Deadline: The draft signing deadline will move from August 15 to a date between July 12 and 18.

International Amateur FreeAgency: Similar tothe draft, a separate luxury tax will be implemented for the signing ofinternational free agents. Every team will have $2.9 million to spend ininternational “amateur” bonus money this season. Those funds will not be tradablethis off-season, but will be tradable in the future. Most professional internationalplayers looking to sign in the United States will not be subject to this tax. In future years, the luxury tax threshold for international free agents will vary per team based on winning percentage (the best teams' threshold will reportedly be set at around $1.8 million, while worst team's threshold will be set at around $5 million). Overspending will make teams subject to luxury taxes and the loss of the right to give out high bonuses to international players in subsequent years.

Minimum Salary: The minimum salary will increasefrom $414,000 per year in 2011 to $480,000 in 2012, and ultimately to $500,000 by 2014.

“Super Two”Eligibility: Underthe old CBA, all players with at least three and less than six years of servicetime were eligible for pre-free agency salary arbitration. Additionally, thetop 17% of players with more than two and less than three years of service timewere also eligible for arbitration. These players became what are known as“Super Twos.” In the new CBA, the 17% will increase to 22%, meaning anadditional five to six players will be eligible for pre-free agency salaryarbitration each off-season.

Options: There will be unspecified changes to the fourth option year and outrightability rules.

Ellsbury is runner-up for AL MVP

2011-11-21T14:00:00.000-05:00

Jacoby Ellsbury (Kelly O'Connor)

The Baseball Writers' Association of America has announced that Jacoby Ellsbury is the runner-up for the 2011 American League Most Valuable Player award. Justin Verlander (DET) is the winner. Ellsbury batted .321 with a .376 on-base percentage and a .552 slugging percentage. He was the first Red Sox player to ever have a 30-30 season, as he hit 32 home runs and stole 39 bases. In addition to his historic offense, he also played superb defense in center field, winning his first Gold Glove.

Ellsbury received four first-place votes and 242 points overall. Verlander received thriteen first-place votes and had 280 points. Jose Bautista (TOR) finished third, Curtis Granderson (NYY) finished fourth, and Miguel Cabrera (DET) finished fifth. Ellsbury's teammates Adrian Gonzalez and Dustin Pedroia finished seventh and ninth, respectively.

Ellsbury was drafted in the first round of the 2005 amateur draft out of Oregon State University. He was drafted 23rd overall with the compensation pick the Red Sox received for Orlando Cabrera signing with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. After signing, Ellsbury finished the 2005 season in Lowell, where he batted .317 and had an .850 OPS. He was ranked thriteenth on the SoxProspects rankings at the end of the 2005 season (the top five was Jonathan Papelbon, Jon Lester, Anibal Sanchez, Hanley Ramirez, and fellow 2005 draftee Craig Hansen). Ellsbury was considered a speedy leadoff hitter with good defense in center field and gap power. It was the lack of power that kept him from ranking higher.

In 2006, his first full season in the Red Sox system, Ellsbury broke out in a big way. He started the year in High-A Wilmington where he hit .299 with a .797 OPS and 25 stolen bases in 62 games. He was promoted to Double-A Portland where he hit .308 with an .821 OPS and 16 stolen bases in 50 games. At the end of the season, he was ranked as the number one prospect on the SoxProspects rankings. At this point, he was seen as a leadoff hitter who could hit .300 and steal 40 bases in the majors.

The Red Sox started Ellsbury off in Double-A in 2007, but saw him as someone who could help the big league club in September. He proved to be too good for Double-A as he hit .452 with a 1.162 OPS in 17 games. That was all the front office needed to see as they quickly promoted him to Pawtucket, where he hit .298 with a .740 OPS. After an injury to Coco Crisp, Ellsbury was called up to Boston on June 30th. He provided an immediate spark, as many Red Sox fans remember him scoring from second base on a wild pitch against the Rangers on July 2nd. However, he was sent back down to get consistent playing time in Triple-A on July 5th. He was called up for good on September 1st, and performed well enough to be named the American League Rookie of the Month. He was also named to the post-season roster.

With Coco Crisp struggling, and the Red Sox down 3-2 to the Indians in the ALCS, Terry Francona named Ellsbury the starting center fielder for Game 6. The Red Sox went undefeated after the switch, winning the 2007 World Series. Ellsbury hit .360 in 25 postseason at-bats, including a .438 batting average and 1.188 OPS in the World Series. In just a few months, Ellsbury went from top prospect to World Series hero.

In his rookie season in 2008, Ellsbury was the starting center fielder for Boston. He played in 145 games and hit .280 with a .336 on-base percentage and .394 slugging percentage and stole 50 bases. While this season did not quite live up to his World Series performance, he still finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting behind Evan Longoria (TB) and Alexi Ramirez (CWS). He showed improvement in his 2009 season, hitting .301 with a .355 on-base percentage and a .415 slugging percentage, while stealing 70 bases.

2010 was a lost season for Ellsbury. He was moved to left field with the acquisition of Mike Cameron, but a collision with Adrian Beltre on April 11th broke four of Ellsbury's ribs and effectively ended his season. He made a few attempts at a comeback, but could not stay healthy.

Ellsbury is currently 28 years old and is eligible for free agency after the 2013 season. He is expected to see a huge increase in his salary this year in arbitration, and it will be interesting to see if the Red Sox try to lock him up long-term. His agent, Scott Boras, will not be offering the Red Sox any hometown discounts, and he will likely be using Matt Kemp's new 8 year, $160 million deal as a baseline. Regardless of what happens, Ellsbury just had one of the greatest seasons in Red Sox history.

Caribbean League Roundup: November 14-20

2011-11-21T08:43:00.009-05:00

Here are how Red Sox prospects fared over the past week in the Caribbean and around the world:

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League

Ryan Lavarnway (Bravos de Margarita): Did not make an appearance this week.

Ronald Bermudez (Leones del Caracas): Did not make an appearance this week.

Oscar Perez (Tiburones de La Guaira): Singled in his lone at-bat of the week.

Franklin Morales (Leones del Caracas): Made three relief appearances, tossing 4.0 scoreless innings, allowing 1 hit, 1 walk and striking out 2.

Mexican Pacific League

Jesus Loya (Naranjeros de Hermosillo): Did not make an appearance this week.

Miguel Gonzalez (Venados de Mazatlan): Allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks in 3.0 inning of relief, striking out 4.

Dominican Winter League

Stolmy Pimentel (Estrellas de Oriente): Received the start on the 17th against Toros, tossing 3.0 innings, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits and 3 walks.

Cesar Cabral (Aguilas Cibaenas): Tossed a flawless inning of relief across two appearances, striking out 1.

Oscar Tejeda (Gigantes del Cibao): Did not make an appearance this week.

Tony Pena (Aguilas Cibaenas): Made three relief appearances, twirling 3.0 innings, allowing 4 hits and picking up a win on the 18th against Escogido.

Puerto Rico Baseball League

Henry Ramos (Leones de Ponce): Was 0 for 4 in his two contests this week.

Christian Vazquez (Indios de Mayaguez): Was 0 for 5 with a run scored in 2 games.

Australian Baseball League

Boss Moanaroa (Sydney Blue Sox): Appeared in 4 games, going 4 for 16 with a double, home run, run scored and RBI.

Moko Moanaroa (Sydney Blue Sox): Went 2 for 11 in three contests with a double, run scored and RBI.

Justin Erasmus (Brisbane Bandits): Hurled 4.1 scoreless inning across two relief appearances, allowing 2 hits and punching out 3.

Oscar Perez - Is hitting .311 with 5 doubles and 6 RBI in 45 at-bats.

David Sopilka - Has hit .304 with 3 doubles and 4 RBI in 56 at-bats.

Ricardo Betancourt - Has compiled a 0-3 record with a 6.86 ERA in 6 appearances (5 starts).

Yeiper Castillo - Currently has a 4.80 ERA after 5 starts, walking 4 and striking out 12 in 15.0 innings.

