Regardless of how you view this season thus far, it’s still a big improvement from last year. Some of those first-half successes can be attributed to changes made in the offseason, such as signing David Price and Chris Young and trading for Craig Kimbrel (sorry, Carson Smith). But those changes, particularly the trades, also required parting ways with some notable players. Yes, the Red Sox acquired talent, but gone are promising prospects such as Manuel Margot and Javier Guerra, as well as complementary pieces like starting pitcher Wade Miley.

We’ve seen how these moves have worked for the Red Sox, but what about the teams on the other side of the deals? What kind of contributions have the likes Margot, Guerra and Miley made to their new clubs, and what does it mean for those players going forward?

Let’s start with the Kimbrel deal. The Sox sent Margot, Guerra, Carlos Asuaje and Logan Allen to San Diego for the four-time All-Star closer. Kimbrel, as I wrote last week, has become the player the Red Sox were hoping to get. The Padres may be a mess, but they aren’t missing Kimbrel, either. Fernando Rodney owns a 0.31 ERA and 2.32 FIP, and San Diego’s newcomers have shown good potential in the minor leagues.

Manuel Margot

2015: .270 TAv, .147 ISO and 1.1 WARP in 64 games with Double-A Portland; .273 TAv, .138 ISO and 1.7 WARP with High-A Salem

Last season was good, but not great for Margot. This year he’s looked more like the player that made him one of the top prospects in the Red Sox’s organization. He’s spent the entire season with Triple-A El Paso, and has been the leadoff hitter and starting center fielder most of the way. He’s also putting up some of the best numbers of his young MiLB career. Margot is slashing .299/.352/.419 with a .274 TAv., while his speed (21 stolen bases) and defense (14.9 FRAA) continue to be strengths. BP’s Mark Anderson put his MLB ETA at 2017 in his scouting report three years ago. With the Padres out of contention, the 21-year-old Margot may get his chance as early as this September.

Carlos Asuaje

2015: .259 TAv, .123 ISO and -0.6 WARP in 131 games with Double-A Portland

Asuaje didn’t look like a major piece in the Kimbrel deal at the time. He projected as nothing more than a major-league utility player, and his numbers in Portland last year proved just that. Asuaje, however, has found new life in a new system, posting a .296 TAv and 1.3 WARP in El Paso thus far. He also has 25 extra-base hits, including a Pacific Coast League-high seven triples, matching his total from last season. Asuaje’s 2016 numbers are a throwback to his 2014 campaign split between Low-A Greenville and High-A Salem, when he combined for a 5.2 WARP that year. Now he’s starting to see his major-league potential manifest itself in his first crack at Triple-A. Perhaps he’s not far from his big-league debut either.

Javier Guerra

2015: .280 TAv, .171 ISO and 4.0 WARP in 116 games with Low-A Greenville

Guerra put all scouting reports to shame with his offensive production in Greenville last season. As BP’s Wilson Karaman wrote, Guerra is a premier defensive shortstop with a little pop in his bat, but at 20 years old his approach at the plate is still raw. That’s the player he’s been this season. He owns an underwhelming .245 TAv in High-A Lake Elsinore, but does have a 9.9 FRAA. Guerra hasn’t shown quite as much power, however, as he has just eight homers in 282 plate appearances and a .139 ISO, but it’s still a potential strength of his.

Logan Allen

2015: 0.90 ERA, 1.05 FIP and 10.8 K/9 in seven starts in rookie ball; made one start in Class-A Lowell

The Red Sox drafted Allen in the eighth round last June, so there’s little to compare what he’s done thus far to. What we do know is that the 18-year-old is off to a decent start, posting a 3.07 ERA, 2.96 FIP and 8.4 K/9 in 12 appearances (eight starts) for Low-A Fort Wayne. BP’s Grant Jones sees a potential major-league future for Allen, but that’s still a long way from being realized.

Then there’s the Miley trade. Both the Red Sox and Mariners are off to good starts, but no thanks in part to the deal that sent Miley and Jonathan Aro to Seattle in exchange for Smith, who is out for the season, and Roenis Elias, who had a forgettable Sox debut.

Wade Miley

2015: 4.46 ERA, 3.78 FIP and 6.8 K/9 in 32 starts

The Red Sox knew what they were getting from Miley last season. This year, the left-hander has been far worse. Miley owns a 4.74 DRA and 4.82 FIP through 13 starts with the Mariners this season. He’s allowing home runs at a career-high rate (1.5 HR/9) and inducing ground balls at a career-low rate (45 percent). These numbers are all coming with Safeco Field as his home ballpark. As bad as Boston’s starting rotation has been, it wouldn’t be any better with Miley in the fold.

Jonathan Aro

2015: 6.97 ERA, 5.23 FIP and 7.0 K/9 in six games with Boston; 3.14 ERA, 2.42 FIP and 9.2 K/9 in 26 games with Triple-A Pawtucket; 2.82 ERA, 2.78 FIP and 7.7 K/9 in eight games with Double-A Portland.

Aro was a decent reliever throughout his MiLB career with the Red Sox, and he’s continued to be one for Triple-A Tacoma. The 25-year-old righty owns a 2.27 ERA and 3.81 FIP over 23 appearances, while posting a 6.3 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9. Pretty good, but nothing special. That’s who Aro is, and who he’ll continue to be, even if he works his way into a middle relief role in the majors.

The only other notable player the Red Sox lost in the offseason was Justin Masterson, but the Sox gladly let him walk in free agency after an ugly showing in 2015. This season hasn’t treated Masterson any better. He’s made five appearances (two starts) for the Indianapolis Indians – the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate – and owns a 5.17 ERA and 6.48 FIP. It’s safe to say he’s not due for any more post-Boston breakthrough seasons.

The Red Sox parted ways with numerous players throughout the organization last offseason. Overall, those players have met expectations in their new homes. What does that mean for the Sox? Ultimately very little given the way both offseason trades worked for the teams involved. Both the Red Sox and Padres benefited from the Kimbrel trade, while the Mariners and Sox have yet to get anything out of the Miley deal. Sometimes that’s how trades work. The fun part will be seeing what kind of players Margot and Co. develop into, while the Red Sox hope to get value out of Kimbrel and Smith for the next few years.

Photo by Gregory Fisher/USA Today Sports Images

Going Deep

The long-dreaded, yet inevitable, happened for the Red Sox last week — David Ortiz announced he will retire at the end of the 2016 season. The news came as little surprise.

