Trade Analysis: Scouting the prospects dealt for Garrett Crochet

On Wednesday afternoon, the Red Sox finally secured the high-end starting pitcher they have been after for years, acquiring 25-year-old left-handed starter Garrett Crochet from the White Sox for a package of four prospects: catcher Kyle Teel, outfielder Braden Montgomery, infielder Chase Meidroth, and right-handed pitcher Wikelman Gonzalez. Crochet is coming off an All-Star season during which he had a 3.58 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 146 innings with 209 strikeouts to 33 walks. He is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to make roughly $2.9 million next year in his second year of arbitration. The 146 innings was more than he had thrown in his prior three MLB seasons combined, which were marked by a variety of injuries including Tommy John surgery in 2022 and shoulder inflammation in 2023, and during which he worked out of the bullpen. Still, his stuff, when healthy, is electric, and he finally showed what he is capable of in a starter's role in 2024. 

To acquire Crochet, the Red Sox gave up quite the trade package, sending four prospects in their (very strong) top 20 as ranked here by SoxProspects. Here is a look at the former Red Sox farmhands changing the color of their hosiery today: 

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Trade Analysis: Scouting the Aldo Ramirez for Kyle Schwarber deal

After the Yankees and Rays made substantial moves ahead of the Trade Deadline, it was only a matter of time before the Red Sox made a deal to improve their team. Late Thursday night, the Red Sox announced they had acquired outfielder Kyle Schwarber from the Washington Nationals for right-handed pitcher Aldo Ramirez. 

Schwarber has been very good this year in Washington, hitting .253/.340/.570 with 25 home runs in 303 plate appearances. That season line is driven by a remarkable month of June during which he hit .280/.362/.760 with 16 home runs in 116 plate appearances. Prior to that, he was hitting .230/.319/.447 with 9 home runs in 182 plate appearances. In early July, however, Schwarber suffered a right hamstring strain and he has been on the injured list since then. He is due back at some point in early August, at which point he should provide a big boost to a Red Sox lineup that is only averaging 4.3 runs since the All-Star break. Schwarber has exclusively played outfield this year and there isn't a clear spot for him in the current Red Sox lineup. I suspect the Red Sox will try him at first base, where they have a substantial need as they have got among the worst production in all of baseball from that position. He also will likely play some outfield and at designated hitter in order to keep his bat in the lineup. Schwarber has an $11.5 million mutual option for next year and a $3 million buyout. If he picks up the option the calculus changes some, but for now, we will operate under the impression he will decline it. 

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Red Sox Trade Deadline Primer

Trade chips likely to come from 40-man jam, complexes as deadline approaches

For the first time since Chaim Bloom became Chief Baseball Officer of the Boston Red Sox, they are in the position to be buyers at the trade deadline. The Red Sox and Rays are going to be fighting for the division down the stretch, with the Yankees also not to be counted out. With the Rays already adding Nelson Cruz, there will be even more pressure on the Red Sox to make a move and address some of their weaknesses. 

The three areas that the Red Sox seem most likely to target for improvement are first base, a utility bench spot and pitching. At first base, they could use a left-handed hitter to complement the right-handed hitting options they have there.  For the bench, neither Marwin Gonzalez nor Danny Santana has established themselves in the super utility bench role, as both have struggled at the plate. Lastly, every team needs pitching depth, and the Red Sox are no different. They could use a reliever to help ease the burden on some of their late-inning arms, as Matt Barnes, Adam Ottavino, Garrett Whitlock and Josh Taylor are all pushing towards career highs in innings pitched. 

The Red Sox also could look outside of those three areas, as Bloom has shown he is always looking for ways to upgrade the roster both in the short-term and long-term. If they made a move for the long-term, all bets are off as to who would be on the table. If they choose to focus on smaller deals and rentals, however, there are three types of prospects they will likely look to deal from: 

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Trade Analysis: Scouting the Ian Kinsler for Ty Buttrey and Williams Jerez deal

Late Monday night, the Red Sox announced that they had acquired second baseman Ian Kinsler from the Los Angeles Angels for right-hander Ty Buttrey and left-hander Williams Jerez. I had the chance to see both earlier this year with Pawtucket and coincidentally wrote them up together. Here's another look at that piece from June 19th (with the stats updated and a note on Buttrey's injury status added).

Since he converted to pitching in 2014, left-hander Williams Jerez’s development has been slow, but after being added back onto the 40-man roster this past offseason, he looks to be on the brink of making his big league debut at some point in 2018. Jerez’s velocity is among the best in the Red Sox system and his secondary pitches continue to develop.

In a recent look, which was also Jerez’s best outing of the year, he struck out five of the seven batters he faced over 2 1/3 perfect innings. Jerez showed off his potential, flummoxing several ex-major league hitters with both his fastball and secondary pitches. His fastball sat 96-98 mph and topped out at 99 mph. The pitch was on the straight side, so if his command is off, the pitch gets hit, which has been the case in several outings this year. Even during this excellent outing, when he was controlling the pitch well, he struggled to command the pitch arm-side. For this reason, refining his fastball command will be key for him to reach his potential.

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Trade Analysis: Scouting the prospects dealt to the Mets for Addison Reed

After trading for Eduardo Nunez last week, the Red Sox made their second move of the trade deadline period Monday morning, acquiring right-handed pitcher Addison Reed from the New York Mets for three right-handed pitching prospects, all relievers—Jamie Callahan, Stephen Nogosek, and Gerson Bautista. 

The 28-year old Reed has late-inning experience with both the White Sox and the Mets, having closed for both teams. This year, Reed has a 2.57 ERA (3.15 FIP) and 1.12 WHIP with 48 strikeouts and only six walks in 49 innings. He has served as the Mets' closer with Jeurys Familia on the disabled list, but his performance has tailed off some after a standout 2016, with his strikeout rate down from 29.9% to 24% and groundball rate down from 39.5% to 38.4%. His home run-per-fly ball rate is also up significantly from 5.4% to 9.4%. 

But after another loss Sunday in which the Red Sox bullpen blew the lead in the eighth inning, Reed represents a definite upgrade in setting up the bridge to closer Craig Kimbrel, having pitched in the American League before and with the experience and skillset to help extend the Red Sox bullpen. He can get both right-handed and left-handed hitters out, and his acquisition should push Matt Barnes to the seventh inning and allow John Farrell to use Brandon Workman even earlier in high leverage situations. Should Joe Kelly and, potentially, Carson Smith return healthy, the Red Sox could have a very strong bullpen down the stretch.