William Cuevas - Has received 5 starts, compiling a 2.86 ERA with 17 strikeouts and 3 walks in 22.0 innings pitched.

Jose Espitia - In 2 appearances (2.0 innings), has allowed 4 runs on 2 hits and 5 walks.

Elis Jimenez - Has a 6.39 ERA after 5 relief appearances, allowing 10 runs (9 earned) on 15 hits and 5 walks in 12.2 innings pitched.

Leonel Vazquez - Has allowed 12 runs (9 earned) on 22 hits and 4 walks in 18.1 inning pitched, striking out 15.

Michael Almanzar - Has been impressive at the plate, hitting .395 with 8 home runs and 23 RBI in 22 games.

Andres Garcia - Currently hitting .304 with 3 RBI in 14 appearances.

Aly Gonzalez - Is 8 for 40 with 6 RBI in 17 games.

Deiner Lopez - Currently hitting .288 with 8 RBI in 19 contests.

Heiker Meneses - Is hitting .382 with 8 doubles, 1 triple and 12 runs scored in 55 at-bats.

Cleuluis Rondon - Is currently hitting .318 with a home run and 9 RBI in 18 games.

Aneury Tavarez - Is hitting .214 with a home run and 9 RBI in 22 contests.

Wilfred Pichardo - Currently hitting .284 with a 2 home runs, 2 triples and 12 RBI in 22 games played.

Jeremias Pineda - Is hitting .220 with 6 RBI in 20 contests.

Middlebrooks highlights additions to 40-man roster

2011-11-18T18:50:00.000-05:00

Will Middlebrooks (Kelly O'Connor)

The Red Sox announced that they have added third baseman Will Middlebrooks, outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin, and pitcher Drake Britton to the 40-man roster. This protects these threeplayers from being selected by another franchise in the Rule 5 draft, scheduledto take place on December 8.

Middlebrooks, ranked the top prospectin the system on SoxProspects.com, is coming off an outstanding 2011 season inwhich he hit .285/.328/.506 with 23 home runs. He spent the bulk of the year atDouble-A Portland where he finished seventh in the Eastern League with 18 homeruns and fourth with 80 RBI, earning him All-Star recognition. Middlebrooks waspromoted to Triple-A Pawtucket on August 19. He is projected to be the PawSox startingthird baseman in 2012, with an eye toward a promotion to Boston late in theseason or early in 2013.

Left-hander Britton began the yearranked as the fourth prospect in Boston’s system by SoxProspects.com and as the97^th prospect in minors byBaseball America. What came next was a disastrous 2011 season at High-A Salemwhere Britton compiled a 1-13 record and a 6.91 ERA. However, Britton is stilla lefty who can touch 95 with a plus curveball, has had success in the past,and was able to maintain a K/9 rate of 8.2 even in a down season. This is thesort of profile that another organization might take a shot with in the Rule 5draft. With his tantalizing set of skills, the Red Sox determined Britton iswell worth the roster commitment.

Che-Hsuan Lin will get a long look tomake the major league club in Spring Training. While the 23-year old Taiwaneseoutfielder hasn’t yet developed the power expected of a major leagueoutfielder, his excellent defensive skills, speed, and plate discipline couldenable him to be a contributor off the bench. Lin hit .245/.340/.305 and added28 stolen bases between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket last season.In 2010, Lin was named the Red Sox Minor League Defensive Player of the Year.

A few other players that were not added to the 40-man despite some speculation that they may be, include first baseman Reynaldo Rodriguez, outfielder Daniel Nava and pitchers Cesar Cabral, Caleb Clay, and Brock Huntzinger. Rodriguez hit .286/.355/.526 between Salem and Portland last season andled all Red Sox minor leagues with 59 extra-base hits, but is 25 years old. Nava played in a total of 60 games with the 2010 RedSox, and hit a respectable .242/.351/.360. Designated for assignment on May20 of this year, Nava went unclaimed and was outrighted to Pawtucket where he hit .268/.372/.406 with 10 homeruns.

Cabral has already been taken oncein the Rule 5 draft, a year ago by the Tampa Bay Rays. He impressed the Rays inspring training but was unable to crack the opening day roster and was returnedto the Red Sox. He is likely to be taken again this year after striking out more than a batter per inning last season between High- and Double-A. The big right-hander Huntzinger spent 2011 at Portland, where he went 5-11 with a 6.17 ERA,and gave up 23 home runs in only 124 innings pitched. However, an impressive123 strikeouts against only 41 walks gives management hope that improvedcommand of his slider, which he has been prone to leaving up in the zone, willresult in a breakout in 2012.

Clay suffered a torn ligament in his elbow and underwent Tommy John surgery inAugust 2007, and has only 86 appearances in his minor league career. He went 1-5 with a 7.47 ERA for Portland last season, but a 1.26 ERA in the Arizona Fall League has the organization believing that hehas turned the corner. In his recentinterview with SoxProspects.com columnist Jon Meoli, Clay credits increasedconfidence in his arm angle and improved command of his fastball for hisimprovement.

The following players who meet theeligibility requirements were not added to the 40-man roster, and are thereforeavailable to other teams in the Rule 5 Draft:

Michael Almanzar, Anatanaer Batista,Ronald Bermudez, Yeiper Castillo, Miguel Celestino, Mitch Dening, Ryan Dent,Brandon Duckworth, Justin Erasmus, Ruben Flores, Seth Garrison, Zach Gentile,Miguel Gonzalez, Charlie Haeger, Jon Hee, Jeremy Kehrt, Matt Kramer, WillLatimer, Michael Lee, David Mailman, Leandro Marin, Dennis Neuman, MichaelOlmsted, Josue Peley, Tony Pena, Wilfred Pichardo, Eammon Portice, RyanPressly, Manny Rivera, Charle Rosario, Pete Ruiz, Nate Spears, Matt Spring, and TonyThomas.

Mesa's six run fifth helps end Scottsdale's fall on a sour note

2011-11-18T07:11:00.001-05:00

11/18 Cup of Coffee: An offensive explosion by the Mesa Solar Sox in the fifth inning resulted in a 6-2 loss for the Scorpions to close out the fall season.

Scottsdale jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the third on an RBI double by Zach Walters (WSH). In the fifth, Mesa’s offense came alive as they received an RBI triple by Aaron Hicks (MIN), an RBI single by Xavier Avery (BAL), an RBI double by Junior Lake (CHC) and an RBI ground out from Joe Mahoney (BAL) to claim a 6-1 advantage. The Scorpions scratched out a run in the top of the seventh on a Tyson Gillies (PHI) RBI ground out, but could not ignite a rally.

Alex Hassan was 0 for 2 with a walk and a strikeout as the Scottsdale right fielder.

Even though the Arizona Fall League has come to a close for Red Sox prospects, check back every Monday for updates from the Caribbean and winter leagues.

Shipley out as Sox Director of International Scouting

2011-11-17T18:16:00.001-05:00

According to Alex Speie r of WEEI.com, Craig Shipley has been removed as Red Sox Vice President of Player Personnel and International Operations. It is unknown whether Shipley, who was hired in 2002, will be offered another position within the Red Sox organization.

A big part of the legacy of Shipley's tenure in Boston will include the scouting of Daisuke Matsuzaka in Japan, culminating in his signing in 2006. While Matsuzaka started his Sox career as a promising and successful starter, his seasons since 2008 have been marred with injury.

Shipley's scouting has yeilded four major leaguers for the Red Sox, and he's also responsible for several top prospects currently in the system. Two of the most highly-touted farmhands, pitcher Stomly Pimentel and shortstop Xander Bogaerts, are both Shipley products.

However, these are just a few successes amongst several unsuccessful deals. Shipley has had a poor record with some of the larger contracts he has handed out. For example, third baseman Michael Almanzar who received a $1.5 million signing bonus and pitcher Junichi Tazawa who signed a $3.3 million deal have both only had mediocre results.

Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington has declined to comment on the issue until an announcement of changes to the team's international operations is made.