Ortiz is 40 years old and, after hitting his 500th home run in September, has pretty much reached every possible career milestone. But it does leave the Sox with questions beyond 2016. CSNNE.com’s Sean McAdam asked perhaps the biggest one — where will the Red Sox’s power come from in the post-Ortiz era? That answer seemed clear entering spring training last season. The Sox signed Hanley Ramirez to a four-year deal with the expectation that he would DH when Ortiz retires and, at least partially, fill the power-hitting void left by Big Papi. That seems unlikely now. Ramirez hit 10 home runs in April and finished with 19 for the year in what was a dreadful season both in the field and at the plate. The best-case scenario is that Ramirez is traded and never seen in a Red Sox uniform again. Let’s pretend that’s the case for a minute and leave him out of the mix. So who’s next? (Before considering this answer, let’s remember there’s really no replacing Ortiz, who hit 37 home runs with a .280 ISO — good for sixth in all of baseball — at 39 years old last season, especially when we’re looking at it from a power-hitting standpoint.)

Right now it’s Mookie Betts. Betts hit 18 home runs, eight of which came in the final 58 games of the season, and finished second among qualified Red Sox players with a .188 ISO. The now-23-year-old struggled at the plate over the first two months before turning it around considerably. The idea is that he is only going to get better. The next-best options are unproven minor leaguers. First there’s Sam Travis. He’s big, strong and has a long swing, but that’s yet to translate into power hitting (he posted a .136 ISO in 281 plate appearances with Double-A Portland). Then, of course, there’s Andrew Benintendi, whom the Sox drafted in the first round last June. His 239 plate appearances between Lowell and Greenville is a small sample size, but his production — a .250 ISO in Lowell and .230 in Greenville — was no joke. The problem, however, is that he may be years away from being major-league ready. Perhaps we’ll see Ortiz’s true value once he’s no longer in the lineup every day.

This offseason isn’t the first in which the Red Sox are in pursuit of an ace. But, as Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald points out, the way in which they expect to do it is unfamiliar territory for both the franchise and Dave Dombrowski. The last 20 years show that the Sox have been most successful when acquiring elite starting pitching via trade. It’s how they landed Pedro Martinez, Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett, all three of whom were instrumental to World Series championships. Their most recent ace, Jon Lester, was homegrown. This offseason, it appears the most likely way the Red Sox will land a No. 1 starter will be via free agency, whether they sign Johnny Cueto, Jordan Zimmerman, Zack Greinke or David Price. That’s something the modern Red Sox, and Dombroski, don’t normally do. The last top-of-the-rotation starter the Sox signed as a free agent was John Lackey. By then Lester was already in place as the No. 1. Other free-agent signings included Daisuke Matsuzaka and Matt Clement. Not exactly ace-quality right there.

Dombrowski’s Tiger teams were no different. Justin Verlander was homegrown, while Max Scherzer, Doug Fister and Price were all traded for. Why exactly are these such uncharted waters for the Sox and Dombrowski? Perhaps it’s the risk that comes with it. Just look at last season’s free-agent class. Scherzer signed with the Nationals for $210 million over seven years, while Jon Lester inked a six-year, $155 million deal with the Cubs. Both pitchers had solid first seasons with their new teams, but it’s how the coming years play out that’ll determine if the contracts were worth it. Meanwhile, James Shields had one of his worst statistical seasons in 2015 after signing a four-year, $75 million deal with the Padres. The Sox will need to spend Lester or even Scherzer money to land one of the top pitchers on the market. But first they need to determine who’s worth the risk.

Quick Hits

MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith makes the case for Greinke as the Red Sox’s top pitching target. Greinke had perhaps his best season in 2015, posting a 2.79 FIP, 7.6 WARP and finishing second in the NL Cy Young race. Last season wasn’t a fluke, either. Greinke may have occasionally flown under the radar pitching in the same rotation as Clayton Kershaw, but his three years with the Dodgers were some of his best, as he finished with a 2.97 FIP and 8.3 K/9 over a combined 602.2 innings. The righty has proven he can also do it in the American League, where he pitched with the Royals over the first seven seasons of his career and won a Cy Young in 2009. The one potential issue with Greinke is his battle with social anxiety disorder. But that’s a moot point given he how he handled the pressures of pitching in the Los Angeles market, as Chad Finn of Boston.com pointed out.

Don’t think we’re done talking about starting pitching just yet. The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier wrote an interesting piece on when the right time to trade a back-of-the-rotation starter is. The Red Sox certainly have a bevvy of those kind of pitchers. That will become more apparent if and when they acquire a No. 1 starter. That means someone will have to go. Speier explains why the Sox may be best served waiting until the middle of next season to strike a deal, citing the Cubs’ July 2013 acquisition of a little-known Jake Arrieta in exchange for Scott Feldman as a reason to be patient.  

Reliever Pat Light was one of three prospects added to the team’s 40-man roster last Friday. The 24-year-old righty has never been among the team’s top prospects since being drafted in 2012 and had an unspectacular 2015 season, especially in Triple-A where he posted a 4.28 FIP and an ugly 7.09 BB/9 in 26 relief appearances. But, as WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford writes, Light gives the Sox another hard-throwing arm out of the bullpen. Light’s fastball, which sits in the mid-to-upper 90s, is a commodity among pitchers that helped him average a 9.55 K/9 in Pawtucket. It appears to be an asset the Red Sox desire in their bullpen reconstruction after trading for Craig Kimbrel nearly two weeks ago. Unlike Kimbrel, of course, Light is young and unproven, just like Matt Barnes, who also lives and dies by a mid-90s fastball, was last season before finishing with a 5.23 FIP over 43 innings. That’s not to say Light will be like Barnes if he pitches in Boston next season. But you’ve been warned.

Not everyone was on board with the Kimbrel trade. The reason for that is the hefty batch of prospects the Sox were forced to give up in order to get him, most notably Manuel Margot and Javier Guerra. The Providence Journal’s Tim Britton analyzed what exactly the Red Sox lost in Margot and Guerra. Margot was one of the top-rated prospects in the organization last season. He’s a speedy, athletic outfielder with power potential, but his aggressiveness at the plate caught up with him in a disappointing stint in Double-A. The good news for Margot is he’s 21 years old and has time to improve his approach and reach his ceiling. Guerra was always touted for his defensive prowess at shortstop, but he was a pleasant surprise at the plate, where he finished with a .354 wOBA and 15 home runs in Low-A Greenville. The Red Sox, however, could afford to part ways with Guerra given Xander Bogaerts’ stranglehold on short for years to come.

