• Offseason 2015: move Hanley Ramirez to first base? Sure, he will only play there for a season before David Ortiz retires, opening up the DH spot, and Travis is potentially major league ready.
• Offseason 2016: sign Mitch Moreland to a one-year deal rather than signing someone like Edwin Encarnacion to a longer deal? Sure, it is only for one season, it lets Hanley focus solely on hitting, and Travis’ timeline was delayed after he tore his ACL.

But now what? Does the front office stay this course and give Sam Travis the position on a full-time or part-time basis in 2018? Or do they shift from it and sign one of J.D. Martinez, Eric Hosmer, or (my preference) Carlos Santana, effectively ending Travis’ shot at a role in Boston? Either way, Travis will soon have a clearer idea about his future with the organization.

WHAT WENT RIGHT

The primary positive for Travis was his finally getting the call to the big leagues. He hit really well for Pawtucket in May (.333/.389/.561 in 72 PA), earning his first opportunity with the Red Sox at the end of that month.

He carried his hot hitting in May with him to the big leagues – collecting five hits in his first 12 plate appearances – but cooled off once the calendar flipped to June, and never really regained that May form the rest of the way for Pawtucket or in his subsequent stints in Boston.

If you dig a little deeper into Travis’ performance you find the skill most likely to keep him in the big leagues for an extended period: hitting left-handed pitching. Against lefties in 2017, he slashed .314/.400/.505 at the Triple-A level (105 PA) and .381/.458/.500 in the majors (48 PA). Those aren’t exactly huge samples, but the results don’t deviate from what he has done against lefties at every level throughout his career. His ability to hit lefties opens up a fallback role for him as a right-handed bat off the bench.

WHAT WENT WRONG

Outside of May and against lefties, he didn’t really hit well. He finished the season with a .259 TAv at Pawtucket and a much worse .217 for the Red Sox. Being that he is a first baseman (and maybe a corner outfielder in a stretch) those rates are not going to play. He needs to hit better. Prospect gurus see him as a potentially above-average defender, but he still has to hit much better than he has in order to provide value.

The thing that really sticks out to me about Travis’ underwhelming hitting is that he hit just six home runs last year for Pawtucket and has never hit more than 10 in a season at any level.

All jokes aside on how he fit right in with the 2017 Red Sox, Travis’ lack of power is troubling; especially when it isn’t supplanted with way-above-average contact ability. His power problems in 2017 were not limited to lacking dingers, as he posted the lowest isolated power marks of his career. But I want to stick with the home run thing for another couple of sentences: he also had six home runs in 2016, but did so in just 190 PA, 150 fewer than he needed to get his six last year. Perhaps the knee injury that shortened his 2016 season sapped some of his power potential, or he needs more time to build strength in the knee. Regardless, Travis showing more power would be nice.

WHAT TO EXPECT

As noted at the top, Travis’ role with the Red Sox in 2018 (and beyond) depends on the moves the organization makes this offseason. The scoopers out there suggest that signing J.D. Martinez is all but a certainty. If true, Martinez and Hanley are the primary 1B/DH options, leaving Travis without a spot. I suppose in that situation Travis could take on a right-handed bench-bat role, but it seems unlikely that he would be used to hit for JDM or Hanley. There would also be considerable redundancy with Bryce Brentz, who seems to have the inside track on that job, so I don’t think a bench role like that fits for Travis. As such, it is more likely that Travis spends the majority of 2018 in the minors and/or is included in a trade.

Alternatively, if the team opts to stay away from the splashy signing of JDM and instead sign one of the second-tier left-handed-hitting first base options (e.g., Lucas Duda, Logan Morrison, Jay Bruce) then I can see a role with the Red Sox for Travis as the short-side of a first-base platoon. We know he can hit lefties, so that could be his primary gig. Regardless, it seems as though Travis’ future is going to be driven by whichever player the Red Sox bring in to start at first base.