Scorpions clipped by Javelinas in shortened contest

2011-11-17T06:35:00.000-05:00

11/17 Cup of Coffee: A close game went the way of the Peoria Javelinas as the Scottsdale Scorpions fell 4-3 in 7 innings.

Peoria wasted no time getting on the board, plating two runs in the top of the first on an RBI triple by Kentrail Davis (MIL) and a Juan Lagares (NYM) RBI ground out. The Scorpions retaliated in the bottom half of the frame, tying the game on RBI ground outs by Brandon Crawford (SF) and Darin Ruf (PHI). In the third, the Javelinas took a 4-2 lead on an RBI double by Davis and an RBI single by Jaff Decker (SD). The Scorpions drew to within one in the fifth on Joe Panik’s (SF) RBI ground out, but were held in check for the rest of the game.

Jeremy Kehrt received the start for the Scorpions, picking up the loss for his 3.0 innings of work, allowing 4 runs on 7 hits and striking out 1. Will Latimer followed Kehrt out of the bullpen and tossed a scoreless inning of relief, striking out 3. Alex Hassan was 0 for 3 as the Scorpions left fielder. Dan Butler hit eighth and started at catcher, going 0 for 2 with a walk. Ryan Dent batted ninth and played third base, going 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Scorpions wrap up Arizona Fall League play this afternoon as they face the Mesa Solar Sox.

Who will Sox protect from Rule 5 draft?

2011-11-16T10:56:00.001-05:00

Look for Boston to make three or four roster moves on Friday to protect players from selection by other teams in the 2011 Rule 5 Draft.

Eligible players must be added to their teams’ respective 40-man rosters by close-of-business on Nov. 18 in order to be protected from selection in the Rule 5 Draft, which is scheduled to take place on Dec. 8, the final day of the winter meetings. The following players in the Red Sox system will be eligible to be selected if they are not added to the 40-man roster by close-of-business on Friday:

Check out the full column on ESPN Boston

Scottsdale kept in check offensively, defeated by Salt River

2011-11-16T06:55:00.001-05:00

11/16 Cup of Coffee: Scottsdale could not defeat Salt River for the second time in as many days, losing by a score of 4-1.

The Scorpions opened the scoring in the top of the second inning, with their lone run coming on a Cody Overbeck (PHI) RBI double. The Rafters answered immediately with 1 run in the bottom of the frame, and added 3 more in the fourth and fifth innings to take a lead they did not relinquish. Offensively, the Scottsdale was led by Overbeck, who went 1-4 with an RBI, and Bryce Harper (WAS), who went 2-3 with a steal and walk. Tyler Cloyd (PHI) drew the start and took the loss. Cloyd went 4.0 innings and allowed 6 hits and 2 runs (0 earned). He did not walk a batter and struck out 4.

For the Red Sox, Alex Hassan went 1-4, while Caleb Clay threw a scoreless inning of relief, with 2 hits allowed and 2 strikeouts.

Scottsdale plays host to Peoria this evening at 9:35 EST.

Butler a finalist for Arizona Fall League's Stenson Award

2011-11-15T14:19:00.006-05:00

Red Sox catching prospect Dan Butler finds himself in prestigious company as he has been named a finalist for the Arizona Fall League's Stenson award. Given to the player who shows the greatest sportsmanship both on and off the field, the award, which is named for former Boston and Cincinnati Reds prospect Dernell Stenson, is voted on by coaches and staff of every team in the league. Butler is one of six finalists, along with Brodie Greene (Reds), Phoenix Desert Dogs; Kevin Mattison (Marlins), Surprise Saguaros; Zelous Wheeler (Brewers), Peoria Javelinas; Chris Hermann (Twins), Mesa Solar Sox; and Nolan Arenado (Rockies), Salt River Rafters. Butler has hit .326/.492/.413 with a home run and 8 RBI in 15 games for the Scottsdale Scorpions this fall.

The award has been given every year since 2004, following Stenson's untimely death in 2003, and has been awarded to future major league regulars like Mark Teahen (2004), Andre Eithier (2005) and Sam Fuld (2007). The winner will be announced prior to the AFL championship game between the Surprise Saguaros and Salt River Rafters this Saturday.

For more information on Butler's rise to prominence in 2011, check out Jon Meoli's articles on Butler and other Red Sox prospects experiences in Arizona this fall, as well as the catcher's transformation from undrafted free agent to legitimate prospect.

Caribbean League Update: Red Sox enter agreement with Bravos de Margarita in Venezuela

2011-11-15T12:30:00.000-05:00

For the first time in six years, the Red Sox have sent a large contingent of players to Venezuela. This past June, the Red Sox entered into a two-year agreement with the Bravos de Margarita (Margarita Braves) of the Liga Venezuela Beisbol Profesional, sometimes referred to as the Venezuelan Winter League. Under the agreement, the Bravos will field two teams in the Liga Paralela (Parallel League), the LVBP's minor league. One of these Liga Paralela teams include a large number of young Sox minor leaguers, and according to a release on the Bravos' website, the Red Sox will provide coaches for both teams and provide some community benefits in Margarita.

From a Red Sox perspective, this move has many benefits. It allows a larger contingent of young Sox players to get more experience, as now reflected on the SoxProspects Fall and Winter League Rosters page. In all, nineteen Sox are on this "Boston" Liga Paralela squad, whereas typically only a handful play in the league each year. Among the bigger names currently playing for the Boston club are Michael Almanzar, Heiker Meneses, and Yeiper Castillo. After 19 games, Almanzar, in particular, has performed well, ranking among the league leaders in nearly every offensive category. He is, however, one of the more advanced players in the league as only four of his teammates have played above Rookie ball.

You can follow the prospects on the Red Sox "affiliate" in the Liga Paralela on the team's webpage. The league runs from October 12 through December 16, followed by playoffs. Although not directly stemming from the clubs' contractual agreement, their relationship may have also played a part in Ryan Lavarnway playing with the LVBP Bravos before being sent home due to sickness.

The agreement also allows the Red Sox to increase their presence in Venezuela, a country that has produced such stars as Miguel Cabrera, Bobby Abreu, Ozzie Guillen, and Omar Vizquel, as well as current Sox lefty Felix Doubront. The Red Sox actually had an affiliate in the Venezuelan Summer League in 2004 (Ciudad Alianza) and 2005 (a shared affiliate with San Diego), but have been among a number of major league teams to abandon that circuit, which shrunk to just six teams in 2011. Among the alumni of those two Sox affiliates are two players to have made the majors: Doubront and Argenis Diaz. The Bravos' press release also states that the Red Sox will be scouting the country for the best talent, and will send those players to play for the Bravos.

While this agreement was completed when Theo Epstein was still the General Manager, it reinforces what Ben Cherington said in his first press conference as GM, that the Red Sox will be very aggressive in finding the best talent from around the world.

Q&A with Evan Lepler

2011-11-15T09:30:00.002-05:00

Evan Lepler has a unique opportunity to observe many Red Sox prospects before they enter the upper minors as the play-by-play voice of the Salem Red Sox. Originally from Sharon, Mass., Evan is a lifelong Red Sox fan. He graduated from Wake Forest University in 2007 and then spent a year as the radio voice for the Delmarva Shorebirds, an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, where he covered players such as current Orioles starting pitcher, Zach Britton.

In 2009, when Evan had the chance to join the extended Red Sox family, he jumped at the opportunity. During his time covering Salem he has seen many highly publicized prospects develop, including SoxProspects.com's current top-ranked prospect, Will Middlebrooks, who played in Salem for the 2010 season.

The off-season is a good time to reflect back on the previous season and also look ahead to next. Evan was nice enough to answer a few questions on current prospects in the Red Sox system that he has seen or will see while covering the High-A affiliate.

