Boston Red Sox Predictions: Top-5 September call-up options
Aug 19, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox interim manager Torey Lovullo (right) along with bench coach Dana LeVangie (58) before the game against the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
The last full month of the summer is winding to a close. The warm weather will soon be replaced by a brisk autumn breeze, the leaves will begin to change into a collage of bright colors and children will begrudgingly head back to school. As the calendar flips to September it brings with it one other annual tradition – MLB roster expansion.
Teams are typically limited to a 25-man roster during the season, but as of September 1 they will be allowed to add anyone from their 40-man roster. While that doesn’t necessarily mean that teams will call up 15 players from the minor leagues as soon as the month begins, we should expect to see some new faces joining the Red Sox in the upcoming weeks.
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With the minor league schedules ending weeks ahead of the big league schedule, many players from those minor league squads will get the chance to extend their season with a September call-up. This can include young prospects looking to get their feet wet with their first taste of the majors or veterans that have taken frequent rides back and forth on the shuttle between Pawtucket and Boston.
September call-ups allow teams to fortify their roster with added depth to reduce wear and tear on their starters or protect them in the event of injury. Contending teams use this opportunity to give some of their stars some extra rest down the stretch to ensure they are fresh for a potential postseason run. Teams like the Red Sox won’t need to worry about saving anyone for October, but they can use this upcoming month as a chance to get a look at some players that could potentially factor into their plans for next year’s roster.
Here’s a look at some of the options most likely to receive a September call-up from the Red Sox.
Next: Matt Barnes
Aug 22, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Matt Barnes (68) pitches against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Matt Barnes
The 25-year old right-hander has been bounced between the rotation and bullpen ever since spring training. Matt Barnes has most recently been used for a couple of spot starts with the Red Sox, but neither of them went well. He surrendered a total of 11 runs over 10.1 innings, taking the loss in both starts. He now holds a brutal 6.89 ERA and 1.84 WHIP in 23 appearances with Boston.
Prior to that Barnes had been in the rotation for Pawtucket, but he failed to make it through five innings in any of his three starts as he worked to build his arm strength back up following months of working as a reliever. He went 0-1 with a 4.09 ERA, striking out 8 in 11.0 innings over those three starts.
If Barnes makes his way back to the majors next month it will almost certainly be as a reliever. New president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski loves power arms and Barnes certainly fits the bill, with a heater that can touch 95 MPH.
Barnes remains a work in progress, but his constantly changing role may have inadvertently set back his career. If he can find some consistency coming out of Boston’s bullpen then it may finally allow him to settle down to find his comfort level. Barnes is a three-pitch pitcher who relies heavily on his fastball, while he continues to work on refining his breaking ball and off-speed pitch.
It’s difficult for any pitcher to work his way through a lineup a second and third time with such a limited arsenal. A permanent move to the bullpen would allow him to unleash his full velocity in shorter outings, while being less vulnerable to his pitch selection. A call-up next month would give the Red Sox an opportunity to further examine him in that role with an eye on turning him into a potential key piece of next year’s bullpen.
Next: Garin Cecchini
Mar 7, 2015; Sarasota, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Garin Cecchini (70) against the Baltimore Orioles at a spring training baseball game at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Garin Cecchini
Garin Cecchini‘s stock has plummeted this season after being considered one of the top-10 prospects in the organization a year ago. His offense seems to have abandoned him, as he has hit a meager .210/.287/.294 in 107 games for Pawtucket this season.
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The 24-year old infielder has spent only 2 games on the Red Sox roster this season, going hitless with three strikeouts in four trips to the plate. However, he does have a strong track record in previous years and had modest success in his first taste of big league action last year, hitting .258/.361/.452 with a homer and 3 doubles in 11 games.
It’s been a nightmare season for Cecchini, but he did show some progress by hitting .293 in July, before falling back into a slump this month. Perhaps spending some time in the majors would allow the Red Sox coaching staff to get a closer look at his approach at the plate to see if they can figure out where he has gotten off track. It’s not too late to fix his swing and salvage his career. If nothing else, he at least provides the team with some added depth in the infield, as he capable of playing both first or third.
Long term there doesn’t seem to be much of a future for Cecchini in Boston. Pablo Sandoval has third base locked down for the foreseeable future and 18-year old Rafael Devers is a quickly rising to the top of the Red Sox’ prospect list, making him a likely candidate to take over the hot corner by the time Sandoval’s contract expires or he can be moved to another position. Calling Cecchini up next month would be an opportunity to work with him in hopes of restoring some trade value for the once highly touted prospect.
Next: Brian Johnson
Jul 21, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Brian Johnson (61) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Brian Johnson
This prediction is of course dependent on whether or not Brian Johnson is able to work his way back from injury before the season ends. Johnson was placed on the disabled list earlier this month with elbow irritation in the ulnar nerve area, but tests revealed no structural damage to the ligament. While the Red Sox still haven’t provided a timetable for his return, the team appears to be confident that he could pitch again this season.