It wouldn’t be Read Sox without a Roger Clemens reference, right? Rocket has an interesting place in Boston sports lore. He spent 13 stellar seasons as the team’s homegrown ace, but his most controversial moments came as a member of the Yankees with the rivalry at its peak. Then there was that whole steroids thing. If you’re under 25 (like me), you probably don’t like Clemens and see no place for him in the Hall of Fame. But if he were to be voted in, he’d don a Red Sox cap on his plaque — at least that’s what he said in a radio interview last week. Now that would be quite a sight.

Dave Roberts was named manager of the Dodgers on Monday. I bring this up as an excuse to relive the biggest stolen base in Red Sox history. Enjoy!

It is 2015, and every Major League Baseball trade must have a clear WINNER and LOSER to satiate Baseball Twitter’s need for first takes. Don’t worry about what either team needs. Just ask, what did Team A give up? What did Team B send in return? Did Team A give up more than Team B? Wow, Team A must be run by idiots.

Viewed through this lens, the Red Sox were absolutely hoodwinked by the Padres last night. They gave up two–two!–top-100 prospect types and two more lottery tickets for a relief pitcher. This is exactly what we were worried about when ol’ Star-Loving Dave Dombrowski took the reigns. Theo Epstein never would’ve made this deal. One imagines Ben Cherington becoming physically ill at the thought of this deal. There is indeed a new sheriff in Boston.

Read the rest at Baseball Prospectus.

Photo by Matt Kartozian/USA Today Sports Images

Soon after the acquisition went down, Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com took a look at Dombrowski’s recent trade history dating back to his start with the Tigers.  He dispelled most notions that Dombrowski was a reckless trader while also pointing out that while he was very willing to move prospects for elite MLB talent, he was correct nearly 100% of the time.

Dombrowski’s moves over the remainder of the year, from promoting Mike Hazen to General Manager to keeping the current Red Sox coaching staff, leads me to believe he is anything but the maniac some suggested, but rather a very calculated and astute talent evaluator.  The Red Sox have what is almost universally considered a top-five farm system, with ESPN’s Keith Law ranking it first in his mid-season ranks. Pre-season, we at Baseball Prospectus had it ranked sixth.

Below, I broke down the top ten Red Sox prospects and sorted them into tiers as to how much it would hurt the organization to trade them.  All things were considered – age, position, team need, floor, ceiling, and proximity.  Here is a blueprint for Dombrowski to look at when he is trying to fix the problems that may hold back your 2016 Red Sox.

Tier One: Untouchables

Yoan Moncada: 2B, Greenville Drive – A

It looks like Ben Cherington’s $63 million gamble on the young Cuban phenom has already paid dividends.  In their end-of-season rankings, Baseball America ranked Moncada as the number one prospect in the South Atlantic League coming off a season where he slashed .278/.380/.438 over 81 games.  There was a whole lot of rust at first, which was not surprising since he took nearly an entire year off from baseball.  When he got going, Moncada was electric adding 8 HR, 19 2B and 49 SB while improving his previously erratic defense.

The Red Sox seem very set at second base with Pedroia locked in through 2021, but nothing is yet set at third base.  Dombrowski will explore the trade market for the disappointing Pablo Sandoval this off-season and should a move happen a position switch for Moncada is not out of the question.  Moncada certainly has excellent power projection and the athleticism needed to make the move and develop into a well above average option at the hot corner.  If no move is made, his athleticism leaves him plenty of flexibility to move around the diamond wherever the team needs him.

Anderson Espinoza: SP, Greenville Drive – A

No one in the organization saw their value explode more than this former July 2 signee from Venezuela.  As a 17-year-old this young right-handed starter dominated both the DSL and GCL culminating in the nearly unprecedented move all the way up to A-ball, making him 13 months younger than the next youngest player.  He posted a 1.23 ERA and 0.94 WHIP while striking out 65 guys over just 58 IP between all three levels while showing very advanced pitchability.

The Red Sox need pitching and they need it badly, and with the cost of aces being at an all-time high trading a player that could develop into one is foolish.  After Lucas Giolito and Julio Urias make it to the big leagues next year, it would not surprise me at all to find Espinoza on the short-list of pitching prospects with the highest upsides in the minors. Kids like this simply do not come around often so unless you are offering a current ace in his prime, this man cannot be in any package.

Tier Two: Mostly Untouchables

Rafael Devers: 3B, Greenville Drive – A

The Sox are clearly doing something right with their Dominican signings lately, as Devers has blossomed into an elite talent and one of the better offensive prospects in all of baseball.  He was extremely young last year, playing the full season in Greenville at just 18.  Offense is his calling card, and this young left-handed bat slashed a robust .288/.329/.443 while four years younger than the average prospect at this level.

Devers isn’t perfect. His home run power has yet to fully develop, and he seems likely to shift across the diamond to first base.  All these things aside, the thought of giving up on a player like this gives me fever dreams of Anthony Rizzo, something I’d rather not repeat.  Giving him up would be terrible and the return would have to be high, however, it is not unthinkable since power comes more cheaply at first base than any other position.

Andrew Benintendi: CF, Greenville Drive – A

Drafted seventh overall out of Arkansas this past year, Benintendi had about as good a 2015 season as he could have hoped for.  After winning the Dick Howser award for best college baseball player of the year he signed with the Sox and went on to dominate short-season ball in Lowell.  After taking care of business there, he ended up with a promotion to Greenville where he dominated even more.

This left-handed bat has played all of his games at CF but seems like he could have ample power to play a corner position.  He walked more than he struck out while also hitting 11 home runs in just 54 games.  The power is real, and while I don’t like to make comps to major league hitters, he looks a lot like a future big leaguer in the Alex Gordon mold.  Trading players like this is tough to swallow, especially considering the relative uncertainty surrounding Rusney Castillo and Jackie Bradley Jr.

Tier Three: This Is Going to Hurt

Manuel Margot: CF, Portland Sea Dogs – AA

Mookie Betts is the center fielder of the present and the future for the Sox, and nothing Margot does is ever going to change that reality.  That alone makes him expendable.  Look, Margot is a great player ranking nearly universally in all top-25 prospect rankings, but he is redundant on this roster.  This is exactly the type of player who could both fetch a good return and not come back to bite the Sox in the future.

Trading a player with elite contact ability, great speed, and surprising pop for his position is never an easy thing to do, but if it can improve the team elsewhere I am all for it.  As a 21-year-old at AA this year his K rate finally climbed above double digits to 12.8%.  Bat-to-ball ability like this is rare and you can bet he will be highly coveted.  After more than holding his own at AA by slashing .271/.326/.419 there will be no shortage of interest in Margot around baseball should he become available.

