Pawtucket Red Sox review: Any Boston help for ’16?

Usually a PTBNL amounts to very little, but occasionally one does surface such as David Ortiz or Coco Crisp. In some instances the PTBNL actually was the same player such as John McDonald who went from Toronto to the Tigers and back to the Jays. The red Sox have a PTBNL in Marco Hernandez, who was acquired from the Cubs for Felix Doubront.

Hernandez, a 22-year-old from the DR, bats left and plays short. In Portland he took off with a slash of .326/.349/.482 and five home runs and 31 RBI. A peek at the OBP shows Marco hacks away with only nine walks for the Sea Dogs in 292 plate appearances. That bat and some solid defense and a strong arm sent him to Pawtucket.

In his minor league career, Hernandez has moved around the infield and had some outfield exposure. The sample is small at Pawtucket and the smart move would be to expect Hernandez to start 2016 at Triple-A, but never close that book.

Brock Holt is the capo di tutti capi of the utility players in Boston and all of MLB. The poster boy of versatility and that means similar spots are limited to one. Jemile Weeks is gone and back to Pawtucket, the rest come and go on the I-95 shuttle, so there is the possibility that a string spring, a few injuries, a trade or two and Marco may have a shot.