Will Woodward: Who is the player that impressed you most over the 2011 season?
Evan Lepler: It’s very hard to narrow it down to one player, but Bryce Brentz certainly stands out because of his unreal power ability. Watching Bryce take batting practice every day was must-see-BP. We had a bunch of good power hitters, but it was clear very early on that Bryce was a different breed. He has a long way to go before he becomes a complete major league player. Both his approach at the plate and his defense in right field need significant improvement, and I think he would acknowledge his deficiencies in those areas. With that said, I think he has the work ethic to get where he wants to go, and his gift of raw power is a tool that is so rare and special. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has some struggles in Double-A next year, but I bet he figures it out and continues to rise up the system and up the prospect rankings.

WW: Which player are you looking forward to seeing most in 2012?
EL: In this case, I know I can’t narrow it down to one. I follow Greenville as closely as I can and was very fortunate to be able to catch one Drive game this summer when they had a morning contest in Hagerstown, Md. (WAS) while we were in Frederick, Md. (BAL). Obviously, Brandon Jacobs had a phenomenal year and I’m excited to watch him. I was blown away by how small Sean Coyle was when I saw him in person, and then you see his power numbers and you’re blown away even more. Everyone has raved about Xander Bogaerts and I’m eager to watch him progress. Felix Sanchez may be the fastest player I’ve ever seen, so he’s right up there to. I haven’t even mentioned any of the recent 2011 draft picks like Matt Barnes, Noe Ramirez, Blake Swihart, or Jackie Bradley, Jr, all of whom will likely start 2012 in Greenville but could make an appearance in Salem by July or August. Trust me, I realize how fortunate I am to be able to watch so many of these guys develop every day during the summer. April can’t come soon enough!

WW: In 2010, SoxProspects.com's current top prospect, Will Middlebrooks, played the full year in Salem. What improvements have you seen him make since and what type of major league player do you project him to become?
EL: I’m proud to say that Will’s ascendance to the top of the SoxProspects.com charts did not surprise me at all. I understand he had his struggles at Lowell and Greenville, but the player I saw for all of 2010 in Salem was probably the most complete prospect that I’ve seen in the Red Sox system during my time with the organization. Quite simply, Will is a sensational athlete who probably could have been a really good college football quarterback like his pal, Ryan Mallett. He also averaged over 20 points per game in hoops as a high school junior before focusing on football and baseball as a senior. He has meticulously honed all facets of his defense at third base. His incomprehensibly strong arm stands out the most, but when you watch him every day, you notice his explosive first step and ability to move so well laterally to make plays that others just don’t make. Offensively, his power really started to emerge midway through 2010, and I think he’s probably just scratched the surface of his power potential. I doubt he’d ever hit .320 in the big leagues, but I really believe that he could hit .270-.280 with 25-30 homers and very good defense at third base. I hope he gets a full year in Pawtucket to continue to develop. He probably could help Boston some this year, but the best case scenario for his development would be to have a great season in Pawtucket and then perhaps a September call-up or competing for a spot in the spring of 2013.

WW: Fans often get caught up in stats and on field performance, but is there a player who you really have come to respect off the field?
EL: One of the great things about Red Sox Nation is how much everybody cares. The fact that people follow the Salem Sox from all around the country and are genuinely interested in the ups and downs of so many minor leaguers makes my job so much fun. But even still, there remains a small group of players who fall through the cracks in terms of hype and recognition. “Organizational players,” as they are called, are almost always okay with this anonymity, and that is why I really respect these guys as a group. Guys like Jon Hee, Will Vazquez, Drew Dominguez, Drew Hedman, and a bunch of others are invaluable to the player development process. None of these guys received huge bonuses and none are considered prospects in terms of major-league potential. But they all are vital clubhouse contributors who add character to a team. Kyle Fernandes and Blake Maxwell are two other good examples, and Fern and Max could probably leave baseball to begin a two-man comedy tour and be very successful. Every team needs these guys who understand their roles, but are also ready to go at the spur of a moment. So while I cannot narrow it down to one, I’d say that I have great respect for all these guys who receive so little credit, but still carry themselves like true pros every single day.

WW: Drake Britton struggled in Salem in 2011 after a breakout 2010 season. What is one area you think he needs to improve in order to regain that success?
EL: You hope that Drake Britton is the next Daniel Bard, a guy who experienced some similar A-ball nightmares before harnessing his velocity to become a big-time power-arm at the highest level. As the numbers suggest, Britton did not do anything consistently well in 2011. With that said, many scouts and opposing broadcasters were continuously puzzled at how his stuff could look so dominant at one minute and then he’d either get crushed or couldn’t throw a strike a few minutes later. I really think the early struggles zapped him of his confidence to the point that even when things started to turn around, doubt would inevitably creep in and derail an otherwise solid performance. One time in late April, with a 10 run lead in the fourth inning, he walked four straight with two outs and the bases empty. There were a number of situations like that, when one walk or one tough break would spiral into a disaster of an inning and mar the progress that otherwise would have been made. In terms of rediscovering success, obviously reestablishing his consistent fastball command is paramount. But more generally, he needs to taste a little success and build on it again. His last couple starts at the end of 2011 certainly were steps in the right direction. April and May of 2012 are gonna be a couple huge months for Drake, in my opinion, because he truly does have great stuff. He’s also still very young, so there’s still time.

WW: Anthony Ranaudo was hyped as the best pitcher in the system, but did not dominate in 2011. Were there nights you saw him dominate, and can you see him developing into a front-line starter?
EL: I really enjoyed watching Ranaudo pitch sixteen times last year. He has a great demeanor on the mound and you can tell that being good is really important to him. Early on, I felt like his stuff matched his demeanor and he had a few dominant performances and a couple other outings that were better than the final stat-line indicated. As the season progressed, his stuff lost some bite and he got knocked around a little bit. Considering that he was 21 and in his first professional season, the struggles shouldn’t be all that shocking. Yet, it was always a little surprising because he arrived into the organization with such a lofty reputation. I definitely think he can be a very solid starting pitcher in the big leagues. To be successful, he needs to keep his fastball down in the zone consistently and hopefully develop his changeup a little bit more. But Ranaudo is a legit 6’7”, in excellent shape, and without a doubt one of the top pitching prospects in the organization, if not number one. Like many fans, I’m very curious if he’ll begin 2012 in Salem or if the Sox will propel him to Portland to start the year. I honestly think he’ll compete and be pretty successful either way.

WW: Ben Cherington has been named the new General Manager of the Red Sox. If you have met him, what impression did you get, and if not, what is his reputation within the organization?
EL: Ben visited our team once or twice a season each of the past few years and I had a couple very brief interactions with him, usually just saying hello during batting practice. So unfortunately, I don’t have any super secret info or great story to pass along. But Cherington always has struck me as a very smart guy, one of Theo’s top, most-trusted lieutenants. I thought he did a great job at the first press conference in deftly handling all of the tough questions. And clearly he has a great knowledge of the Red Sox organization from top to bottom. The fact that he also has New England roots and truly understands the phenomena of “Red Sox Nation” fanaticism is a plus as well. I wish Ryan Lavarnway had blasted a couple more homers to help send the Sox to playoffs and, consequently, keep Tito and Theo at their perches. But Cherington was a natural choice to be the successor. Who fills Tito’s shoes? That remains to be seen.

Huntzinger earns win for Scottsdale

2011-11-15T06:46:00.001-05:00

11/15 Cup of Coffee: The Scorpions jumped out to a large lead early on, and held on for the 6-5 win against the Rafters.

In the interests of perfect symmetry, Scottsdale scored 1 run in the first on a Mike Trout (LAA) solo home run, 2 runs in the second on a Dan Butler 2-run single and you guessed it, 3 in the third on a Bryce Harper (WAS) RBI double and a 2-run triple off the bat of Joe Panik (SF). Undaunted by the sizable deficit, Salt River fought back with 3 runs in the fourth and 2 in the seventh. Ultimately, the Scorpions were able to hold on for dear life and get the win, keeping the Rafters off the board in the ninth despite having loaded the bases. Offensively, the team was led by Butler and Panik, as each went 1-3 with 2 RBI. Brock Huntzinger started for Scottsdale and earned the win. Huntzinger went 3.2 innings, surrendering 4 hits and 3 runs. He walked 1 and struck out 3. For the Red Sox, Alex Hassan also appeared in the game and went 0-4.