Javier Guerra: SS, Greenville Drive – A

Without a doubt the biggest breakout in the Red Sox system among position players this past year was the 20-Year-old Panamanian, Guerra.  Playing very solid defense at shortstop for his first two years in the minors, Guerra looked as if power was not going to be part of his game.  He only totaled two home runs in 2013 and 2014, but behind the scenes the power was building.  Over the past three years, his ISO has climbed from .043 to .139 before busting out last year at .171!  He hit 15 home runs last year against higher level pitching without having to sell out his average.

The reason Guerra is so tradable is that we have Xander Bogaerts.  Not sure if you all have heard of him yet, but the guy is pretty good, and with his improved defense he is at no risk to move off of the position.  Many teams across the league could benefit from bringing Guerra in and the price will not be cheap to do so.

Tier Four: We Probably Won’t Regret This

Sam Travis: 1B, Portland Sea Dogs – AA

Travis enjoyed a fantastic 2015 between two-levels at the age of 22, and he will also be the lone top-10 Red Sox prospect on the Scottsdale Scorpions roster this fall.  Selected in the second round of the 2014 draft, Travis has a whole lot of polish compared to similarly aged prospects.  The less famous of the recent draftees out of Indiana thanks to Kyle Schwarber, Travis is pretty good- he has shown exceptional plate discipline and an ability to make consistent strong contact.  The power has yet to come though, as the first baseman only hit nine home runs this past season, but he had 32 doubles and an excellent .382 OBP.  It would stink to lose him in a deal but provided the Sox keep Devers it’s something they can live with.

Michael Kopech: SP, Greenville Drive – A

Most who follow the minor leagues closely won’t remember Kopechs’s 2015 season for his dominance but rather his 50-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs.  Kopech was suspended for Oxilofrine, which according to my brief research is an amphetamine that improves focus and oxygenation of the blood.  Essentially it gives you more focus and more endurance.  Amphetamines have had their place in the game for far too long and it was disappointing to see such a promising young guy make that mistake.

Suspension aside we have to look at the 19-year-old Texan for what he is: a damn good baseball player.  Kopech is a 6’3” right-hander with a fastball that works in the mid 90’s, he complements that pitch with a nasty slider.  Before the suspension he made huge strides in limiting his walks while striking out 70 batters in just 65 IP.  He may end up a reliever long-term but even if he doesn’t cut it as a starter he could be elite out of the pen.

Brian Johnson: SP, Pawtucket Red Sox – AAA

The lone player on this list who is truly on the cusp of making it to the majors is Johnson.  Before going down with the sore shoulder, which will reportedly not require surgery, Johnson dominated in 96 IP with a 2.53 ERA.  Provided he is healthy Johnson could slot into a rotation as a respectable fourth or fifth starter and succeed due to his elite command. Given the depth the Red Sox have in these possible back-end starters Johnson could be a very popular name when Dombrowski is seeking trading partners.  Lefty starters are always in demand, and with such a high floor Johnson will certainly garner interest.

Henry Owens: SP,  Boston Red Sox

I won’t go into detail describing what Owens can do because most of you who have taken the time to read this article are very familiar with his strengths and weaknesses.  He looked great at times this year, but when his breaking pitches don’t work and his command gets loose he can get beat up in a hurry.  With Rick Porcello, Wade Miley, Eduardo Rodriguez, Clay Buchholz and the inevitable ace penciled into the lineup, the Red Sox may feel Owens is expendable.  He may even be the more likely guy to be traded should the Sox have to choose between Owens and Johnson due to his value being higher right now.  If it happens it will be a shame for him to go but his ceiling really isn’t higher than a third starter.

Final Word

No matter what ends up happening in the off-season, one thing we can bank on is that at least some of the above names will not be with the Red Sox organization in 2016.  Hopefully Dombrowski can keep the best core pieces while looking to contend next year.  The pieces are there for one good off-season to remedy the lion’s share of issues with the MLB roster, and Dombrowski has a track record that suggests he’ll be able to right the ship.

All photos by Kelly O’Connor/www.sittingstill.smugmug.com

Triple-A Pawtucket

Player of the year: Deven Marrero, INF — This selection is telling of the kind of year it was in Pawtucket. The team’s lineup this season consisted primarily of major league castoffs such as Allen Craig and Jackie Bradley Jr., and then there was Marrero trying to earn his first big league callup. Although his numbers weren’t impressive — a .250 true average and .309 wOBA in Triple-A isn’t exactly major league-caliber — the 2012 first-round pick did enough to earn multiple opportunities with the Red Sox this season and should see more as we get deeper into September. Marrero was at his best at the plate toward the end of the season, hitting .306 over his final 24 minor league games, and by playing shortstop, third and second base continued to show the kind of defensive versatility that’s invaluable to a big league club.

Pitcher of the year: Brian Johnson, LHP — This distinction could’ve just as easily gone to Henry Owens. However, Johnson’s season-long consistency stood out in 2015. The 24-year-old made 18 starts in Triple-A, posting a 3.22 FIP and 8.44 K/9 while giving up more than two runs in just four of those starts. The highlight of Johnson’s year came May 29 when he tossed six perfect innings and struck out a season-high nine batters. He did get one forgettable spot start with Boston in July before returning to Triple-A, but the lefty’s season ended abruptly Aug. 2 when he experienced elbow tightness in the fourth inning of what would be his final start of the year. The Red Sox shut Johnson down soon after. Although there was no ligament damage found, it’s unclear what kind of impact the injury will have on him going into next season.

Biggest surprise: Dayan Diaz, RHP — Diaz’s major league dream seemed all but over after an ugly 2013 season in the Cubs organization. But his two years in the Sox’s system have revitalized his career, with this season being his most impressive yet. The righty posted a 1.94 ERA and 7.76 K/9 in 27 appearances out of the bullpen for Pawtucket, using his hard fastball to overpower hitters and a late-breaking slider to keep them off-balance. The 26-year-old’s performance this season propelled his stock within the system and could make him a viable candidate for a spot in next season’s Red Sox bullpen. Diaz’s command starts to fade as he pitches later into games, but he has the type of stuff to be a serviceable back-end arm out of the bullpen.