Photo by Denny Medley – USA TODAY Sports

Going Deep

Before looking ahead to the 2017 team and beyond, it is worth looking back at the career of ex-Red Sox star Manny Ramirez, who is now eligible for the Hall of Fame. By the numbers, Manny, a player many have considered one of the best right-handed hitters to ever play the game, looks like a Hall of Famer: 555 home runs, .312/.411/.585 slashline, critical part of two World Series winners, 76.3 WARP, this play, and on and on. Manny was so great:

By Jay Jaffe’s JAWS, Manny was slightly better than the average Hall of Fame left fielder, meaning he would raise the quality of enshrined left fielders. Ian Browne of MLB.com has a great retrospective of Manny’s career. So elect him, right? Not likely. As Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald details, Manny’s multiple suspensions for violating MLB’s PED policy makes it a longshot that he gets the Hall call. Along these lines, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe considers Manny’s place among Red Sox greats who have not been enshrined, ultimately ranking him third behind Roger Clemens and Curt “how can I tarnish my image further today” Schilling. Regardless of his election, it will be interesting to see how long Manny remains eligible on the ballot. Will he lurk around for a few years like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens have? Will he get bounced immediately? Manny certainly represents an interesting case for the voters. If he does get in, I am sure that his speech will be incredible.

The Red Sox have sorely lacked production from third base in recent years. Pablo Sandoval’s first season in red socks went terribly, and last year, outside of two good months from Travis Shaw, the group of players who occupied the hot corner posted a .238 TAv. As such, what to expect from the position in 2017 is remarkably unclear. Regardless, Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe writes that Sandoval should get the opportunity to be the primary third baseman in 2017. I agree with Abraham for two reasons. First, it is unlikely that Sandoval will be as bad as he was in 2015, and second, the other options will be better used in bench/utility roles (Shaw, Brock Holt) or need more development time (Yoan Moncada). The 3-to-5-win Sandoval of San Francisco Giants fame is likely not going to be seen in Boston but that doesn’t mean there should be a rush to trade him for pennies on the dollar. And, no, the Giants don’t want him back. Sandoval slots nicely into the bottom third of the already potent Red Sox lineup, and hopefully his focus on conditioning over the last year helps his agility on defense. It is reasonable to expect him to be a 1-2 win contributor in 2017, which is great for the 2017 club and also allows Moncada more time to learn the position at the minor league level so that he can be ready to assert himself as the primary candidate in 2018.

Quick Hits

For a number of Red Sox players, the 2016 postseason, was their first taste of playoff baseball at the major league level. Unfortunately, after getting swept in the Division Series, it was over before they could get acclimated. Despite the poor result, Scott Lauber of ESPN.com outlines how getting a taste of playoff experience this past season could prove valuable in the future for the young core of the team.

While that young core is in place for the 2017 season, there are still areas of the team that can be enhanced. Carlos Beltran, an excellent offensive-threat from both sides of the plate, has been mentioned as a Red Sox target. Beltran would be a nice addition to an already strong offense. However, as Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal writes, the Sox are not alone in being interested in adding Beltran. The Yankees, Astros, Rangers and (maybe) the Blue Jays are all vying for the aging slugger.

Adding to the offense is one approach for this offseason, however Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald thinks the Red Sox should focus on getting someone from the starting pitching market. The Red Sox’s league-leading offense is still likely to be a top-five group, but the pitching is murkier. Mastrodonato suggests that adding Chris Sale or Justin Verlander is feasible and would make things much more comfortable.

Two members of the current starting rotation have different views on pitching for their country in the World Baseball Classic (WBC). American League Cy-Young winner Rick Porcello wants to repeat his 2016 Spring preparations in 2017 and will therefore skip pitching for the American squad. However, Porcello’s rotation-mate Eduardo Rodriguez has made it known that he would like to pitch for Venezuela. While it is an honour to compete for one’s country, John Tomase of WEEI.com writes that, given the knee injury that affected his mechanics and contributed to a mostly mediocre season, Rodriguez should skip the WBC.

Even after all of the big league promotions that have happened over the last couple of years, the Red Sox’s farm system remains one of the best in the game. There are many players at the lower levels who could contribute in the big leagues in 2017. Christopher Smith of MassLive.com has notes on six players who could make their big league debut this season.