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Trade Analysis: Scouting the prospects dealt for Eduardo Nunez

While the Red Sox were in the late innings of their West Coast game against Seattle, the team announced their first move of the trade deadline acquiring utility player Eduardo Nunez from the San Francisco Giants for right-handed pitchers Shaun Anderson (pictured) and Gregory Santos. Anderson is currently 17th on the SoxProspects rankings, while the 17-year-old Santos was unranked.

Nunez has played in 76 games for San Francisco this year, hitting .308/.334/.417 with four home runs and 18 stolen bases. He rarely strikes out or walks and lacks power. His average is driven largely by BABIP and inflated by his speed. Defensively, Nunez has played primarily third base but has spent some time in left field, right field and at shortstop. Nunez doesn’t grade out very well on the advanced defensive metrics, with negative defensive runs saved at every position he’s played this year and -2.0 defensive WAR according to Fangraphs. While Nunez doesn’t seem like a major upgrade offensively or defensively, his speed does bring a new dimension to the Red Sox bench that it hasn’t had in a while. Nunez stole 40 bases last year and his 18 this year would lead the team, one ahead of Mookie Betts.

Another motivation in acquiring Nunez was likely his salary, which was relatively low among the rental players available. The Red Sox will be on the hook for just $1.5 million for the rest of the year, which leaves them with room to make more deals while staying under the luxury tax. Nunez did come at a cost, however, as Anderson has established himself as one of the more intriguing pitchers in the second tier of the system, and Santos represents a lottery ticket with solid statistics in the DSL.

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Transaction Analysis: Breaking down the Rafael Devers call-up

Following another loss on Sunday in which the offense struggled to score runs, Red Sox President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski announced that the team was calling up the farm system’s top prospect, third baseman Rafael Devers. Devers will join the team in Seattle on Monday and make his first start on Tuesday (against Felix Hernandez). Indications are that he will be the club’s primary third baseman against right-handed pitchers, with Deven Marrero continuing to man the position against left-handers.

The move comes just one week after the 20-year-old Devers was promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket—a move that many had clamored for much sooner. The promotion evoked reactions across the spectrum: The Red Sox are making the move to kick-start the offense, or perhaps they’re getting a look at Devers in the majors before making a move for another third baseman by the deadline. 

Third base has been a black hole for the Red Sox this year with the seven players who have played there putting up a combined line of .227/.280/.320 and -1.9 bWAR, 28th in baseball at the position. For context, the AL average at third base is .252/.321/.438 and MLB average is .257/.330/.445. The Red Sox are hoping that Devers can give them a much-needed boost, but the move is aggressive—Devers will become the youngest active player in the majors by just short of eight months—and Devers could struggle out of the gates, especially defensively.

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Trade Analysis: Scouting Nick Longhi, Stanley Espinal and Imeldo Diaz

Sunday marked the beginning of the 2017-18 international amateur signing period, with the Red Sox making a big splash in having reached reported agreements for three signings of over $1 million. But with this the first international period under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the club entered with a hard $4.75 million bonus pool cap. With reported agreements with three Venezuelan players alone reaching $6.1 million—those with catcher Daniel Flores for $3.1 million, shortstop Danny Diaz for $1.6 million and shortstop Antoni Flores for $1.4 million—it was clear the organization would need to trade for more pool space.

In a series of moves Sunday morning, the Red Sox did just that, trading away three prospects for bonus pool space: the number 13 prospect in the just-updated SoxProspects rankings, Portland first baseman Nick Longhi (pictured above), to Cincinnati in exchange for $2.75M in space, and two Lowell infielders, third baseman Stanley Espinal and infielder Imeldo Diaz, to St. Louis. The Reds and Cardinals were both capped at spending $300,000 per player after exceeding their bonus pool during the previous season, thus they were both unlikely to spend their allotted pools—$5.25 million for the Reds and $5.75 for the Cards. 

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Confirmed: Chavis, De La Guerra promoted to Portland

SoxProspects.com has confirmed through sources that the Red Sox are promoting third baseman Michael Chavis (pictured, right) and middle infielder Chad De La Guerra from High A Salem to Double-A Portland. The news was also tweeted by a teammate while we were seeking confirmation.

Update: When announcing these transactions on Thursday morning, the Salem Red Sox announced that right-handed pitcher Stephen Nogosek and infielder Nick Lovullo will be coming up from Greenville to fill the vacated roster spots. More on these players below.

Chavis, currently ranked seventh in the SoxProspects rankings, and De La Guerra, who recently made his debut at number 60 in the rankings, played in Tuesday night's Carolina League All-Star Game, which was hosted by Salem. Both are in the midst of breakout seasons.

Chavis, the Red Sox first selection in the 2014 draft at number 26 overall, has easily been the system's best hitter over the first half of this season. After struggling some in his first full season with Greenville in 2015 and suffering through an injury-marred 2016, he has been a revelation in Salem this year, hitting .318/.388/.641 with 17 home runs while playing in a ballpark notorious for depressing home run power. Chavis has already set the single-season record at Lewis-Gale Field with 12 home runs, a stunning number considering that the Salem club hit 18 home runs combined at home in 2016.

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#7 prospect Lakins promoted to Portland; Callahan to Pawtucket (UPDATED)

SoxProspects.com sources have confirmed that right-handed pitcher Travis Lakins has been promoted to Double-A Portland. Lakins, currently the seventh-ranked prospect in the SoxProspects rankings, has been off to a phenomenal start to the 2017 season in his return to High A Salem. In seven starts, the 22-year-old is 5-0 with a 2.61 ERA, allowing 13 walks while striking out 43 in 38 innings. 

Lakins has been consistently excellent this season, allowing two or fewer runs in all but one of his seven starts. In his final start for Salem on Tuesday night, Lakins earned the win after allowing one run in 6 2/3 innings on 2 hits and 4 walks while striking out 8 hitters.

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Trade Analysis: Scouting the prospects dealt for Tyler Thornburg

It had been a quiet start to the offseason for the Red Sox, but the club made its first addition to the major league roster on Tuesday morning, acquiring right-handed reliever Tyler Thornburg from Milwaukee in exchange for corner infielder Travis Shaw, shortstop Mauricio Dubon and right-hander Josh Pennington. To acquire Thornburg to work the eighth inning in front of closer Craig Kimbrel, the Red Sox gave up three solid depth pieces, but none of them have the type of upside that will likely come back to haunt the Red Sox in the long term.