Biggest disappointment: Garin Cecchini, 3B/1B/OF — Unfortunately for Cecchini, this was an easy choice to make. One year after making his major league debut, Cecchini endured the worst season of his professional career, finishing with a .209 TAv and a 21.3 percent strikeout rate. He did show signs of a turnaround at the plate in August and eventually earned a brief callup to the big leagues again, but the overall product was ugly, especially after a brutal first two-plus months of the season. Cecchini dabbled with left field this season along with his primary spot at third base, but that was about all he did well in 2015. At 24, Cecchini still has time to turn his career back around, but there’s no doubt this year was a major setback.

Double-A Portland

Player of the year: Sam Travis, 1B — Travis’ 2015 got off to an impressive start in High-A Salem, and he hardly slowed down when he was promoted to Portland in late June. The first baseman played 65 games in Portland, sporting a .297 TAv and .376 wOBA, and improving his BB% to 11.7 percent. Travis didn’t take long to adjust Double-A. He struggled over the first week, but hit .318 from July 2 onward, proving his rapid ascension through the system is no fluke. Travis was drafted in the second round out of Indiana in 2014 and has been impressive in his professional career to this point. If Travis can continue to hit at this rate and improve his power, there’s no reason to think he can’t — at 22 — earn a promotion to Triple-A at some point next season.

Pitcher of the year: Jorge Marban, RHP — Pat Light may be the bigger name with greater potential, but Marban’s Double-A numbers were much more impressive over more innings of work. The 26-year-old wasted no time proving he belongs in the Red Sox’s organization after pitching in the Independent League and in Australia from 2012 through 2014. Marban made eight appearances for High-A Salem before being promoted to Portland, where he posted a 1.36 ERA and 3.78 FIP in 24 relief appearances. Those efforts earned him a callup to Triple-A in mid-August and have him on his way to a shot at the big leagues.

Biggest surprise: Marco Hernandez, INF — Hernandez was nothing more than compensation for dumping Felix Doubront off to the Cubs. Expectations were never high for the 23-year-old shortstop, but boy has he shattered those bestowed upon him. Hernandez boasted a .290 TAv, .375 wOBA and led the team in OPS (.832). Meanwhile, he was an everyday shortstop in a farm system loaded with talented infielders. By mid-July, Hernandez was playing in Triple-A Pawtucket, where he’s yet to match his Double-A production offensively. Hernandez has still been solid defensively, however. He’s seen time at second and third base in Pawtucket and has increased his utility potential.

Biggest disappointment: Manuel Margot, OF — It may be unfair to judge a 20-year-old for poor production in Double-A, but given the expectations and where Margot ranks among prospects within the organization, it’s still a disappointment. The fact that he was even promoted from High-A in June was surprising enough. He posted a respectable .273 TAv with Salem, but certainly didn’t seem ready for bigger challenges. Things, of course, only got worse in Portland as he finished the season with a .268 TAv while his K% ballooned to 12.8 percent over 63 games. The good news is he finished the season strong, batting .325 (29-for-89) over the final 22 games, so his status as a top-flight prospect is safely intact.

High-A Salem

Player of the year: Wendell Rijo, 2B — Rijo powered his way into this spot with a strong finish to 2015. The 20-year-old second baseman hit .283 after Aug. 3 to raise his TAv to .264 for the season and make his case for a promotion by some point next year. Rijo isn’t a standout prospect, but he’s young and has plenty of room to grow. One thing that could help Rijo going forward is limiting his strikeouts. He sported a .321 BABIP this season, but also struck out at a 20.7 percent rate. If he can make more consistent contact and improve his plate discipline the rest of his numbers should go up as well. But that’s just one criticism. Overall, there’s much like about Rijo and this season was a step in the right direction.

Pitcher of the year: Ty Buttrey, RHP — This was an important season for Buttrey. The righty was signed to a $1 million overslot deal after being drafted in the fourth round in 2012, but had yet to live up to the promise that came with it. Buttrey, at 22 years old, finally changed that in 2015. He made four dominant starts in Low-A Greenville before being promoted to High-A, and continued to pitch well, finishing with a 3.71 FIP over 21 starts in Salem. One slight on Buttrey heading into the season was that he had yet to fill into his 6-foot-6 frame. He wasn’t exactly overpowering hitters this season — his 6.30 K/9 was down from previous seasons — but his command improved and his walks decreased.

Biggest surprise: Aaron Wilkerson, RHP — Wilkerson is 26 years old and threw his first minor league pitch in 2014, yet he’s quickly become a player worth watching over the coming years. He was signed by the Red Sox out of the independent leagues during the 2014 season. Since then he’s shown the kind of command and strikeout ability that could one day turn him into a major league reliever. The righty started this year in Low-A Greenville, but after five appearances was promoted to Salem and shined, sporting a 1.90 FIP and 9.68 K/P over 17 appearances, 12 of which were starts. He was at his best in May when he posted a 0.71 ERA in 25.1 innings in which he allowed just 11 hits and six walks. Performances such as that earned him a promotion to Double-A Portland in August. He finished with a 2.58 FIP over seven starts.

Biggest disappointment: Trey Ball, LHP — It’s too early to judge Ball as a 21-year-old prospect, especially after just two full seasons as a pro. But Red Sox’s fans concerns over the 2013 seventh overall pick’s performance thus far are justified. Ball’s struggles in 2014 were well-documented. This season was actually worse. Ball owned a 5.13 FIP over 25 starts, and saw an increase in walks and decrease in strikeouts compared to 2014. And unlike last year, he didn’t get better as the season progressed. Ball was solid in his final outing of the season, allowing two runs and striking out six over five innings. However, he posted a 10.80 ERA in his six starts prior. The lefty still has time to fill out his lanky 6-foot-6 frame and further develop his secondary pitches, particularly his curveball, which he started throwing as a junior in high school, but he has much to prove going into next season.

Low-A Greenville

Player of the year: Rafael Devers, 3B — Watching Devers, at 18 years old, blossom into one of the top prospects in the Red Sox’s organization was fun. The third baseman made a name for himself after a scalding hot start to the season in which he hit .382 through June 1. Since then his stock has risen. He garnered much attention on the interwebs and even drew comparisons to Robinson Cano — not bad company at such a young age. Devers eventually leveled out, finishing with a .282 TAv and .352 wOBA, and struck out at a 16.5 percent rate, but there’s no denying his potential. His solid build, fluid swing and plus power make for a nice offensive player. He his a defensive liability, so perhaps a move to first base or to a full-time DH role is in his future.