Photo by Bob DeChiara/USA Today Sports Images

Going Deep

Projection season is upon us. Team-by-team ZiPS reports are accumulating at FanGraphs, with the Red Sox looking pretty good, and early simulations of the season have the Red Sox posting the second-best winning percentage in the game, with a 91-71 record. That is a vast improvement compared to last season. Alex Speier of The Boston Globe offers up a guide to projection season, noting how things like bullpen performance, the performance of young players, pitch framing, defense and health are factors that can shift an actual record away from a projected record. Notably these are areas in which the 2016 team appears to have improved relative to the 2015 squad, excepting, of course, health, which is basically impossible to anticipate. Craig Kimbrel and Carson Smith will reinforce the bullpen. Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts, Rusney Castillo, Jackie Bradley Jr., Blake Swihart and on and on will all have another year under their belts. Getting Hanley Ramirez out of left field should be a real boon for fly balls ending up in gloves, although how he fares at first base is a major open question, with the answer having a considerable impact on the rest of the infield defense. While there is great anticipation for the coming season, fueled by favorable projections like the one at FanGraphs, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald urges Red Sox Nation to calm down; there are still too many things that remain unknown to take these projections as reality.

Projecting major league teams and talent is one thing; projecting minor league players and prospects is another. It is extremely difficult to accurately plot out the career path of young players. Nevertheless it is worth checking out where players in the Red Sox organization fall among players from other organizations. About a month ago, we discussed the Baseball America top-100 rankings, within which the Red Sox had five players. The latest set of prospect rankings from a major outlet was released this week, with the crew at MLB.com doing a top-10 at each position. The Red Sox are well represented. Yoan Moncada is ranked as the best second base prospect, Rafael Devers is ranked as second best at third base, Anderson Espinoza is ranked as the tenth best right-handed pitching prospect and Sam Travis is ranked as the tenth best prospect at first base. The outfield list will be posted later today and I suspect it will include Andrew Benintendi. If that ends up as true, the Red Sox will only be absent from the left-handed pitching, catcher, and shortstop lists. The promotions of Blake Swihart, Christian Vazquez, Xander Bogaerts and Eduardo Rodriguez contribute to this, so it is not like the Red Sox are lacking good, young talent at those positions. The foreseeable future appears bright for this organization.

Quick Hits

As noted in the sections above, young players are an important part of the coming Red Sox season and near future. As such, Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts are front and center. Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald writes that these young stars are wise beyond their years and are ready to lead the team. Despite their critical roles within the organization, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com notes that the club has not begun talks of a contract extension with either player. Hopefully this sort of thing does not become a distraction as the season progresses.

Some combination of Blake Swihart, Christian Vazquez and Ryan Hanigan will handle the catching duties in 2016. While it has been anticipated that Vazquez would join the roster after Opening Day as he continues to work back from having Tommy John Surgery last year, he tells John Tomase of WEEI.com that he is in the best shape of his life and hopes to be on the Opening Day roster.

Vazquez is not the only Red Sox player claiming to be in better shape and having lost 20-plus pounds this offseason. Jimmy Toscano of CSNNE.com reports that Pablo Sandoval has lost 20 pounds, and that the Red Sox are happy with his offseason work. Writing for FanGraphs, our own Matthew Kory examined the bounce back potential of Sandoval, specifically digging into the Panda’s work on defense.

Another player whose offseason workouts are being closely observed is Hanley Ramirez. His transition to first base is critical to the Red Sox success in 2016. Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe writes that Ramirez is ready for his new position position, embracing the challenge that comes with earning trust from his fellow infielders. On the offensive side of things, at GammonsDaily.com, Peter Gammons commented on the tremendous negative impact that Hanley’s shoulder injury had on his performance last year.

Hanley’s time at first base is likely to be limited to one season, as after David Ortiz retires at the end of 2016 the designated hitter spot will be open. Ortiz is heading into his age-40-season, which is a time typically marked by a considerable reduction in performance, specifically power. At OvertheMonster.com, our Alex Skillin notes that Ortiz is in a position to post one of the best age-40 seasons in the history of the game.