Red Sox president Dave Dombrowski had listed an eighth-inning reliever as a priority this offseason and he appears to have gotten his man, as Thornburg will slide in as one of the top pitchers in the Boston bullpen. Once a notable starting pitching prospect for the Brewers, rated as the 100th prospect in baseball by Baseball Prospectus before the 2013 season, Thornburg broke out in a big way in 2016. In 67 innings for Milwaukee, the 28-year-old Thornburg pitched to a 2.15 ERA with 90 strikeouts and 25 walks and was worth 2.0 fWAR. Adding to his value, Thornburg is arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason and will not hit free agency until after the 2019 season. However, he does carry a bit of an injury history, suffering an elbow injury in 2014 that nearly led to Tommy John surgery, but he instead opted to receive a platelet-rich plasma injection, which helped him avoid going under the knife.

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Travis Shaw, who played in 145 games at third and first base for the Red Sox last season, headlines the package going to the Brewers and was reportedly the piece Milwaukee inquired about to get trade talks moving. Shaw's major league career got off to a great start, as he hit .270/.327/.487 in 65 games in 2015 and then slashed .292/.358/.508 in the first two months of 2016. However, Shaw slumped mightily from then on, hitting just .206/.270/.362 the rest of the way and losing his starting job in August.

Shaw did not have a clear spot on the Red Sox roster going forward with the return of Pablo Sandoval, reliable presence of Brock Holt, and the potential emergence of top prospect Rafael Devers (and at the time the deal was announced, one would have added Yoan Moncada, who was moved later in the day to Chicago), but he will likely receive everyday playing time in Milwaukee at third base, shifting Jonathan Villar back to his more natural position of second base.

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Mauricio Dubon is the most significant prospect heading to the Brewers in this deal, ranked ninth in the SoxProspects.com rankings at the time of the trade. He was named the SoxProspects.com Breakout Player of the Year after a season in which he slashed .323/.379/.461 between Salem and Portland. Though Dubon has shown a strong hit tool since entering the Red Sox organization, he showed improved power last season after his promotion to Portland, where he slugged .538 with 20 doubles, six triples, and six home runs. The Red Sox drafted Dubon in the 26th round in 2013, and should he reach the major leagues, he would be the first-ever Honduran native to do so.

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Trade Analysis: Scouting the pitching prospects dealt for Chris Sale

After acquiring right-handed reliever Tyler Thornburg from the Milwaukee Brewers earlier in the day (look for a coming Trade Analysis on that deal), the Red Sox went out and made an even bigger move on Tuesday, acquiring left-handed pitcher Chris Sale for a package featuring four prospects, including the top prospect in the SoxProspects rankings in infielder Yoan Moncada, right-hander Michael Kopech, outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe and right-hander Victor Diaz.

Dave Dombrowski has shown since he first joined the organization that he is unafraid to deal top prospects if he thinks it can help the team win now. In acquiring Sale, the Red Sox added one of the best pitchers in all of baseball—who has had a lot of success against American League East opponents—on a very team friendly contract for the next three years, costing just $6.5 million against the competitive balance tax.

The cost to acquire Sale, however, was not as cheap. The Red Sox had to include three of the top 10 prospects in the system and four prospects who all have significant upside but come with risk. The depth the system had when Dombrowski took over is now gone and the cupboard has been picked thin—10 of the prospects in last October’s SoxProspects Top 20 have been traded in just over a year’s time. A few years down the line, this trade could look very different if a few of the prospects involved reach their potential, especially if one is Moncada. Still, the cost was easier to stomach given that the club was able to hold on to all of its young, established talent at the big league level, including Andrew Benintendi.

This morning we posted Part One of our Trade Analysis that focused on the hitting prospects in the deal. Part Two below will focus on the two pitching prospects in the deal.

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In addition to Yoan Moncada, the other top five prospect from the Red Sox system heading to the White Sox is right-hander Michael Kopech. Kopech’s 2016 was a season of extremes: After getting suspended for the second half of 2015 for his use of a diet supplement on the list of MLB's banned substances, the 2014 supplemental first-round pick broke his hand in an altercation with a teammate in spring training. When he finally did take the mound, though, he turned heads with his fastball. While the authenticity of his reported, mythical 105-mile-per-hour pitch may be debated through the ages, what cannot be questioned was his dominance from the rubber. In 52 innings for Salem, he recorded 82 punchouts and allowed only 25 hits. The excellence continued against the stiffer competition of the Arizona Fall League. In 22 1/3 innings, he struck out 26 and posted a 2.10 ERA, leading Baseball America to rate Kopech the number-two prospect in that circuit.

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Trade Analysis: Scouting the hitting prospects dealt for Chris Sale

After acquiring right-handed reliever Tyler Thornburg from the Milwaukee Brewers earlier in the day (look for a coming Trade Analysis on that deal), the Red Sox went out and made an even bigger move on Tuesday, acquiring left-handed pitcher Chris Sale for a package featuring four prospects, including the top prospect in the SoxProspects rankings in infielder Yoan Moncada, right-hander Michael Kopech, outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe and right-hander Victor Diaz.

Dave Dombrowski has shown since he first joined the organization that he is unafraid to deal top prospects if he thinks it can help the team win now. In acquiring Sale, the Red Sox added one of the best pitchers in all of baseball—who has had a lot of success against American League East opponents—on a very team friendly contract for the next three years, costing just $6.5 million against the competitive balance tax.

The cost to acquire Sale, however, was not as cheap. The Red Sox had to include three of the top 10 prospects in the system and four prospects who all have significant upside but come with risk. The depth the system had when Dombrowski took over is now gone and the cupboard has been picked thin—10 of the prospects in last October’s SoxProspects Top 20 have been traded in just over a year’s time. A few years down the line, this trade could look very different if a few of the prospects involved reach their potential, especially if one is Moncada. Still, the cost was easier to stomach given that the club was able to hold on to all of its young, established talent at the big league level, including Andrew Benintendi.

Part One of our Trade Analysis will focus on the Moncada and Basabe, while Part Two posting this afternoon will focus on the two arms in the deal. Senior Staff Writer James Dunne contributed to this piece.

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The centerpiece of the package heading to the White Sox is Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada. Less than two years ago, the Red Sox signed Moncada for a $31.5 million bonus plus a 100% tax penalty for having already exceeded the international signing cap threshold. Even at that $63 million total price, Moncada had shown that massive investment to potentially be worth it. After a long layoff, he began his pro career with a sputter, hitting .200/.287/.289 in his first 25 games for Greenville. Any fears from that early performance were quickly put to rest when Moncada tortured South Atlantic League pitching to the tune of .310/.415/.500 the rest of the season.