Pitcher of the year: Michael Kopech, RHP — Kopech’s season was cut short due to a 50-game suspension for illegal use of a stimulant, but it was an exceptional year for the 19-year-old nonetheless. The 2014 first-round pick showed overpowering stuff that could one day put him atop a major league rotation, posting a 9.69 K/9 to go with a 3.34 FIP over 15 starts. He allowed just two total runs over 15 innings in the three starts before his suspension, and gave up no more than three runs — a number he reached in just three outings — in all of his starts. Losing Kopech for the final 50 games was a disappointment for Greenville, but shouldn’t be a setback for the righty as he tries to make quick work of the minor leagues.

Biggest surprise: Javier Guerra, SS — Guerra entered the season as a mid-tier Red Sox prospect, but his value rose considerably after an impressive 2015. It was well-established that Guerra is an outstanding shortstop with good range, instincts and plus arm strength. But his bat was supposed to be his downfall. Well, turns out he can hit, too. Guerra far exceeded offensive expectations both from an average and power standpoint, posting a .280 TAv to go with 15 home runs and a .171 ISO. Guerra’s power numbers stood out the most given he’s still undersized. And at 19 years old, he’s bound to add more strength.

Biggest disappointment: Michael Chavis, 3B — It was a rough first year for Chavis, the team’s top pick in 2014. He struggled both in the field and at the plate this season. But especially at the plate. Chavis held a .244 TAv and struck out at an absurd 30.6 percent rate — 30.6 percent!!! — the latter being by far the most alarming. It’s something that needs to change in the coming years. He did hit 16 home runs and finished with a .182 ISO, but that swing-for-the-fences approach hindered his overall production. Chavis needs to shorten his swing and take more of a line-drive approach in order to improve his baffling average and strikeout numbers.

Top photo by Kelly O’Connor/www.sittingstill.smugmug.com

Triple-A Pawtucket: Brian Johnson, LHP and Travis Shaw, 1B

For what seemed like the longest time, Brian Johnson was pitching in the shadow of Henry Owens. All it took was a great start to the 2015 season for him to step out into the spotlight. Despite a true out pitch, Johnson has managed a 8.76 K/9, and even when he’s not mowing them down at the plate, he’ll get a grounder 46% of the time. He’s got solid control over all four of his pitches, and when that’s combined with his fast pitching tempo Johnson can quickly wear down batters.  Johnson makes up for the lack of overwhelming stuff with his great knowledge of sequencing and ability to read hitters.

He will find a way to get batters out, whether it’s by way of the K or on the ground to someone like Deven Marrero at short. In his 283.2-inning-long minor league career, Johnson has only surrendered 14 homers. If there’s a way to get you out, Johnson will find a way to do it. With the recent call-up of Eduardo Rodriguez, it’s not too much of a jump to assume that Johnson will get a spot start of his own soon enough.

If Travis Shaw didn’t have bad luck this year, he’d have no luck at all. A .240 BABIP has torpedoed his offensive output thus far, dropping his slugging percentage by 110 points. The good news is that he’s still taking walks and striking out far less often. His strikeout rate has come down from 22% all the way to 14% while his walk rate has kept steady at 8.0%, giving him time to let those liners fall in. Shaw excels in cranking out hits to the right-center power alley. At 25, the power might progress a tad bit more, but because of his limitations against same-side pitching, we’re not going to see dingers galore anytime soon. Shaw’s work ethic is admirable and might earn him a little more than a cup of coffee soon, but a starting job in the majors isn’t likely.

Double-A Portland: Keury De La Cruz, OF

De La Cruz has one thing in spades: power. He terrified pitchers in Greenville in his 2012 season, when he slugged a ridiculous .536 in 500 PA. Three years after that season-long thrashing, De La Cruz is slowly adjusting to life in the high minors, where pitches actually bend, and fastballs can exploit holes in a swing. To his credit, he absolutely annihilates anything low in the zone, but high fastballs will avoid his swing easily. It’s not uncommon to think that De La Cruz sits dead red on fastballs, and he’ll often be caught going fishing for a pitcher’s secondaries. After a year in Portland, he’s finally learned to relax at the plate and stop hacking so much, as his quick wrists & violent swing need to be able to punish any mistake pitch, not just fastballs that miss low. Time may be running out for the 23-year-old outfielder, but an improvement with his patience could at least get him a ride up to Pawtucket in the near future.

High-A Salem: Teddy Stankiewicz, RHP

There’s something said for a guy who can get grounders and maximize his K/BB ratio: useful. Stankiewicz has made it his calling card to rack up great ratios everywhere he goes. In Greenville, he has 102 strikeouts to 29 walks in 140 innings. In Salem so far, it’s 26 K to 9 BB in 53.2 IP. The velocity isn’t overwhelming, but Stankiewicz’s control of his fastball and slider give him the confidence to consistently throw strikes, and he’ll throw a changeup and a 11-5 curve to keep batters honest. Not only does Teddy hurl strikes and only strikes, he’s been getting a lot of weak contact. In Greenville, his GB% hovered around 40%, but in Salem, it’s jumped all the way to 46%. Stankiewicz is one to keep an eye on, as any pitcher with a good tendency to induce grounders, issue few walks and possess the potential for four solid pitches looks like a keeper.

Low-A Greenville: Rafael Devers, 3B and Javier Guerra, SS

You cannot stop Rafael Devers; you can only hope to contain him. He’s absolutely torched any opposition in the South Atlantic League to the tune of a .328/.363/.474 slash line. Devers has a good approach to the plate and is willing to take his fair share of walks, but in Greenville, he’s has been walking less while striking out less as well, so he can utilize that fantastic all-fields power tool he possesses. On top of all this, Devers is just 18 years young, so he has time to develop that power further. With his quick wrists and superb bat speed, don’t be surprised if Devers rockets through the low minors just on the strength of his offense.

In the field, there are a fair few question marks. Devers isn’t the most athletic player, and he’s noted as looking rigid when making plays. Improved footwork has made his arm more of an asset, but he’s only just reached the ugly-isn’t-a-stat level with his fielding. Third base is still on the table for Devers, and he’ll be given every chance to succeed, but first base is a viable option if his glove doesn’t live up to expectations.

While Devers is bat-first, glove-whenever, Javier Guerra is normally the opposite. The young Panamanian is a wizard with the leather at shortstop, possessing tons of confidence in the field, and isn’t afraid of charging balls or ranging far for a play. He’s got great instincts, as Guerra has a fast first step on contact. Normally, Guerra would be aggressive at the plate and swing early and often, but we’ve seen some advancement this season. Guerra’s triple slash of .287/.353/.475 is buoyed by a insanely high .410 BABIP, but the key here is his patience. In 207 PA last year, he had only 5 walks. In 138 this year, he’s got 12. The bat will determine if Guerra is ticketed for a utility role or a starting job, and being able to put together a good approach at just 19 years old is a solid step forward.