Finally, Fenway Park will look a little different in 2016, as the park will be outfitted with protective netting along the infield wall, reaching the far edge of each dugout. While some fans are reportedly upset with the potential obstructed view, Peter Abraham of Boston.com says Red Sox officials are certain that fans will adapt to the new screens. The new netting is supposed to be similar to that which is used behind home plate; transparent enough to allow fans a view of the game but safe enough to prevent injury.

Photo by John E. Sokolowski/USA Today Sports Images

Going Deep

For many teams, roster construction for the 2016 season is still a work in progress. There are two-ish months between us and pitchers and catchers reporting to their respective Spring Training facilities. Despite this uncertainty, taking an early look at how the Red Sox seem to fit in the American League East division is a worthwhile exercise. Tim Britton of the Providence Journal has done just that, working team-by-team highlighting strengths, weaknesses and 2016 outlook. Britton suggests that the Blue Jays should be considered the favorite in the division, the Rays have too many ifs and a lack of depth to handle any under-performance, the Yankees’ fate still depends largely on production from aging players and the Orioles’ outlook, while potentially strong, remains difficult to determine given the remaining work the front office has ahead of it this winter. All told the Red Sox and Jays seem to be the class of the AL East, with the success of both teams likely falling in line with the success of the starting pitching behind their respective number one guys.

The Red Sox have made four major additions to the club this offseason and only one of them cost a lot in terms of prospects; Craig Kimbrel. The farm system is still loaded with talent. Factor in all of the big league promotions over the last few years (i.e., Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Blake Swihart, Rusney Castillo, Eduardo Rodriguez) and the system that the previous front office group built becomes that much more impressive. I raise this aspect of the team because the Baseball America top-10 rankings were released this past week. Alex Speier of The Boston Globe takes a detailed look at each of the ten players who made the cut, which includes guys like Yoan Moncada, Rafael Devers and Andrew Benintendi. The top five players on the list are likely all top-100 prospects, while the lower half includes two players who can contribute at the big league level right now, and two players whose bats will allow them to be productive big league corner infielders in the future. Ranking prospects is a murky business, as it is just so remarkably difficult to accurately anticipate the futures of players given the (often) limited information available. Nevertheless, the Red Sox’s prospect pool is filled with high-ceiling players who present a potentially bright future.

Quick Hits

The Red Sox got themselves an ace this offseason, but what can be expected of David Price? Mike Cole of NESN.com reviews a couple of the projections that are already available for Price. While Price is not projected to post another 2.30 ERA season as he did in 2015, the numbers are still impressive.

Eduardo Rodriguez will be pitching in one of the four rotation spots behind David Price in 2016. Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal thinks that Rodriguez has the potential to be Boston’s number two starter, and compares his trajectory to that of old friend Jon Lester.

Newly acquired Carson Smith will be an important part of the Red Sox relief group in 2016. Ian Browne of MLB.com details how Smith’s unusual delivery, typically throwing from a side-arm/three-quarter arm slot rather than over the top, has helped him succeed at the highest level.

Some combination of Blake Swihart, Christian Vazquez and Ryan Hanigan will be responsible for catching Price, Rodriguez, Smith and company this season. Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe thinks that group of catchers puts the Red Sox in good position for the coming season. When it comes to Swihart, Matt Collins, writing for OvertheMonster.com, suggests that him reproducing the second half of his 2015 season will be important for the success of the Red Sox offense.

While the Red Sox appear set for the foreseeable future with a core of young, talented players and David Price headlining the rotation, the list of players who could be free agents following the 2018 season are tantalizing – and David Price could be one of them if he opts out. With this in mind, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com explores how the organization can be planning now to handle those future opportunities.

Finally, although it is not directly Red Sox-related, Michael Silverman’s article (at BostonHerald.com) on major league baseball’s decision to reject the reinstatement of Pete Rose is worth reading.