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Outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe promoted to Salem

The Red Sox have announced that they will promote outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe (pictured) to High-A Salem. The 20-year-old Basabe places eighth in the SoxProspects.com rankings and has enjoyed a solid season in Low-A Greenville, slashing .258/.325/.447 in 105 games with the Drive. He will join Salem for their remaining five games of the season as well as the playoffs. 

Basabe signed with the Red Sox alongside his twin brother Luis Alejandro Basabe (who was traded to Arizona in the Brad Ziegler trade this July) in 2012. He jumped onto the prospect radar after hitting .243/.340/.401 and flashing plenty of tools as an 18-year-old in Lowell last season. Basabe came into this season with a bit of hype, but struggled in the first half, hitting only .222/.293/.397 and striking out at a 29.9% rate. However, the toolsy outfielder adjusted at the plate and improved to .292/.355/.493 in the second half.

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Transaction Analysis: Breaking down the Yoan Moncada call-up

The Red Sox announced on Wednesday evening that the system’s top prospect, infielder Yoan Moncada, will be selected to the active major league roster from Double-A Portland on Friday when rosters expand. Based on comments by Boston manager John Farrell to the press earlier in the day, it is likely that Moncada will see time at third base, a position he only began playing earlier in the month, as well as provide speed off the bench once he joins the club in Oakland.

The 21-year-old Cuban was ranked as the top prospect in baseball at midseason by Baseball America and MLB.com, while Baseball Prospectus ranked him second. He will reach the major leagues less than two years after signing with Boston for a $31.5 million bonus in March 2015, a figure on which the club paid a 100 percent tax, having already gone over its international bonus cap. Although yet to make his major league debut, he shows sufficient promise for that record bonus to look like money well spent for a club that now turns to him for a shot in the arm entering the stretch run of a pennant chase.

After signing to great fanfare during spring training last season, Moncada spent time in extended spring training to shake off rust from a year-plus layoff, and his professional debut was then delayed further until mid-May because of a shoulder strain. After finally being assigned to Low A Greenville, he took some time to adjust, scuffling through his first 25 games. But after the all-star break, something clicked. In his final 56 games, Moncada hit .310/.415/.500 with seven home runs and 45 steals, reaching safely in all but six of those contests.

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Moncada, Kopech headline seven headed to Arizona Fall League

This year's Arizona Fall League rosters have been announced and the Red Sox will send seven prospects. Four of these prospects place in the top 20 of the SoxProspects.com rankings, including second baseman Yoan Moncada (1st), right-handed pitcher Michael Kopech (5th), infielder Mauricio Dubon (11th), and left-handed pitcher Trey Ball (17th). Left-handers Jalen Beeks (30th) and Jamie Callahan and outfielder Danny Mars will also suit up for the Surprise Saguaros. This marks an young group for the Red Sox as the 23-year-old Beeks is the oldest of the bunch and every player began the season at Salem, with Moncada, Dubon, and Beeks all receiving mid-season promotions to Portland. 

Moncada (pictured) will enter the AFL coming off a season which has seen him slash a phenomenal .298/.411/.518 with 31 doubles, 15 home runs, and 45 stolen bases between Salem and Portland. The Red Sox will send Moncada to Arizona with the intention of giving him more experience at third base, where he has played just nine games this season after a recent transition. [UPDATE: Moncada was promoted to Boston just after initial publishing of this story.]

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2014 First-rounder Michael Chavis promoted to High A Salem

SoxProspects.com Executive Editor Chris Hatfield is reporting that third baseman Michael Chavis has been promoted to High A Salem. Boston’s 2014 first-round pick, Chavis has hit .244/.321/.391 in 74 games with Greenville this season and is the organization’s 13th-ranked prospect on SoxProspects.com. 

Chavis joins a Salem squad that has already clinched a playoff berth by virtue of its first-half division championship. With Rafael Devers already patrolling Salem’s hot corner, Chavis will likely split time with the Dominican slugger at that position and get at-bats as a designated hitter. 

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Cosart, Fernandez promoted to Salem; Nogosek to Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted a trio of pitchers, SoxProspects.com Executive Editor Chris Hatfield has confirmed through a source. Right-handed relievers Jake Cosart (pictured) and Jeffry Fernandez will go from Low A Greenville to High A Salem, while fellow righty Steve Nogosek joins Greenville from the Short Season-A Lowell Spinners.

Cosart, 22, has made a big step forward in 2016 following a full-time conversion to the bullpen. The 2014 third-round pick struggled in the Lowell rotation last year, posting a 5.45 ERA in nine starts, and walking 20 batters against only 27 strikeouts in 33 innings. Moved into a relief role with the Drive, Cosart has shined, lowering his ERA to 2.22 in 52 2/3 innings. His strikouts have made a leap forward in the shorter role with 76, equating to a very impressive 13 per nine innings, while walking only 25 batters. In a recent Scouting Scratch, SoxProspects.com Director of Scouting Ian Cundall was impressed by Cosart's arm strength and fastball, but noted his maximum effort delivery. Cosart is the highest ranked player of the group, currently 29th on SoxProspects.com.

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Transaction Analysis: Breaking down the Andrew Benintendi call-up

The Red Sox will purchase the contract of outfielder Andrew Benintendi on Tuesday, the number two prospect in the most recent SoxProspects .com rankings. The news was first reported by Will Carroll. Per Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald, Benintendi will join the Red Sox in Seattle tomorrow, a report that was confirmed by Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.

It has been a meteoric rise to the major leagues for Benintendi, the seventh overall pick in the 2015 draft. His star really began to rise in 2015. Benintendi was not regarded as a potential top pick heading into the college season, but a dominant spring for the Arkansas Razorbacks earned him recognition as the consensus collegiate player of the year, winning four such honors including the Golden Spikes Award, and rocketed him up the draft boards. He did not miss a beat after signing, hitting .313/.416/.556 between Lowell and Greenville in his professional debut.

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Trade Analysis: Scouting the Pat Light for Fernando Abad deal

A few hours prior to the trade deadline, the Red Sox announced they had traded right-handed pitcher Pat Light to the Minnesota Twins in return for left-handed pitcher Fernando Abad. The 30-year-old Abad gives the Red Sox another left-handed option and depth in the bullpen, especially once Craig Kimbrel returns from the disabled list.

In 34 innings, Abad has a 2.65 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with 29 strikeouts and 14 walks. He has been especially effective against lefties, allowing only eight hits and a triple slash of .163/.192/.265 in 49 at-bats against him this season. Given the returns other relievers have gone for leading up to the deadline, acquiring Abad for just Light seems like a solid deal for the Red Sox.