Scottsdale will take on Salt River again this afternoon at 3:35 EST.

Caribbean League Roundup: November 7-13

2011-11-14T08:49:00.008-05:00

Here are how Red Sox prospects fared over the past week in the Caribbean and around the world:

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League

Ryan Lavarnway (Bravos de Margarita): Did not make an appearance this week.

Ronald Bermudez (Leones del Caracas): Failed to make an appearance.

Oscar Perez (Tiburones de La Guaira): Did not make an appearance this week.

Franklin Morales (Leones del Caracas): Came on in relief in 4 contests, hurling 2.0 innings, allowing 3 unearned runs on 2 hits and a walk, striking out 4.

Mexican Pacific League

Jesus Loya (Naranjeros de Hermosillo): Did not make an appearance this week.

Miguel Gonzalez (Venados de Mazatlan): Hurled 3.2 innings of relief, allowing 1 run on 3 hits and 2 walks, striking out 3 in his four appearances.

Dominican Winter League:

Stolmy Pimentel (Estrellas de Oriente): Made his first start in Dominican Winter League play, twirling 4.0 innings, allowing 1 run on 5 hits, striking out 2 as he received the loss on the 10th against Aguilas.

Cesar Cabral (Aguilas Cibaenas): Tossed 1.0 flawless inning of relief on the 10th against Estrellas.

Oscar Tejeda (Gigantes del Cibao): Did not make an appearance this week.

Tony Pena (Aguilas Cibaenas): Made two relief appearances, hurling 1.0 inning, allowing 1 run on 2 hits and a walk, punching out 1.

Puerto Rico Baseball League

Henry Ramos (Leones de Ponce): Was 3 for 5 in his two contests this week.

Christian Vazquez (Indios de Mayaguez): Failed to make an appearance this week.

Australian Baseball League

Boss Moanaroa (Sydney Blue Sox): Appeared in 4 games, going 3 for 14 with a double, RBI, run scored and 2 walks.

Moko Moanaroa (Sydney Blue Sox): Failed to make an appearance.

Justin Erasmus (Brisbane Bandits): Made his first appearance on November 12 against Sydney, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings with 2 strikeouts.

Success stories in the desert

2011-11-14T08:08:00.001-05:00

Ever since Tommy John surgery cut short his promising debut season with the Lowell Spinners in 2007, Red Sox minor league reliever Caleb Clay has had nothing in common with the top prospects who populate the Arizona Fall League rosters every year except his status as a first-round draft pick.

But this fall, Clay has improbably become the Red Sox biggest success story out of the AFL. In 13 1/3 innings of work that span 10 appearances, Clay is 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA in the AFL, which is billed as a “prospect finishing school.” For Clay, the month spent playing alongside the best prospects in the game is more of a fresh start than anything else.

Not bad, considering that earlier this season, the 43rd overall pick in the 2006 draft considered calling it quits.

Check out the rest of the column by Jon Meoli on ESPN Boston

Hassan's offense, defense not enough as Scorpions fall

2011-11-13T05:30:00.000-05:00

11/13 Cup of Coffee: Alex Hassan had quite a game. On a night when the entire Scorpions offense collected only 5 hits, Hassan went 3 for 3 with 2 doubles and a home run. He also added 2 outfield assists. Unfortunately, it was not enough, as the Surprise Saguaros defeated the Scorpions, 6-4, in seven innings.

Hassan gave the Scorpions the lead in the top of the first, launching a three-run home run to left field. The Scorpions got two runs back in the second with a solo home run from former UConn star Mike Olt (TEX), and an RBI double from 2011 first-round pick Mikie Mahtook (TB). The floodgates opened in the fifth, as Surprise scored four times in the inning. A two-run double for Christian Colon (KC) and a two-run single for Leonys Martin (TEX) were the big hits for Surprise. Scottsdale got a run back in the sixth when Joe Panik (SF) doubled home Hassan, but it was too little, too late.

Austin Fleet (SF) started for Scottsdale, throwing the first 2.0 innings, allowing 2 runs. Matt Purke (WAS) followed him and pitched a scoreless third inning. Pat Lehman (WAS) had a tough night allowing 4 runs in just 1.0 inning of work. He allowed 4 hits, 1 walk, and struck out 2.

Dan Butler was the only other Red Sox prospect to play. He started at catcher and went 0 for 3. The Scorpions get Sunday off, but return to action on Monday with a home game against Salt River starting at 3:35 EST.

Trio of Red Sox pitching prospects help shut down Phoenix

2011-11-12T05:30:00.000-05:00

11/12 Cup of Coffee: A 3 run third inning proved to be enough for the Scorpions as they defeated the Phoenix Desert Dogs 3-2 in 7 innings.

An Anthony Gose (TOR) single scored former Red Sox draft pick Yan Gomes (TOR) to put the Desert Dogs up 1-0 in the 2nd. The Scorpions answered right back in the 3rd scoring 3 runs to take the lead. Mike Trout (LAA) and Brandon Crawford (SF) each hit RBI singles, and Bryce Harper (WAS) extended his hitting streak to 16 games with an RBI double.

Jeremy Kehrt earned the victory throwing 2.0 innings allowing 2 hits and 1 run while walking 3 and striking out 1. Will Latimer followed him throwing 2.0 scoreless innings while walking 2 and striking out 1. Caleb Clay threw a perfect 5th inning as well to finish off a good night for Red Sox pitching prospects.

Alex Hassan got the start in right field going 1 for 3 with a single, and Ryan Dent played third base going 0 for 3.

The Scorpions resume play today at 3:35 EST in Surprise.

Late rally helps Scorpions shock Saguaros

2011-11-11T07:34:00.002-05:00

11/11 Cup of Coffee: A two-out ninth inning rally helped propel the Scottsdale Scorpions over the Surprise Saguaros, 2-1.

The Saguaros jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first, receiving an RBI single from Mike Olt (TEX). Scottsdale was held at bay until the sixth, when Mike Trout’s (LAA) RBI ground out tied the game, 1-1. The game remained knotted until the bottom of the ninth, when the Scorpions staged a stunning two out rally. Surprise reliever Jeremy Jeffress (KC) quickly struck out the first two batters of the inning before running into difficulty. With two down, Dan Butler walked and subsequently advanced to second on a passed ball. Cody Overbeck (PHI) followed with a walk of his own, leaving runners on first and second. Joe Panik (SF) then stepped up to the plate and laced an RBI single that gave the Scorpions a walk-off victory.

Butler was 0 for 3 with a run scored and a walk as Scottsdale’s catcher. Alex Hassan drew the start in left field, going 0 for 2 with 2 walks. Ryan Dent batted ninth for the Scorpions and was 0 for 2 with a walk.

Scottsdale will look to continue their winning ways as they square off against the Phoenix Desert Dogs this afternoon.

Desert Dogs take advantage of Scottsdale miscues to stymie Scorpions

2011-11-10T08:43:00.004-05:00

11/10 Cup of Coffee: Taking full advantage of three Scottsdale errors, the Phoenix Desert Dogs blanked the Scorpions, 5-0.

Phoenix jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first on a Kevin Ahrens (TOR) RBI double. The play was aided by throwing errors by Scottsdale right fielder Tyson Gilllies (PHI) and pitcher Sammy Solis (WAS), which allowed an additional two runs to score. In the fourth, a costly throwing error by Scorpions catcher Derek Norris (WAS) allowed another run to scamper home, and Anthony Gose (TOR) laced a two out RBI single to give the Desert Dogs a 5-0 advantage. The Scorpions never threatened to score outside of the first inning, when they left a runner at third.

Alex Hassan was the lone Red Sox prospect that saw action, going 0 for 3 with a walk and a strikeout as the Scorpions designated hitter.

Scottsdale looks to get back into the win column this evening as they host the Surprise Saguaros.