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

Going Deep

The meetings of the general managers takes place this week in Boca Raton, Florida. The meetings will be the first for Dave Dombrowski and Mike Hazen as leaders of the Red Sox front office. While it is unlikely that much player movement will happen during these meetings, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reminds us that they are a gateway to the offseason, an opportunity for club leaders to lay the groundwork for future moves. Right now a lot of attention is being paid to the free agent market; and rightfully so as it holds a deep crop of great players. The Red Sox will probably be in the mix to sign one of the top-flight free agent starters, but what is a lot more fun—and much more difficult—is determining and evaluating trade candidates. To a large extent, Dave Dombrowski’s reputation comes from his trading prowess, so we can expect him to make a trade or two in the coming months. Along these lines, Scott Lauber of BostonHerald.com outlines five teams that he thinks could be good transaction partners for the Red Sox, and Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com takes a stab at identifying specific pitchers for whom the Sox could trade. Regardless, Brian MacPherson writes in the Providence Journal that the trade market presents an early test of Dombrowski’s knowledge of his new farm system, something that Dombrowski is well aware of. Outside of trading Mookie Betts or Xander Bogaerts I think anything should be considered.

That outlines things from more of a general perspective, but how about some specific speculation on the Red Sox moves this offseason? Two great, Boston-focused writers, Peter Gammons and Chad Finn, do just that in recent articles. Gammons focuses on the rotation, considering options beyond Zack Greinke, who Gammons sees as the top prize. He outlines the difficulty that Boston will have in luring a top-of-the-line starter to pitch in the American League East, its hitter friendly parks, for the next five-to-seven years and, when those pitchers could opt for a team in the National League West and all its pitcher friendly parks. Alas, we get back to considering trade partners. One really intriguing option that Gammons presents is Chris Sale of the White Sox. It is likely wishful thinking, but he outlines how the two teams could line up on a trade that involved Boston sending Blake Swihart and Javier Guerra to the Windy City. Sale would be a huge get for the Red Sox, as Sale is really good (opponent TAv .227), left-handed, only 26-years-old, and signed to a team-friendly contract. Finn states that he has no idea what the Sox are going to do, but again leans toward trades as the best way to acquire pitching. He reminds us that the offense is fine, having scored the fourth most runs in baseball last year without much production from two important pieces. Pitching is the need. Someone like the Reds’ Aroldis Chapman, the Indians’ Carlos Carrasco, or one of the Mets’ fireballers would be solid acquisitions, but the prices in Queens are likely too high. Finn’s primary caveat for any trade is, like I suggested above, Betts and Bogaerts should be untouchable.

Quick Hits

Perhaps the most glaring part of the roster that is in need of correction is the bullpen. However, fixing said bullpen is a complicated matter. Re-positioning players currently in the organization like Matt Barnes, who the Sox have ticketed for relief duty in 2016, is one approach, but Tim Britton of the Providence Journal shows there are plenty of relief options outside the organization that should be explored.

The decision to move Hanley Ramirez to first base affects the immediate big league future of Travis Shaw, who in the last two months of the season showed that he has the potential to be a productive major league first baseman. Ian Browne of MLB.com reports that Shaw is hoping versatility will get him regular playing time. He has been playing third base in winter ball in Puerto Rico, and could even play some games in the outfield if it means getting into the lineup.

Christian Vasquez is rehabbing from the Tommy John surgery that derailed his 2015 season by playing winter ball in Puerto Rico. He is being used exclusively as a designated hitter and while he is performing well, Scott Lauber of BostonHerald.com writes that, because he is not performing full catching duties, his readiness for the coming season won’t be certain until the Spring.

While much remains to be determined with the Red Sox roster for the 2016 season, the future appears bright, as the farm system is loaded with talent. As mentioned above, over the next few months many of these up-and-coming players will be bandied about in trade rumours. Bryce Brentz for Clayton Kershaw? Sure, I’d consider it. If you are wondering about where the players who are getting mentioned rank within the organization, check out the consensus Top-60 that the staff at Sox Prospects released last Friday.

According to a report from CBSSports.com, a couple of former Red Sox players are frontrunners to be the next manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both Dave Roberts, of 2004 ALCS Game 4 stolen base fame, and Gabe Kapler, who played in Boston from 2003 to 2006, have given impressive interviews in their chance to take the reigns in Chavez Ravine.

Photo by Bob DeChiara/USA Today Sports Images

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