A 2012 supplemental first-round pick (37th overall), Light ranked as the 13th-best prospect in the SoxProspects rankings at the time of the trade. Light signed for an under-slot deal of $1-million out of the draft, but struggled as a starter over his first few years in the organization. He moved to the bullpen full-time in 2015 and started to turn things around, showing off an intriguing fastball-splitter combination. This year, Light has spent the majority of the season with Triple-A Pawtucket, putting up a 2.32 ERA with a 1.23 WHIP in 31 innings to go along with 17 walks compared to 36 strikeouts. Light has also spent some time with the Red Sox this year, but struggled in two appearances over 2 2/3 innings, allowing seven hits, eight runs (seven earned), and two home runs.

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Red Sox trade Pat Light for Fernando Abad

Flame-throwing reliever Pat Light is the latest prospect-casualty of the trade deadline for the Red Sox. The 2012 supplemental first-round draft pick was traded to the Minnesota Twins on Monday for left-handed reliever Fernando Abad, as announced by the team.

Coming out of Monmouth College, most analysts felt he was destined for a bullpen role, but the Red Sox put Light into the starting rotation upon entering the system, where he found little success. The right-hander was converted to relief in 2015 and impressed in 21 appearances with Portland, a key component of which was the reintroduction of his plus-to-better splitter, a pitch the Red Sox asked him to not throw early in his pro career for developmental reasons. He put up solid numbers this year in Pawtucket, and there were hopes he could help the Boston bullpen this year, but his two appearances with the parent club resulted in a total of six earned runs. According to SoxProspects Director of Scouting Ian Cundall, the 25-year-old has hit 100 mph and consistently sits 94-97 mph, but has struggled with control throughout his career.

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Trade Analysis: Scouting the Espinoza for Pomeranz deal

The Red Sox are all in for 2016. That much was clear following the reported Drew Pomeranz for Anderson Espinoza trade that came down Thursday evening. In dealing for Pomeranz, the Red Sox filled their desperate need for a starting pitcher, acquiring a left-hander who has been well above-average for the first half of the season but has a limited track record, has never topped 147 1/3 innings, and has an injury history. Pomeranz is under team control through 2018, so this is not a rental, and the price for starting pitching--particularly for team-controlled starting pitching--was going to be steep given how thin this year's trade market looks to be. But even with that in mind, the Red Sox paid a steep price in giving up one of the most exciting pitching prospects to come through the organization in a number of years.

The only piece heading back to the Padres is a good one in 18-year-old right-handed pitcher Anderson Espinoza. The Venezuelan signed in July 2014 as the top pitching prospect on the international market for $1.8 million. We began to hear glowing reports about Espinoza during extended spring training 2015, and he excelled in four starts in the Dominican Summer League in his first taste of pro ball before moving up to the Gulf Coast League and continuing to dominate, posting a 0.68 ERA and 0.83 WHIP in ten four-inning starts, striking out 40 batters. He earned a one-game cup of coffee with the Greenville Drive to end the season, allowing three runs in 3 1/3 innings, but holding his own despite being more than a year younger than any other player in the league at the time of the start.

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REPORT: Anderson Espinoza traded for Drew Pomeranz

In a move first reported by Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald, the Red Sox have traded right-handed pitcher Anderson Espinoza (pictured) to the San Diego Padres in exchange for left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz. The trade is a one-for-one deal, as first reported by Jon Morosi. Espinoza is the third-ranked prospect on SoxProspects.com and ranked 14th in all of baseball on Keith Law's midseason top 50, released today, and 15th on Baseball America's midseason top 100 released earlier this week. In return for the club's top pitching prospect, the Red Sox add a first-time All-Star who is under team control through 2018, gambling that his breakout season is for real and that he can hold down a spot for the beleaguered Boston rotation.

Espinoza, whom the Red Sox signed to a $1,800,000 bonus in July 2014, is considered one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball. The youngest player in the  Low A South Atlantic League, he has a 4.38 ERA with 72 strikeouts and 27 walks in 76 innings with Greenville this season. The precocious young right-hander has the potential for three plus pitches and advanced pitchability for his age. Look for Ian Cundall's Trade Analysis feature to be posted to the News Page shortly for more scouting information on Espinoza, but for now, here is his Scouting Scratch posted just three days ago. 

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Red Sox trade Luis Alejandro Basabe, Jose Almonte for Brad Ziegler

The Red Sox announced early Saturday morning that they have traded second baseman Luis Alejandro Basabe (pictured) and right-handed pitcher Jose Almonte to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for right-handed relief pitcher Brad Ziegler. With this move, the Red Sox add an impact arm to their bullpen in exchange for a pair of Low A players including one top 20 prospect in the SoxProspects.com rankings.

Basabe, who currently ranks 18th on the SoxProspects.com rankings and was poised to move to the cusp of the top 10 in a rankings update coming after Friday's draft signing deadline, has enjoyed a breakout season with Greenville this year. Playing alongside his twin brother Luis Alexander, who is currently 11th in the SoxProspects.com rankings, he has slashed an impressive .310/.412/.467 with 14 stolen bases and earned a trip to the South Atlantic League All-Star Game. Although hampered in the past two seasons by injuries, mostly due from getting hit on the wrist in the same spot by multiple pitches, he has stayed healthy this season and his game has benefitted as a result.

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Wilkerson, Rijo dealt for Aaron Hill

The Red Sox have traded right-handed pitcher Aaron Wilkerson (pictured) and second baseman Wendell Rijo to the Milwaukee Brewers for infielder Aaron Hill, the team announced Thursday. The move nets the Red Sox a right-handed hitting infielder, a wish list item of manager John Farrell, but costs them two prospects in the top 50 on the SoxProspects.com rankings.

Wilkerson, ranked as the team’s 30th prospect by SoxProspects.com, has emerged this season as one of the most successful pitchers in the organization. The 27-year-old was pitching in independent ball as recently as 2013, before signing with Boston. Splitting time between Portland and Pawtucket, Wilkerson has pitched to a 2.14 ERA in 16 starts this year. He owes much of his success to his ability to stay around the plate, boasting 4.08 K/BB ratio. Director of Scouting Ian Cundall recently wrote up a Scouting Scratch after seeing him in Pawtucket, and Managing Editor Matt Huegel also talked to him about his journey.

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Red Sox promote Miller, option Cuevas

The Red Sox have continued to shuffle their 25-man roster, selecting infielder Mike Miller (pictured) to the active roster from Pawtucket optioning right-handed pitcher William Cuevas. Miller will take the open spot on the 40-man roster vacated when Rusney Castillo was outrighted to Pawtucket last week.