Huntzinger and Hassan lead Scorpions to much needed victory

2011-11-09T03:51:00.002-05:00

11/9 Cup of Coffee: The Scorpions shut out Salt River on Tuesday, 2-0, with Red Sox representatives being the prime contributors.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the 2nd, when a fielding error on a single by Dan Butler plated Alex Hassan. The Scorpions added an insurance run in the bottom of the 5th on an RBI single by Hassan. Offensively, the team was led by Hassan, who went 2-3 with a walk and RBI. Bryce Harper (WAS) struck out 3 times in the game, but a 5th-inning single extended his hitting streak to 14 games. Brock Huntzinger started for Scottsdale and turned in his 2nd straight positive outing en route to picking up the victory. Huntzinger pitched 4.0 shutout innings, scattering 4 hits, walking none and striking out 3.

Other Red Sox prospects to appear in the game were Butler, who went 2-4, Caleb Clay and Will Latimer. Clay pitched 1.0 inning of relief, allowing 1 hit, walking 1 and not recording a strikeout, while Latimer pitched 1.1 hitless innings, walking 1 and striking out none.

Scottsdale will next take the field this evening, as it hosts Phoenix at 9:35 EST.

Scottsdale routed by Salt River

2011-11-08T06:47:00.003-05:00

11/8 Cup of Coffee: Scottsdale's modest 2-game winning streak ended yesterday, as the Scorpions were soundly defeated by Salt River, 9-4.

Scottsdale surrendered all 9 runs in the first 2 innings of play, as this one became out of reach as quickly as it began. Leading the way offensively for the Scorpions was Zach Walters (WAS), as he went 2-3 with a walk, a double and an RBI. Chris Scholl (LAA) got the start for Scottsdale, and this is an outing that Scholl presumably wishes he could forget. In 1.1 innings, he allowed 5 hits, 8 runs, walked 3 and did not strike out a batter.

For the Red Sox, Ryan Dent went 1-4 with a triple and an RBI, while Alex Hassan went 1-4 with a double. Jeremy Kehrt pitched a perfect inning of relief in the losing effort. Though Kehrt got off to a rough start in the AFL, he has rebounded nicely. The righty has allowed just 1 earned run in his last 4 appearances.

Scottsdale will get an immediate chance at revenge, as it hosts Salt River this evening at 9:35 EST.

Caribbean Roundup: October 31-November 6

2011-11-07T07:58:00.003-05:00

Here are how Red Sox prospects fared over the past week in the Caribbean and around the world:

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League

Ryan Lavarnway (Bravos de Margarita): Did not make an appearance this week.

Ronald Bermudez (Leones del Caracas): Went without a hit in his two plate appearances.

Oscar Perez (Tiburones de La Guaira): Did not make an appearance this week.

Franklin Morales (Leones del Caracas): Tossed 2.0 flawless innings of relief, striking out 1 in 2 appearances.

Mexican Pacific League

Jesus Loya (Naranjeros de Hermosillo): Did not make an appearance this week.

Miguel Gonzalez (Venados de Mazatlan): Hurled 1.1 innings of relief, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and a walk across three appearances.

Dominican Winter League

Stolmy Pimentel (Estrellas de Oriente): Made a relief appearance on November 2 against Licey, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits in 2.0 innings, striking out 3.

Cesar Cabral (Aguilas Cibaenas): Appeared twice out of the bullpen, tossing 0.1 innings, allowing 1 hit and striking out 1.

Oscar Tejeda (Gigantes del Cibao): Did not make an appearance this week.

Tony Pena (Aguilas Cibaenas): Made two relief appearances, hurling 3.0 innings, not allowing a base runner and striking out 3.

Puerto Rico Baseball League

Henry Ramos (Leones de Ponce): Struck out in his lone plate appearance.

Christian Vazquez (Indios de Mayaguez): Went 0 for 2 in his lone contest this week.

Australian Baseball League

Boss Moanaroa (Sydney Blue Sox): Went 4 for 12 with a double, 2 runs scored, 2 walks and 2 RBI in 4 games.

Moko Moanaroa (Sydney Blue Sox): Was 1 for 3 with a strikeout in his lone game played.

Hassan and pitching lead Scottsdale to easy victory

2011-11-05T05:30:00.000-04:00

10/5 Cup of Coffee: Alex Hassan reached base four times and Scottsdale pitched one of its best games of the season as they defeated the Phoenix Desert Dogs 9-2.

Scottsdale got out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. A home run for Brandon Crawford (SF), a double for Cody Overbeck (PHI), and a single by Bryce Harper (WAS) were some of the big blows for the Scorpions.

Sammy Solis (WAS) started for Scottsdale and shut down the Desert Dogs offense. He tossed 4.0 shutout innings allowing 3 hits and striking out 9. Caleb Clay pitched out of trouble in the 8th. He loaded the bases, but struck out Roberto Perez (CLE) to end the inning without allowing a run.

Hassan went 3 for 4 with a double and a walk. Clay pitched the 8th allowing 2 hits and a walk in addition to the aforementioned strikeout. Clay has had a nice showing in the AFL thus far. He has thrown 10.1 innings allowing 7 hits and 2 runs with 3 walks and 8 strikeouts. His 1.74 ERA is impressive considering the league average ERA is approximately 5.60.

The Scorpions are off until Monday as the Rising Stars game takes place at 8:00 EST. No Red Sox prospects will be playing in the game.

Harper's pefect day helps carry Scorpions past Saguaros

2011-11-04T07:31:00.001-04:00

11/4 Cup of Coffee: Thanks to a pair of three run home runs and 16 hits, the Scottsdale Scorpions chopped down the Surprise Saguaros, 10-6.

The Scorpions wasted no time getting on the board, plating five runs in the first on a Darin Ruf (PHI) RBI single and a Cody Overbeck (PHI) three run home run. In the third, Scottsdale added two more runs on a solo home run by Bryce Harper (WAS) and a Ryan Dent sacrifice fly. Dent knocked in another run in the fifth on a ground out, giving the Scorpions a commanding 8-1 lead. After Surprise scored three in the bottom of the fifth, Scottsdale responded with two of their own in the top of the sixth on a Harper RBI single. The Saguaros scored twice in the seventh to pull within four, but were shut down the rest of the contest, preserving a Scottsdale victory. Harper, who is hitting .474 in his last 10 games, was 3 for 3 with a home run, 3 RBI, 2 runs scored and 2 walks.

Dan Butler hit second and played catcher for the Scorpions, going 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored. Dent was 1 for 3 with 2 RBI as Scottsdale’s third baseman. Jeremy Kehrt made the start for the Scorpions, picking up the victory for his 2.0 innings pitched, allowing 1 run on 2 hits, striking out 2. Will Latimer added 2.0 innings of relief, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits and a walk, punching out 2.

The Scorpions will look to make it two victories in a row this evening as they square off against the Mesa Solar Sox at 9:35 EST.

Scorpions rally falls short in loss to Saguaros

2011-11-03T06:41:00.002-04:00

11/3 Cup of Coffee: Despite staging a late rally, the Scottsdale Scorpions fell to the Surprise Saguaros, 5-4.

Down 2-0 in the second, the Scorpions got on the board, thanks to a Zach Walters (WAS) sacrifice fly. The Saguaros would respond by scoring a run in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 4-1 lead. In the bottom half of the fifth, the Scorpions pulled to within two on a Brandon Crawford (SF) RBI single. Finding themselves down 5-2 in the bottom of the ninth, the Scorpions staged a rally, plating two runs on a two out RBI single by Derek Norris (WAS). Unfortunately for Scottsdale, the rally was killed with the tying run on third base.

Alex Hassan got the nod in left field, going 1 for 3 with a walk, strikeout and outfield assist. Juan Carlos Linares roamed center field, going 1 for 3. Ryan Dent was 0 for 3 with a walk and two strikeouts as the Scorpions second baseman.

The Scorpions will look to exact revenge this afternoon as they square off against the Saguaros once again at 3:35 EST.

