Red Sox roster filler at Pawtucket

Apr 1, 2015; Fort Myers, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman

(30) throws over to first base during the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Red Sox have some baseball filler at Pawtucket. A filler is a player that simply Fills out the roster and they exist at all levels, but Triple-A is the most visible venue for a filler.

A filler has three distinct groupings with (1) being a player with extended service time in the minors and no MLB experience. (2) Extended service time in the minors and some limited MLB experience and (3) is a veteran player with significant MLB service time. Option three is usually a player who is given a bonus or special contractual initiatives to task in Triple-A.

Triple-A is or can be rather comfortable for a player. The compensation is decent, the travel conditions better, the rooms nicer and the meal money a bit more attractive. A player can hang around for years and play the game with the hope of getting some more or any MLB service time.

Jeff Bailey is a filler hero for me. Three partial years in Boston after ten seasons and numerous organizations. Bailey’s stat line is nothing special with a slash of .228/.340/.434 and six home runs and 16 RBI. But Bailey could really light it up in the minors with several All-Star teams, an MVP and 191 home runs.

So who are the fillers for 2015 and how are they doing?

Mar 1, 2015; Ft. Myers, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher Matt Spring (81) poses during photo day at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Spring started his minor league journey in 2004 and was signed as a free agent by the Red Sox in 2011. Spring is now in his twelfth season of minor league ball and is the occasional catcher for Pawtucket.

Spring is generally viewed as a captain/coach on the field and is a savvy player who is classified as being an excellent handler of pitchers. Spring will, no doubt, be hired on by Boston or another organization as a minor league coach/manager when he finally puts his playing spikes to rest.

Spring’s deficiency is simple – his bat. Never a high average and limited power despite his bulky frame. If Spring’s minor league numbers were ML numbers he’d be on a roster somewhere as a backup.

Mar 1, 2015; Ft. Myers, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher

(72) poses during photo day at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Luke Montz made it to the majors for the proverbial cup of coffee in 2008 and resurfaced five years later for a refill with Oakland. Montz, now 31-years-old, is a right-handed power bat who catches, plays first and will DH. The issue with Montz is simple – a .237 career minor league average.

Montz, like most fillers, has seen service time with several organizations and holds a career .163 average with two home runs and eight RBI in his two brief major league stints.

Montz has not hit at Pawtucket with an average well under .200 and has seen playing time in the outfield, at first and DH to add to his and the team’s versatility.

Mar 12, 2015; Bradenton, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher

(40) returns to the plate during a spring training baseball game at McKechnie Field. The Boston Red Sox beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Twelve years in the majors is a pile of service time and now the 35-year-old Humberto Quintero is with Pawtucket. Quintero also received a nice bonus to accept his Triple-A assignment and, no doubt, like most filler’s will be watching the transaction wire for potential available openings for a back-up catcher.

An MLB slash line of .234/.267/.327 in 471 games with five teams and a career CS% of thirty-three shows that Quintero had the skill set to provide that back-up duty. Quintero started hot at Pawtucket, but has tailed off recently, but does have three home runs and 12 RBI.

The season is long and injuries happen – ask Ryan Hanigan – and Quintero does have a decent MLB resume. You may see him surface in the majors this season.

Mar 31, 2015; Port Charlotte, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder

(52) sits in the dugout against the Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Quintin Berry is perfect in steals – a 25 for 25 in the majors shows that Berry can run. But can Berry hit?

The 30-year-old outfielder has a .266 average in 117 games with Boston, Baltimore and Detroit. In Berry’s extensive minor league career, he is hitting .260 with very little power and a very good glove.

Berry can run and Berry can field. This is pure late season call-up for a club looking for a pinch runner and a late inning defensive replacement and Berry can do that rather well. Just don’t let him pitch.

In a game earlier in the season the PawSox were forced to go to a position player for mound duties and Berry got the call. Berry went 0.2 innings and didn’t allow a hit, but walked five – including the winning run – and hit a batter.

Mar 15, 2015; Clearwater, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox infielder

(16) attempts to turn a double play as Philadelphia Phillies infielder

(26) slides into second base in the third inning of the spring training game at Bright House Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

A player who can play virtually all positions does have value – just think Brock Holt. Jeff Bianchi is such a player for Pawtucket.

Bianchi, now 28-years-old, saw limited service in three seasons with the Brewers banging out a .216 average. With the PawSox he has seen limited duty and is currently in the .240s with no home runs.

With versatility and age Bianchi may get the attention of a team in need of a capable backup, but it may be via a move to another system and another Triple-A team as Jemile Weeks appears to have the first call on versatility duty.

Statistics: Baseball-reference. (through 05/20/2015)