Miller was drafted in the ninth round of the 2012 draft out of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, receiving a $5,000 signing bonus as a "senior sign." In 52 minor league games this season (46 in Pawtucket, six in Portland), he has slashed .251/.317/.301 with eight stolen bases. He profiles as a contact hitter with a decent approach but little power. Defensively, he has primarily split his time between second base, shortstop, and third base as a professional and will provide infield depth off the bench, likely being selected for the promotion because Deven Marrero cannot be recalled to the major leagues (without a player going onto the disabled list) until 10 days have passed from his being optioned on Saturday.

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Sources: Mauricio Dubon promoted to Portland

SoxProspects.com Executive Editor Chris Hatfield is reporting that shortstop Mauricio Dubon (pictured) has been promoted to Double-A Portland following his appearance in Tuesday's Carolina-California League All-Star Game. He will join the recently promoted Yoan Moncada as well as outfielder Andrew Benintendi who both had strong starts to the year at Salem with Dubon. He becomes the fourth player to make the jump from Salem to Portland this week, joining Moncada, right-hander Ben Taylor, and left-hander Jalen Beeks, who is expected to also officially be called up today to start for the Sea Dogs.

Now ranked the 12th best prospect in the system in the SoxProspects.com rankings (and likely poised to rise even higher in next week's rankings update), Dubon's stock has been on the rise since 2014 when he began putting up impressive numbers in Lowell. He finally broke into the top 20 in the rankings midway through last year, a season where he hit .288/.349/.376 with 30 steals split between Greenville and Salem.

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Moncada, Beeks, Taylor promoted to Portland

Following Sunday's game, the first-half finale for the Salem Red Sox, the club announced the promotions of second baseman Yoan Moncada, left-hander Jalen Beeks, and right-hander Ben Taylor to Double-A Portland. At present time, corresponding roster moves are unknown, although right-hander Justin Haley had been promoted to Pawtucket from Portland on Friday, opening one spot on the roster and in the rotation that Beeks will likely fill.

Moncada, currently the top-ranked prospect on the SoxProspects.com rankings, had a very strong first half for Salem, which ended on Sunday with his slugging the game-winning home run in the eighth inning of Salem's 2-1 victory over Winston-Salem. He hit .307/.427/.496 with 25 doubles, 3 triples, 4 home runs, and 45 walks to 60 strikeouts over 61 games.

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Red Sox promote Henry Ramos to Pawtucket

Per Kevin Thomas of the Portland Press Herald, the Red Sox have promoted outfield prospect Henry Ramos (pictured) to Triple-A Pawtucket. Ramos, who is 32nd in the SoxProspects.com rankings, was in the midst of his third season in Double-A Portland. The 24-year-old was performing well for the Sea Dogs, slashing .281/.333/.406 through 42 games and had been even better of late, hitting .304 in May. 

A former fifth-round pick in 2010, Ramos's career has stalled a bit in recent seasons. He got off to a great start with Portland in his first taste of Double-A in 2014, hitting .326/.368/.431 in 48 games, but has dealt with a slew of injuries since then. Ramos suffered a season-ending stress fracture in his left tibia in 2014 and then played only 48 games between knee injuries last season. That knee again bothered Ramos earlier this season, but he has been able to stay on the field and produce this year.

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Red Sox promote Andrew Benintendi to Portland

After dominating the Carolina League for a month and a half to begin 2016, the Red Sox have promoted outfielder Andrew Benintendi to Double-A Portland, as announced by the Salem Red Sox. Benintendi, who is currently ranked as the number two prospect in the system by  SoxProspects.com, has excelled during his brief stay in Salem, slashing .341/.413/.563 with 13 doubles, seven triples, and a home run through 34 games, including setting a Salem Red Sox record with a 23-game hitting streak from April 11 through May 6.

The Red Sox made Benintendi the seventh-overall pick in the 2015 amateur draft and he has done nothing but impress since joining the organization. He hit a combined .313/.416/.556 with 11 home runs and 10 stolen bases in 54 games between Lowell and Greenville last season. At every stop in Benintendi’s professional career he has walked more often than he has struck out.

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Red Sox recall Light and Owens for Sunday night tilt

The Red Sox continued to tinker with their pitching staff before Sunday night's game in Houston. The Red Sox have promoted reliever Pat Light (pictured), who adds a power arm to the major league bullpen, and Sunday night's starting pitcher Henry Owens. In a pair of corresponding moves, the Red Sox have optioned right-hander Noe Ramirez and left-hander Roenis Elias to Triple-A Pawtucket.

This will mark Light's first trip to the major leagues. Drafted in the supplemental first round of the 2012 amateur draft, Light struggled as a starter in his first seasons in the Red Sox organization. However, he turned a corner and returned to prospect relevancy last season after converting to relief full-time and re-integrating a splitter, which he threw in college but had not used since, to his repertoire. He currently ranks 15th on the SoxProspects.com rankings.

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Cuevas, Ramirez added to Red Sox bullpen

After an outing in which he faced only four batters, the Red Sox have placed Joe Kelly on the 15-day disabled list. In a corresponding move, the team recalled Noe Ramirez from Triple-A Pawtucket. The Red Sox also selected William Cuevas (pictured) to the big league roster and optioned Marco Hernandez to Pawtucket. To make room on the 40-man roster for Cuevas, the Red Sox designated Edwin Escobar for assignment.

Kelly walked two batters and recorded only two outs before leaving Tuesday night's game against the Rays with a right shoulder impingement. In 8 2/3 innings this season, Kelly has a 9.35 ERA with 10 walks and 11 strikeouts.

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Owens, Travis among latest cuts from big league camp

With Opening Day on the horizon, the Red Sox continued to trim their roster, announcing six more cuts from big league camp. Left-handed pitchers Henry Owens and Brian Johnson as well as right-handed bullpen arm Heath Hembree were optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket. The Red Sox also reassigned first baseman Sam Travis (pictured), outfielder Ryan LaMarre, and right-handed pitcher Roman Mendez to minor league camp.

There was some speculation that Owens would compete for a spot in the Red Sox' rotation with Eduardo Rodriguez expected to start the season on the disabled list. But a rocky spring — eight earned runs in 13 1/3 innings — squashed those thoughts and Owens will begin the year with the PawSox. Owens features a plus changeup that will keep him in the discussion for call-up this year after he saw inconsistent success in 11 starts with the Red Sox in 2015.