Rookie options for 2012

2011-11-02T08:56:00.004-04:00

As new general manager Ben Cherington begins restructuring the Red Sox for the future, he has some rookie options he can look to in order to fill in the 2012 roster. While there may not be an instant All-Star, a Rookie of the Year candidate or even an immediate starter among those prospects, there are certainly players who could make an impact with the big-league club early in the season, others who could serve as solid emergency depth options in case of injury, and still others who have the potential to make contributions later in the season.

As the offseason begins, and before trade season heats up, here’s a breakdown of those options.

Potential Impact Rookies
Ryan Lavarnway -- One difficult decision for Cherington will be whether to let Jason Varitek walk in free agency, and then whether to pencil in Lavarnway as the backup backstop. While many scouts believe that Lavarnway is not ready defensively at this stage, most opine that he could be an average-to-better offensive player right out of the gate in 2012. There’s even some discussion as to whether he may be a successor to David Ortiz as the club’s primary designated hitter. Ultimately, Lavarnway’s role is likely to be determined by what Cherington decides to do with Varitek and Ortiz. In an ideal world, Boston would allow Lavarnway to get as many reps in with the big-league pitchers in spring training as possible, bring in an experienced defensive-minded catcher as a temporary backup, and allow Lavarnway to spend the first couple of months of the 2012 season in Triple-A Pawtucket with an eye toward a permanent promotion in June.

Check out the full column on ESPN Boston

Strong outings by Huntzinger and Clay lead Scottsdale to win

2011-11-02T06:47:00.003-04:00

11/2 Cup of Coffee: Scottsdale was able to get back to winning on Tuesday, defeating Peoria, 6-4.

The Scorpions scored 2 runs in both the first and third innings, and had a 4-0 lead entering the fourth inning. The Javelinas clawed their way back to tie the game at 4-4 after 5 innings. Scottsdale retook the lead in the bottom of the 6th on Joe Panik's (SF) 2-run home run, which proved to be enough as the bullpen held on for the victory. Offensively the team was led by Panik and Bryce Harper (WAS), who each went 2-4 with a home run and 2 RBI. For the Red Sox, Dan Butler went 1-3, while Alex Hassan went 0-3 with a sacrifice fly.

Brock Huntzinger started the game and contributed a very strong outing. Huntzinger went 4.0 innings and allowed 3 hits and a run. He did not walk a batter and struck out 3. Caleb Clay earned the win in relief, as he threw 2.0 perfect innings with 3 strikeouts.

Scottsdale next takes the field this evening, as it hosts Surprise at 9:35 EST.

Middlebrooks named to AFL Rising Stars Game

2011-11-01T17:28:00.000-04:00

Top prospect Will Middlebrooks was named to AFL Rising Stars Game according to the Arizona Fall League Twitter feed. The game will be held this Saturday, November 5th at 8:00 EST. You can watch it live on MLB Network as well as online at mlb.com

It is undetermined if Middlebrooks will be able to play on Saturday as he left last night's game with a thumb injury. Alex Speier reported today that the Red Sox believe the injury is minor, but are awaiting official medical reports before they decide if he can play.

Middlebrooks is currently hitting .250 with a .300 on-base percentage and .518 slugging percentage. While his .818 OPS is middle of the pack for the offensive friendly Arizona Fall League, he has flashed all the tools that make him the top ranked prospect in the Red Sox system by SoxProspects, including his plus defense at third base.

Scottsdale loses game to Surprise, and Middlebrooks to injury

2011-11-01T05:50:00.002-04:00

11/1 Cup of Coffee: Scottsdale got out to an early lead, but ultimately lost to Surprise, 8-5.

The Scorpions had a 2-0 lead after RBI singles by Brandon Crawford (SF) and Bryce Harper (WAS) in the bottom of the 1st. Surprise, who is pacing the AFL with a 17-6 record, answered back with 3 runs in the 4th and 6th innings to put them up for good. Offensively, Scottsdale was led by Crawford and Harper, who each went 2-4 with 2 RBI. Chris Scholl (LAA) took the mound for the Scorpions, and pitched the first 4 innings. He allowed 4 hits and 3 runs, while walking 2 and striking out 2. Austin Fleet (SF) took the loss in relief, as he allowed 4 hits and 3 runs in 1 inning of work. He did not walk a batter and struck out 2.

For the Red Sox, Will Middlebrooks went 0-2 with a walk, and left the game in the 8th inning with a hand injury. There is no word yet on the severity of his injury. Jeremy Kehrt pitched a scoreless inning of relief for the Scorpions, allowing 2 hits, walking 1 and striking out 1.

Scottsdale will look to get back in the win column tonight, as they host Peoria at 9:35 EST.

Caribbean Roundup: October 24-30

2011-10-31T08:13:00.004-04:00

Here are how Red Sox prospects fared over the past week in the Caribbean:

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League

Ryan Lavarnway (Bravos de Margarita): Did not make an appearance this week.

Ronald Bermudez (Leones del Caracas): Went 0 for 5 with a run scored in 3 games.

Oscar Perez (Tiburones de La Guaira): Did not make an appearance this week.

Oscar Tejeda (Gigantes del Cibao): Did not make an appearance this week.

Mexican Pacific League

Jesus Loya (Naranjeros de Hermosillo): Did not make an appearance this week.

Miguel Gonzalez (Venados de Mazatlan): Pitched 1.0 scoreless inning of relief, allowing 1 hit and punching out 1.

Dominican Winter League

Stolmy Pimentel (Estrellas de Oriente): Made a relief appearance on October 26 against Escogido, hurling 1.1 innings, allowing 2 walks and striking out 1.

Cesar Cabral (Aguilas Cibaenas): Appeared twice out of the bullpen, tossing 1.1 perfect innings, striking out 2.

Huge night from Middlebrooks not enough as Scorpions fall to the Rafters

2011-10-30T06:30:00.000-04:00

10/30 Cup of Coffee: Will Middlebrooks continued his hot hitting in Arizona, but the Scorpions bullpen could not hold the lead as the Rafters came back to win 4-3.

The Red Sox prospects led the way for the Scorpions, driving in all 3 runs the team scored. Middlebrooks hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first to give the Scorpions the early lead. Dan Butler hit an RBI single in the bottom of the 5th which tied the game at 2. In the bottom of the 7th with the game still tied at 2, Alex Hassan hit a home run to deep left center field to put the Scorpions on top 3-2. Unfortunately, the Rafters scored 1 in the 8th and 1 in the 9th to come away with the victory.The Scorpions are currently in last place with a record of 7-15.

Middlebrooks went 2 for 5 with a double, home run, and strikeout. JC Linares went 0 for 5 and is only 1 for 15 in the 3 games he has played for the Scorpions. Hassan went 1 for 3 with a home run, walk, strikeout, and also had an outfield assist. Butler, who has been one of the hottest hitters in the league, went 1 for 3 with a walk. Ryan Dent had one of his best games in Arizona, going 2 for 3 with a walk.

The Scorpions return to action with a home game on Halloween against Surprise at 3:35 EST.

Harper homers in third consecutive game as Scottsdale beats Salt River

2011-10-29T08:35:00.003-04:00

10/29 Cup of Coffee: Bryce Harper (WAS) is getting comfortable in Arizona. The stud prospect hit a home run in his third consecutive game and is now batting .435 over his last 6 appearances. His success has helped the last place Scorpions as they have now won two games in a row after beating the Salt River Rafters 9-5.

On a night when most Red Sox prospects did not play, it was more of the same for the Scorpions offense. Every player collected at least 1 hit, led by Harper's homer. RBI doubles from Mike Trout (LAA), Joe Panik (SF), and Zach Walters (WAS), proved to be too much for the Rafters as the Scorpions slugged their way to victory

Tyler Cloyd (PHI) pitched well to earn the win. He threw 4.0 innings allowing 2 runs on 4 hits. Will Latimer followed him and he threw 1.0 innings allowing 0 hits or runs. Caleb Clay threw a scoreless eighth, allowing 1 hit.

The Scorpions will look to push their mini win streak to 3 games tonight as they play the Rafters again. This game will be at home and will start at 9:35 EST.