Prior to his injury, Johnson had been enjoying a fantastic season in Pawtucket. He is 9-6 with a 2.53 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 96.0 innings over 18 starts for the PawSox this season. SoxProspects.com rates Johnson as the No. 4 prospect in the organization, with his strong season vaulting him ahead of Henry Owens for the top pitching spot.
The lefty made one start for Boston last month, surrendering 4 earned runs in 4.1 innings during a loss in Houston. Johnson actually looked pretty good at times during his debut, retiring 8 straight batters at one point, including striking out the side in the third inning. His outing began to unravel in the 5th as the Astros piled on three runs to knock Johnson out of the game.
The Red Sox may choose to ease Johnson back in by letting him get some work in the bullpen to limit the strain on his elbow. If he is deemed healthy enough to rejoin the rotation, perhaps Boston could move to a six-man rotation down the stretch, which would help limit the innings for fellow rookies Owens and Eduardo Rodriguez.
Next: Deven Marrero
Jun 26, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Deven Marrero (16) works out prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Deven Marrero
Deven Marrero made his big league debut earlier this year, appearing in 6 games and recording 1 hit in 7 trips to the plate. That won’t get anyone too excited about a potential call-up, but if he does join the Red Sox later this season it won’t be because of his bat.
The 25-year old has had a decent season in Pawtucket, hitting .251 with 6 homers, 11 doubles and 10 steals. Marrero isn’t blessed with blazing speed, but he has good instincts on the base paths and will swipe the occasional bag. He may never contribute much at the plate, but he is known as a plus defender capable of playing either middle infield spot and could serve as a pinch-runner late in games.
The scouting report on Marrero describes him as an athletic infielder with plus range, a strong throwing arm and soft hands. He is fundamentally sound in the field with exceptional body control that allows him to make throws on the run. If given the chance to play everyday, he would have potential Gold Glove upside as a defender.
The Red Sox won’t likely be able to afford him the opportunity to play everyday, but he could still serve as depth in an area the team is currently thin at. A bit of a down season has dropped Marrero out of the top-10 on most prospect lists for the organization, but he remains a valuable asset. If he can impress enough with his glove in the limited playing time he may get then it could help him build some trade value.
Next: Allen Craig
May 1, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Allen Craig (5) hits a home run during the fourth inning against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Allen Craig
This one could be tricky, considering the Red Sox outrighted Allen Craig off of their 40-man roster back in May, which means they’d have to remove someone else from the list in order to put him back on.
Is it worth taking away a spot from someone else in order to give Craig another chance? Well the Red Sox have about 20 million reasons to consider it, given the contract they still owe him over the next two seasons.
Craig is hitting a modest .272/.369/.349 in 89 games for Pawtucket this year. He is starting to reclaim his penchant for getting on base, but the 22 home runs he hit with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012 now looks like a significant fluke. Craig has only 4 homers and 17 extra-base hits over 327 at-bats this season, as his power has evaporated.
Every chance Craig has been given so far since being acquired from the Cardinals last July has ended in failure. He hit a pitiful .135/.237/.192 in 24 games with Boston before being banished to the minors. Has his modest production in Triple-A been a sign that he has fixed the issues with his swing? That’s what the Red Sox need to find out.
Craig was an All-Star in 2013 and had hit over .300 for his career prior to being shipped to Boston. The 31-year old hasn’t reached the age where his production should have fallen off a cliff this much. A foot injury that plagued him through the 2013 postseason was supposed to be responsible for a down year last season, but he’s had plenty of time to recover from it, so that should no longer be hindering his performance.
Craig is out of excuses. If the Red Sox do allow him to join the roster next month then he needs to perform at the plate. This could be his last chance.
Next: Other Notable Options
Jul 21, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (15) during the game against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Other Notable Options
Boston could technically add 10 other players to the roster even after accounting for the five we’ve already discussed, but I wouldn’t count on it. However, there are a few other players that could receive a call-up, even if it’s not to start the month.
Jonathan Aro and Noe Ramirez have both been given brief stints in the bullpen this season. Neither was successful, but it doesn’t hurt to have a couple of extra arms in the ‘pen to eat up innings so that the other relievers don’t get burned out.
I suppose they could give Ryan Cook another shot for the same reasons, if they are gluttons for punishment. The former Oakland A’s closer has been torched for 9 runs in only 2.0 innings of work since being acquired by the Red Sox. That’s a staggering 40.50 ERA! You can argue it’s a minuscule sample size and he can’t possibly continue to be that bad, but it’s not like he pitched much better earlier this season before Oakland gave up on him.
The Red Sox also have several players that could return from injury in the near future. Clay Buchholz, Dustin Pedroia and Steven Wright are all currently on the disabled list, but haven’t been ruled out for the season. If the team waits until September then they can activate them without having to option anyone to make room on the roster.
There are only four other players on the 40-man roster: Bryce Brentz, John Cornely, Sean Coyle and Edwin Escobar. None of them have performed well enough to warrant a call-up, so even if they did find their way to Boston this season, it’s doubtful they would make much of an impact.