Travis was a revelation at camp, belting two home runs and driving in a team-best 13 runs. Though his .536 average and 1.305 OPS came in a small sample size, the first baseman has hit at every level in the minors. Travis, the seventh-ranked prospect on SoxProspects.com, played the second half of 2015 with Double-A Portland, but will likely make the jump to the PawSox this year.

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Red Sox cut Hernandez, Martin from big league camp

Just three days after sending down seven players from big league camp, the Red Sox have cut two more, optioning infielder Marco Hernandez (pictured) to Triple-A Pawtucket and reassigning right-handed pitcher Kyle Martin to minor league camp.

Hernandez had an excellent showing in big league camp, going 11 for 19 (.579) and notching six doubles with a stolen base. Though Hernandez projects as a utility infielder, he has a chance to be successful in that role as he has shown the ability to play both shortstop and second base. He is coming off a strong offensive season between Portland and Pawtucket in which he batted .305/.330/.454 with nine home runs between the two levels.

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Light, Brentz among early cuts from big league camp

The Red Sox announced a round of cuts from major league camp Tuesday afternoon. Four players were optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket: outfielder Bryce Brentz, infielder Sean Coyle, left-handed pitcher Edwin Escobar, and right-handed pitcher Pat Light (pictured). Left-handed pitcher Williams Jerez was optioned to Double-A Portland while infielder Chris Dominguez and catcher Ali Solis were reassigned to minor league camp.

Light didn't fare well in camp. The 24-year-old right-hander allowed 10 hits and three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. Still, Light could develop into a bullpen staple with a fastball in the high-90s and a splitter that shows plus potential. After moving to a relief role in 2015, Light dominated in Double-A Portland but struggled in Triple-A.

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Red Sox bring back Dan Butler on minor league deal

The Red Sox have signed veteran catcher Dan Butler to a minor league contract. Butler returns to the Red Sox organization where he played from 2009 to 2014, making a brief seven-game appearance for the 2014 major league team. The contract includes an invitation to major league spring training, and was originally reported by Jon Heyman of the MLB Network.

Butler, 29, originally signed with the Red Sox in 2009 as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Arizona where he had been the backup catcher. Like most undrafted player he was not originally regarded as a prospect, but his strong .310/.411/.482 season in 2010 between Low A Greenville and High A Salem earned him recognition as a South Atlantic League All-Star.

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Garin Cecchini traded to Brewers for cash considerations

The Red Sox announced today a deal that sends utilityman Garin Cecchini to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for undisclosed cash considerations. Cecchini had been designated for assignment last week in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for free agent pitcher David Price. 

Cecchini, 24, was a highly touted prospect in recent years but saw his star fade due to struggles at the Triple-A level. He labored to a .213/.286/.296 line with Pawtucket in 2015, finding himself the only healthy position player on the 40-man roster not to receive a recall when rosters expanded in September. His drop-off at the plate was magnified by a lack of progress in the field. Exclusively a third baseman during his first three years in the organization, he was slow to take to the position and started seeing time in the outfield in 2014. In 2015, he appeared at third base in only 19 of his PawSox games, instead seeing the majority of his playing time at left field and first base.

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Sox nab righties Polanco, Leclerc in Triple-A phase of Rule 5 draft

The Red Sox were not active in the major league portion of the 2015 draft, but used the Triple-A phase to supplement their minor league pitching depth. Right-handed pitchers Jhonny Polanco (pictured) and Angelo Leclerc were taken from the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers organizations, respectively. The Chicago Cubs tabbed Red Sox outfielder Jesus Loya in the Triple-A portion of the draft. 

Boston was not eligible to make a selection in the major league portion because it did not have a free spot on its 40-man roster. For the first time since 2008, the Red Sox did not have one of their own players selected by another team. Players taken in the major league portion of the draft must remain on the 25-man roster of the drafting team all season or be offered back to their original team.

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Red Sox trade Miley, Aro to Seattle for Carson Smith, Roenis Elias

The Red Sox made their first trade of the 2015 Winter Meetings on Monday, sending left-hander Wade Miley and right-hander Jonathan Aro (pictured) to Seattle in exchange for right-handed reliever Carson Smith and left-handed starter Roenis Elias. Smith is expected to slot into a setup role in front of Craig Kimbrel, along with Koji Uehara, while Elias may either compete for the fifth spot in the rotation or be used against left-handers out of the bullpen.

Here at SoxProspects, we reviewed Aro's 2015 season and provided a scouting report in last Friday's Top 40 Season in Review entry, with SoxProspects Director of Scouting Ian Cundall summing him up with the following:

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Red Sox designate Cecchini to make room for Price

The Red Sox announced today that Garin Cecchini has been designated for assignment to make room on the roster for newly acquired free agent pitcher David Price.

Cecchini, a once-promising prospect, has tumbled down the prospect lists over the past couple seasons. He peaked as high as third on our rankings here at SoxProspects.com back in September of 2013 after hitting .322/.443/.471 between Salem and Portland that season. However, Triple-A has proved to be a challenge that he has been unable to conquer thus far. Cecchini's fall from grace began in 2014 with Pawtucket, batting .263/.341/.371 in 114 games. He was called up to Boston for a game on June 1 of that year, but was sent right back down after the game. He reappeared in Boston for a cup of coffee in late September of 2014, playing in 11 total games with the Red Sox.

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Light, Jerez, and Hernandez added to 40-man roster

The Red Sox added three players to the 40-man roster before Friday's deadline to protect players from the Rule 5 draft. A pair of relievers, right-hander Pat Light (pictured) and lefty Williams Jerez, will join infielder Marco Hernandez on the major league roster. The moves line up with those projected by Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com in his in-depth roster breakdown. The Red Sox cleared two spots by designating infielder Josh Rutledge for assignment and outrighting pitcher Anthony Varvaro off the 40-man roster. Varvaro elected free agency following his outright.

Light, 24, was a supplemental first-round draft choice out of Monmouth University in 2012. The hard-throwing right-hander took quickly to a move to the bullpen in 2015 after struggling as a starter. Light posted a 2.43 ERA in 21 appearances with Double-A Portland, striking out 32 in 29 1/3 innings before an early-June promotion to Triple-A. He struggled some with his control with the PawSox, walking 26 in 33 innings, but he continued to strike out more than a batter per inning. Light joins fellow 2012 draftees Deven Marrero and Brian Johnson on the 40-man roster.