Harper bashes Scorpions to walk off victory over Solar Sox

2011-10-28T07:18:00.001-04:00

10/28 Cup of Coffee: In one of the most exciting games this fall, the Scottsdale Scorpions walked off with an 8-7 victory over the Mesa Solar Sox.

With Scottsdale down 3-0 in the second, Darin Ruf (PHI) smacked a two run home run to bring the Scorpions within one. Bryce Harper’s (WAS) RBI single in the third tied the game, 3-3. After Mesa reclaimed the lead 4-3 in the top of the fourth, Jean Segura’s (LAA) RBI triple brought home two in the bottom half of the inning to give the Scorpions their first lead of the contest, 5-4. The Solar Sox quickly responded in the fifth, taking advantage of a wild pitch and a key throwing error by Harper to plate three runs and reclaim the lead, 7-5. The game remained in the hands of the Solar Sox until the bottom of the ninth, when Harper cracked a game winning three run home run.

Will Middlebrooks batted third and played third base, going 2 for 5 with a pair of singles. Alex Hassan got the nod in right field, going 0 for 4. Dan Butler was 1 for 4 with a single as Scottsdale’s catcher. Brock Huntzinger received the start for the Scorpions, going 3.0 innings, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits while striking out 3. Jeremy Kehrt added a scoreless inning of relief, allowing 1 hit and punching out 1.

The Scorpions will try to continue their winning ways this evening as they square off against the Salt River Rafters at 9:35 EST.

Despite Linares home run, Scottsdale gets blinded by Solar Sox

2011-10-27T08:19:00.003-04:00

10/27 Cup of Coffee: The Mesa Solar Sox jumped out to an early 8-0 lead and cruised to a 10-5 victory over Scottsdale last night.

The Scorpions didn’t get on the board until the fourth, when Bryce Harper (WAS) laced a two-out, three-run home run. Down 9-3 in the eighth, Scottsdale pulled to within four on a Juan Carlos Linares solo home run and a Harper sacrifice fly, but the lead was too much to overcome, as the Scorpions made three errors and went just 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position.

Linares batted second and played center field, going 1 for 5 with the solo home run. Ryan Dent hit ninth and played second base, going 2 for 3 with 2 doubles and a walk.

The Scorpions will look to get back into the win column this afternoon at 3:35 EST, as they try to exact revenge on the Solar Sox.

Player of the Day: Ryan Dent, who went 2 for 3 with 2 doubles and a walk.

Scottsdale doubled up by Peoria

2011-10-25T06:48:00.002-04:00

10/25 Cup of Coffee: Scottsdale held an early lead against Peoria on Monday, but could not hold onto it and ultimately lost, 8-4.

The Scorpions jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the 2nd on Joe Panik's (SF) 2-run home run, and led Peoria 3-1 entering the bottom of the 5th inning. The Javelinas scored 7 runs over the next 3 innings and did not allow Scottsdale to rally back. Offensively, the Scorpions were led by Panik, who went 2-3 with a walk, walk, home run and 2 RBI and Derek Norris (WAS), who went 2-2 with a walk, a double, a home run and 2 RBI. Sammy Solis (WAS) started for Scottsdale and went the first 5 innings. He allowed 4 hits, 2 runs, walked 1 and struck out 3. Pat Lehman (WAS) relieved Solis and took the loss, allowing 3 hits and 2 runs in an inning of work.

Red Sox minor league hitters appearing in this game were Will Middlebrooks, who went 0-5, and Alex Hassan, who went 1-4. Will Latimer got roughed up on the mound, as he gave up 4 hits and 4 runs in just a third of an inning, walking 1 and not recording a strikeout. Caleb Clay relieved Latimer and threw a shutout two thirds of an inning. He did not allow a hit, walked 1 and did not strike out anyone.

Scottsdale will look to get back in the win column this evening, as they host Peoria at 9:35 EST.

Caribbean Roundup: October 17-23

2011-10-24T07:53:00.007-04:00

Here are how Red Sox prospects fared over the past week in the Caribbean:

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League

Ryan Lavarnway (Bravos de Margarita): Was 1 for 2 with 2 walks in yesterday's contest against La Guaira.

Ronald Bermudez (Leones del Caracas): Went 1 for 6 with a double and two strikeouts in his two appearances this week.

Oscar Perez (Tiburones de La Guaira): Did not make an appearance this week.

Mexican Pacific League

Jesus Loya (Naranjeros de Hermosillo): Went hitless in 6 at-bats over two games.

Dominican Winter League

Stolmy Pimentel (Estrellas de Oriente): Made a relief appearance on October 21, tossing 1.2 innings against Licey, allowing 1 run on 2 hits, walking 1 and striking out 1.

Cesar Cabral (Aguilas Cibaenas): Appeared twice out of the bullpen, hurling 1.2 perfect innings, striking out 1.

Player of the Week: Cesar Cabral, who tossed 1.2 inning of flawless relief this week in two appearances out of the bullpen for Aguilas.

EDIT: Oscar Tejeda (Gigantes del Cibao): Played in three games, going 1 for 8 with a double, walk and 2 strikeouts.

Linares makes AFL debut in Scottsdale victory

2011-10-23T05:30:00.000-04:00

10/23 Cup of Coffee: Thanks to another balanced offensive attack and a tremendous showing by the bullpen, the Scottsdale Scorpions defeated the Phoenix Desert Dogs 9-4.

The Desert Dogs went up 4-0 after 4 innings thanks to home runs by Michael Choice (OAK) and Kevin Ahrens (TOR) off of Scottsdale starter Tyler Cloyd (PHI). While it looked like another long night for Scottsdale pitching, the bullpen stepped up and threw 4.0 scoreless innings to keep the Scorpions in the game.

The Scorpions tied the game up in the 6th after a home run by Brandon Crawford (SFG) and 2 run single by Ryan Dent. The game was tied until the 8th when a Zach Walters (WAS) home run put the Scorpions up for good.

Every Scottsdale starter except for Juan Carlos Linares had at least 1 hit in the game. Linares, who tore ligaments in his ankle on May 2nd, finally returned to game action on Saturday. He went 0 for 5 as he is still working his way back into game shape. To read more about Linares and the recovery from his injury, the great Alex Speier recently published an informative piece about him.

Ryan Dent was the only other Sox prospect to see game action on Saturday as he went 1 for 2 with 2 walks. The Scorpions have an off-day tomorrow before returning to action on Monday at 3:35 EST at Peoria.

Middlebrooks goes deep, but Scottsdale falls to Surprise

2011-10-22T05:30:00.000-04:00

10/22 Cup of Coffee: A good day for Sox prospects did not lead to a win as the Surprise Saguaros slugged their way to a 13-8 victory.

Will Middlebrooks went 2 for 5 with a home run and 3 RBI's to lead the Scorpion offense. Every Scorpion collected at least 1 hit in the game, with Dan Butler and Cody Overbeck (PHI) each going 3 for 4 and Jean Segura (LAA) going 2 for 4. Alex Hassan had the roughest night of the Red Sox prospects, going 1 for 5 and striking out 3 times.

While the offense was solid for Scottsdale, the pitching was shoddy. Matt Purke (WAS) made his first start as a professional and it was one to forget. He recorded only 1 out and allowed 7 runs on 5 hits, a walk, and a hit by pitch. Brock Huntzinger managed to keep Scottsdale in the game by throwing 3.0 solid innings allowing only 1 hit and striking out 3. The pitch f/x system had him hitting 93 several times with his fastball which is up from where he was earlier in the regular season.

After being down 8-2 in the 2nd inning, the Scorpions managed to tie the game at 8 in the top of the 7th thanks to a Butler single, but a 5 run bottom of the 7th for Surprise put an end to the comeback. The Scorpions play tomorrow at 3:35 EST at Phoenix.

SoxProspects News

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Shipley out as Sox Director of International Scouting

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Butler a finalist for Arizona Fall League's Stenson Award

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Q&A with Evan Lepler

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Success stories in the desert

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Middlebrooks named to AFL Rising Stars Game

Scottsdale loses game to Surprise, and Middlebrooks to injury

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