Photos by Kelly O’Connor/www.sittingstill.smugmug.com

Triple-A Pawtucket: Henry Owens (LHP), Eduardo Rodriguez (LHP), Matt Barnes (RHP)

Much has been made about the depth of the Red Sox organization. Triple-A Pawtucket is an excellent example of this, as Keith Law ranked the PawSox (Insider) as one of the best seven rosters in the minor leagues. The Pawtucket team has six of Baseball Prospectus’ top 10 and Law’s top 10 Red Sox prospects and three of those six are the starting pitchers we will focus on here. Henry Owens, Eduardo Rodriguez and Matt Barnes will all be in the rotation for Pawtucket this season, but could see time in Boston later this summer.

Owens has already made two starts with Pawtucket this year: one good one (6.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 HR, 4 BB, 4 SO; carried a no-hitter into the sixth) and one bad one (4.2, 3 H, 4 R, 1 HR, 6 BB, 4 SO). It is still too early to make grand proclamations about the 22-year old, but the progression in his performance against AAA hitters will be telling for how soon and in what role he is throwing innings for the big league club.

Eduardo Rodriguez has impressed since coming over from Baltimore

Rodriguez, who the Red Sox acquired in the Andrew Miller trade with Baltimore last July, has one start under his belt this season and for the most part it went well (5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 HR, 0 BB, 4 SO). He dominated at Double-A Portland in 37.1 IP last year (0.96 ERA, 2.42 FIP), so like Owens, seeing how he works through AAA lineups multiple times will determine if he ends up as a relief pitcher or starter at the big league level.

Matt Barnes has also taken the ball for one start in the early going of the Pawtucket season. His outing did not begin very well, as he allowed 3 runs in the first inning. But he settled in for the next two innings, before the game was postponed due to rain (3.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 0 HR, 3 BB, 3 SO). Of this trio, Barnes seems most likely to be destined for the bullpen at the major league level, as he is still lacking a consistent third pitch, and performed reasonably well as a reliever for Boston in 2014 (3.47 FIP, 15.4 K-BB%).

For the time being the Red Sox rotation and bullpen are fine, but as the season progresses reinforcement is certain to be needed and this means that one or more of the Owens, Rodriguez, Barnes group could have an important role in Boston. They could slot in as a spot starter to give one of the current rotation members an extra day of rest, fill in as a swingman on nights when Clay Buchholz or Wade Miley match recorded outs and runs allowed totals, or be used in high leverage innings down the stretch.

The use of this upper-level pitching depth is something that BP alumnus Joe Sheehan mentioned in the Red Sox preview of his newsletter, and in his appearance on The Will Leitch Experience podcast. He has suggested that this pitching depth is a critical factor that sets the Red Sox apart from the other teams in the American League. The Red Sox have built what amounts to a 35-man active roster, with all the outfield depth and pitching talent that is ready to make the trip from Pawtucket to Boston when needed. Of course this depends on these players developing their ability, but they are assets that loom for the big club, and it is nice that the Red Sox do not necessarily need to rush them up.

Double-A Portland: Pat Light (RHP)

The Portland Sea Dogs may receive the least attention of the organization’s minor league squads. This is likely because the team does not currently have one of the top-ranked Red Sox prospects, but there are still interesting players at this level. Pat Light, all 6’6”, 215 lbs. of him, was a first-round-supplemental pick in 2012 (37^th overall). That year he pitched well in 30.1 innings at Lowell, but his development was then stalled for health reasons in 2013 and he only threw 24.1 IP across rookie ball and Low-A Greenville. He spent most of 2014 at High-A Salem, where he struggled (4.67 FIP, 4.7 K-BB%). Light typically throws his fastball 92-95 mph, but in his 108 Stitches column/newsletter, Alex Speier reported that this spring Light was sitting 95-97 mph and at times hitting 99 mph. Light credits a new throwing approach that reduces the use of his legs to generate power, and focuses on getting more extension with his arm to generate more power. So far this season, the strikeout results seem to back up the increased velocity, as he has struck out 9 of the 27 batters he has faced with Portland. Although, given the relatively low batters faced total, it remains unclear if he has truly developed strikeout stuff. If he can stay at the current level his progression to the big leagues may move faster. Until this year, Light had been a starter, but he is now used out of the bullpen, which is probably his best bet for getting to the majors. Like the Triple-A guys outlined above, he could fill a late season role in Boston.

High-A Salem: Manuel Margot (OF)

Manuel Margot could be Boston’s best prospect by this time next year.

More Red Sox outfield talent! Margot was ranked as the Sox third best prospect by the Baseball Prospectus team, and fifth by Keith Law. Margot spent most of 2014 at low-A Greenville, but had 56 plate appearances with Salem at the end of the year and did not disappoint, hitting .340/.364/.560. The 20-year old has picked up where he left off, starting this season with a .370/.393/.741 line in his 28 PAs. Perhaps the best part of his performance in the young season is that he has yet to strikeout. He has speed, which helps his defense in the outfield and makes him a positive contributor on the base paths, but he still gets thrown out stealing too often (career caught stealing percentage of 25%). He will need to improve as a base stealer to make this a real threat to the opposition. If he keeps hitting like he is, the consensus seems to be that he will end the year in Portland. He is projected to hit for decent power, but it has yet to really emerge (3 HRs in his 84 PAs at High-A), though that is not surprising given how young he is for his level.

Low-A Greenville: Javier Guerra (SS)

Guerra was highlighted in our top 11-15 prospects report. The 19-year old is projected as a defense-first shortstop, although he may not be totally inept with the bat. If his hitting develops as he progresses through the minor leagues he will be an everyday shortstop in the big leagues, otherwise he destined for more of a utility role. So far this year he is hitting .318/.348/.545 in just 24 PAs but is striking out a lot (29.2 K%). He is still very young so his approach at the plate will continue to develop. With Xander Bogaerts already starting for the big league club, Deven Marrero at Triple-A and Guerra in Low-A the Red Sox appear to have a decent group of home-grown shortstop talent within the organization.

Photos by Kelly O’Connor, sittingstill.smugmug.com

Back in December, we released our Red Sox top ten list, a system we rated as the sixth best in all of baseball. With the advent of the new local sites, we’ve decided to extend out some of these lists by a few extra names, giving you a fuller idea of what is in the system. There’s certainly a lot of front-loaded talent with the Red Sox, but looking at names 11-15, you can see that there’s plenty of depth within this system as well.