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Red Sox acquire Craig Kimbrel for Margot, Guerra, Allen, Asuaje

The Red Sox have announced that they have traded for Padres closer Craig Kimbrel. Boston will send Manuel Margot (pictured), Javier Guerra, Logan Allen, and Carlos Asuaje to San Diego in return.
 

Margot had a strong 2015 season that began in Salem and ended in Portland. The SoxProspects.com fourth-ranked prospect hit .282/.321/.420 in 46 games for Salem and .271/.326/.419 in 64 games with Portland. Some speculated that Margot would be involved in some type of deal this winter, as the Red Sox have plenty of young talent in the outfield, especially in the big leagues, but now do look thin at the position in the upper minors. Margot just turned 21 this past September and signed with Boston as an international free agent in July of 2011. He was working his way up that ladder in the Red Sox system and is currently playing in the Dominican Winter League. His speed and power combination make for an intriguing prospect that many believe will become an impact outfielder in the future, though he does not project to have an elite-level ceiling.

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2015 Fall Instructional League rosters and schedule take shape

SoxProspects.com has confirmed the full roster of participants and schedule for the 2015 Fall Instructional League. Players will report to Fort Myers on September 18, followed by the first game on September 22. 

The 47-player roster includes four of the top ten prospects in the Red Sox system, as ranked by SoxProspects.com. Top prospect Yoan Moncada (pictured, left) is joined by right-hander Anderson Espinoza (5), 2015 first round draftee Andrew Benintendi (6), and 2014 first rounder Michael Kopech (10). The league is used to develop players in the low minors and includes both classroom training and on-field workouts. The games are frequently open to the public, though the game start times are not necessarily entirely accurate.

Here is the full roster of participants, broken down by position:

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Updated: Espinoza to Greenville, Allen to Lowell highlight GCL promotions

With the Gulf Coast League season concluding Tuesday with the Red Sox repeating as champions, the organization has promoted four players from that team. Reportedly highlighting the group is right-handed pitcher Anderson Espinoza (pictured), whose promotion to the Low A Greenville Drive was first reported by Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com. Hannable also first reported that left-hander Logan Allen will be making the trip north to join the Short Season-A Lowell Spinners. SoxProspects sources confirm Allen's promotion, and that he will be joined by right-handed pitcher Travis Lakins and outfielder Tyler Hill. Those sources also say that there may be further promotions, but no others are known at press time.

9/3 Update: In addition to the above-listed players, right-handed pitcher Yankory Pimentel, third baseman/catcher Roldani Baldwin, shortstop Carlos Tovar, and left-handed pitcher Enmanuel De Jesus are also being added to the Lowell roster.

Espinoza, 17, is having an excellent first season in professional baseball. Signed to a $1.8 million bonus out of Venezuela in July 2014, doubling the previous record for a native of that country, Espinoza was assigned to the Dominican Summer League to start 2015. He made quick work of that circuit, allowing only two earned runs on 13 hits in 15 innings across four appearances before earning a promotion stateside to the GCL Red Sox. Instead of finding himself challenged, Espinoza was even more dominant there, giving up just three earned runs in 40 innings, good for a 0.68 ERA to go with a .170 opponents batting average and 40 strikeouts against nine walks. Espinoza would be the youngest player to appear in a South Atlantic League game this season, and would be the youngest player in the circuit at present time by more than 13 months.

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Sam Travis highlights six announced for Arizona Fall League

The 2015 rosters for the Arizona Fall League were announced Tuesday. Six members of the Red Sox organization have been assigned to the Surprise Saguaros: first baseman Sam Travis (pictured), second baseman Carlos Asuaje, shortstop Tzu-Wei Lin, and pitchers Chandler Shepherd, Kyle Martin, and Aaron Wilkerson. 

Travis is the most highly regarded player in the group. The 2014 second-round draft pick out of the University of Indiana has lived up to his reputation as an advanced college hitter. He has risen quickly in the system, playing at four levels in only a season and a half and reaching Double-A Portland just a little over a year after originally signing. He has hit at every level, including a .294/.366/.429 line in 61 games with the Portland Sea Dogs. Travis is currently ranked the 10th-best prospect in the system by SoxProspects.com and was named the site's Player of the Month in June.

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BREAKING: Andrew Benintendi promoted to Greenville

According to SoxProspects.com sources, Lowell Spinners outfielder Andrew Benintendi, the seventh-overall pick in this year's draft and the eighth-ranked prospect on the SoxProspects.com rankings, is being promoted to Greenville and could join the Drive as early as Monday. UPDATE: According to sources, Drive outfielder Mike Meyers will be promoted to Salem to make room.

With the New York-Penn League entering its All-Star Break, the center fielder out of the University of Arkansas will bid the circuit adieu. As of press time, league leaderboards show Benintendi leading the league with his .948 OPS, as well as ranking ninth in average, fifth in on-base percentage, and second in slugging with his .298/.416/.554 slash line. He is also tied with teammate Luis Alexander Basabe for third in the league with seven home runs.

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Kevin Steen promoted to Lowell

The Red Sox have promoted right-handed pitcher Kevin Steen to the Short Season A Lowell Spinners. The 2014 ninth-round pick has been announced as the starting pitcher for Lowell's game on Monday against Brooklyn at LeLacheur Park. 

Steen, 19, was given a $255,000 bonus out of Oak Hill (TN) High School to sign him away from a commitment for the University of Tennessee. He appeared in three games for the GCL Red Sox last season and was assigned there again to start 2015. He got off to a very strong start, going 18 innings without allowing an earned run to begin the year. Through 24 2/3 innings across six appearances, Steen has posted a 1.82 ERA and 0.892 ERA, striking out 24 and walking only four. Gulf Coast League opponents have hit just .189/.238/.305 on the season. Steen is also a finalist for the SoxProspects.com July Pitcher of the Month after posting a 2.70 ERA and an 18-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. 

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Owens to be called up, will debut in Yankee Stadium

Red Sox manager John Farrell announced following Sunday's game that left-handed starting pitcher Henry Owens will be called up to Boston. He will start on Tuesday in place of Rick Porcello, who was placed on the 15-day DL earlier, and make his major league debut against the New York Yankees in Yankee Stadium.

Owens, a supplemental first round selection by Boston in 2011 out of high school, has been very impressive of late for Pawtucket. Overall in 2015, he is 3-8 with a 3.16 ERA over 122 1/3 innings, spanning 21 starts.  Owens had trouble controlling his pitches early on, walking at least four batters in seven of his first 12 starts. He has been much better lately, and has not walked more than two batters in his last nine starts, all of which have lasted at least six innings. He has a strikeout-to-walk ratio off 52 to 14 in that span.

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