Here are the best Red Sox prospects, numbers 11-15.

 11. Deven Marrero, SS

Potential grades: 45 Hit, 40 Power, 50+ Speed, 60 Glove, 60 Arm

Deven Marrero has a chance to be an everyday player.

Even when Marrero was at Arizona State, consistency has not been the shortstop’s friend, as the former Sun Devil infielder’s struggles as a junior saw him go from a potential top five selection to the 24^th pick of the 2012 draft. After two less-than-spectacular seasons in the system, Marrero appeared to figure some things out in 2014, and could be Boston’s – or another club’s – shortstop of the future.

Marrero will never be an offensive stalwart, but made some changes in both his swing-path and approach to give him a chance for a fringe-average hit tool. He’s an assertive hitter who won’t ever pile up the walk totals, but doesn’t end at bats by swinging at pitches out of the zone. His above-average bat speed and strong wrists allow him to put the ball into the gap with the occasional homer to the pull-side, though the swing path and slight build make big power totals unrealistic.

While Marrero is limited offensively, he shines with the glove. He’s only a solid-average runner, but his instincts in the field are outstanding, and his excellent hands and plus arm strength allow him to make the difficult look routine. The lack of offensive upside means he’ll hit at the bottom of the order, but because he’s so good with the glove, I would expect Marrero to become an everyday regular soon, likely in the summer of 2016. – Christopher Crawford

12. Edwin Escobar, RHP

Potential grades: 60 Fastball, 50 Slider, 55 Change, 45 Command/Control

Escobar was the “other” left-handed starter the Red Sox acquired at the 2014 deadline, and while he doesn’t have the same upside of Eduardo Rodriguez, he does have a chance to be a quality member of a pitching staff.

When Escobar is at his best, he’ll sit 90-92 mph with his fastball from a three-quarter arm slot, and the pitch plays up because there’s considerable life to the offering. His best off-speed pitch is a change that doesn’t have a ton of movement, but does offer deception from his arm speed to keep right-handed hitters off-balance. At times the breaking-ball has looked like a solid third offering, but too often he struggles to finish the pitch and it doesn’t offer the depth or bite to be more than an average offering at this point.

In addition to the lack of consistency with his slider, Escobar has a couple other issues that could prevent him from being a starter at the big league level, mainly his command. His arm angle will give left-handed hitters fits so his floor is solid situational left-handed reliever, but at just 22 year’s old there’s still time for him to become a solid backend member of a starting rotation. – Christopher Crawford

 13. Trey Ball, LHP

Potential grades: 60 fastball; 60 Change; 50 Curveball; 50 Command/Control

Trey Ball is looking to recover from a rough 2014.

The main theme after the organization drafted Ball in the 1^st Round of the 2013 Draft was that this arm was going to be more of a work in progress and slower initial developmental burn due to his relatively rawness on the mound. The reports and returns from the field in 2014 supported these original beliefs, with a clear gap illustrated between the present and future.

Ball’s heater presently sits 89-92 mph, topping out occasionally at 94 to 95 mph, but plays down a tad due to his inconsistent present feel for the placing the offering within the strike zone and need to build more stamina. The pitch finds a lot of bats right now. The 20-year-old does flash strong feel for his changeup. Both the arm speed generated and early feel are good clues this offering can emerge as a plus piece of his arsenal down the line. While the curve is a newer piece of the puzzle for Ball, and will flash tight break, it’s largely inconsistent at the moment and lags behind. With continued repetition the offering can complement both his fastball and change, though it’s going to take consistent dedication from the lefty.

Ball is largely a work in progress at present, but the ingredients are here for a mid-rotation starter to emerge at peak. 2014 saw the prospect take strides in the second half of the season, and continued gains in 2015 can see this lefty push as a top 10 prospect within the system. The strides and traction are likely to be subtle during the early career, especially ironing out the feel for the curve and pushing the fastball command towards average levels, but it’s a talent to keep an eye on within the second tier of this system. –Chris Mellen

14. Javier Guerra, SS

Potential grades: 50 Hit; 35 Power; 45 Speed; 60 Glove; 60 Arm

The 19-year-old drew strong reviews for his defensive potential in his stateside debut this past season. Guerra is loose and agile at short, with smooth actions, plus range, and a plus arm. The instincts and reads off the bat are also there. The 2012 international signee has the makings of a defender who can impact the game in the field, with the glove alone possibly carrying him all the way up to The Show. Though Guerra isn’t the most fleet of foot, his feel and look at the position at an early age lead many to believe he’s more than capable of sticking at short, with the chance to increase his defensive versatility if need be as well.

The shortstop flashes solid-average bat speed and the ability to keep his hands inside the ball. Presently, the approach does need a lot of toning down for the bat to keep moving, and the 5-foot-11 Panamanian could stand to further fill into the frame to enhance the quality of contact off the bat. The bat is a likely secondary aspect of Guerra’s game, and will need to close a larger gap for this profile to play as an everyday regular at peak. The stick may just end up light. This is a long-lead player who will require offensive marinating for the full picture of his potential role to come into view, but the glove gives him a good shot to develop into a utility type and carry value even if the bat doesn’t get past fringe-average. –Chris Mellen

15. Wendell Rijo, 2B

Potential grades: 55 Hit; 40 Power; 60 Speed; 50 Glove; 45 Arm

Wendell Rijo should be challenged by his assignment to High-A.

The Dominican second baseman more than held his own as an 18-year-old in the South Atlantic League in 2014, receiving good reports on the progress of the overall game. Despite some moving parts in his pre-pitch setup, Rijo shows plus bat speed and innate bat-to-ball ability, with the hit tool capable of playing solid-average (or possibly more) down the line. There’s a nice look to the ball coming off his bat. The power projects as below average, but he can drive offerings into both gaps, and combined with his plus wheels it can lead to solid extra-base output. The plate discipline and pitch selection are what need the most overall work in the offensive game, and a good developmental push is necessary to keep the bat from stalling at higher levels.

Rijo’s defense is presently on the fringy side, with the 19-year-old occasionally experiencing lapses in the field and needing more focus on his fundamentals. The glove won’t carry this profile, but the framework is there to become an average defender at the keystone. Commitment to the aforementioned needs will be a good sign that this prospect is maturing with his grasp on the overall game. There’s a large gap here, with a placement in High-A likely to lead to uneven results, but the foundation of a regular is in place, and offensive talent for the bat to make some noise if instruction with controlling plate appearances better sticks – Chris Mellen

Photos by Kelly O’Connor, sittingstill.smugmug.com