Pawtucket Red Sox preview as Owens shines in debut
The Pawtucket Red Sox opened with a 2-0 win in which Henry Owens dominated. Here is a preview of the PawSox roster.
First things first is a look at the Pawtucket Red Sox (PawSox) opening the season with a 2-0 win against Buffalo with Henry Owens tossing six strong innings of shutout baseball. Owens struck out eight, walked three and allowed a lone hit while tossing 83 pitches. A complete story on the game can be found with a game report by BSI’s Michelle Pettis.
Owens performance will gather attention as the Boston rotation has not exactly mesmerized the opposition in the early going. With the potential burning out of the bullpen any success at Pawtucket could mean a quick trip to the parent club for any pitcher who shows a string of quality innings.
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Just who is on the watch list for potential rescue efforts in Boston? In 2015 the list was extensive and the heart of an early and successful PawSox team took the short I-95 ride to Boston with excellent results. Below is a tidbit on players who are at Pawtucket and have a spot on the precious 40-man roster and a few that don’t. This will be the core of the Pawtucket Red Sox from the beginning of the season and the 100% guarantee is that the list will change dramatically by the end of August.
PITCHING
Roenis Elias certainly had the opportunity in spring training and failed. The 27-year-old lefty was acquired from Seattle in the Wade Miley transaction. In 2015 Elias went 5-8 with a 4.14 ERA in 20 starts with the Mariners and will see action as both a starter and in the bullpen depending on the need and direction of the parent club.
Henry Owens went 4-4 in Boston in 2015 and – like Elias – was quite spotty in spring training and will start as the ace at Pawtucket. Owens 2015 progressed quite promising each month as his walls steadily decreased – an annoying walk habit that surfaced this spring. The 23-year-old lefty may be in Boston if things go sour in the rotation or be packaged in a trade.
With Brian Johnson, you could present a viable argument that he was the most proficient pitcher in the International League in 2015. Johnson went 9-6 with a 2.53 ERA and earned one start in Boston in which he took a loss. Then he had an arm issue. Johnson – like Owens – could be elsewhere or in Boston.
Robby Scott is a 26-year-old lefty consigned to various nonstarter roles. Scott finished out 2015 in Pawtucket (1-1, 7.67) with 13 games and one start. On the lefty depth chart he is in the lower ranks.
Edwin Escobar was a top ten prospect when he was traded to the Red Sox as part of the Jake Peavy package. The 23-year-old left-hander was being groomed as a reliever and appeared in two games for Boston in 2014. Escobar’s 2015 season was null thanks to injury as he appeared in 19 games with Pawtucket (six starts) and finished 3-3 with a 5.07 ERA.
Pat Light certainly can bring the heat with an occasional 100 MPH fastball, but is the current model for pitching inconsistency. The 25-year-old right-hander was a former number one pick who went 2-4 with the PawSox. Looking for the downside? A BB/9 of 7.1 and an era of 5.18.
Heath Hembree is somewhat in the same category as Light with plenty of mustard on old number one. The other part of the Peavey trade was also among the top ten prospects with the Giants. Hembree saw 22 games with Boston (2-0, 3.55) in 2015 and the now 26-year-old right-hander will concentrate on relief. Matt Barnes beat out Hembree this spring for a coveted spot on the 25-man roster.
HITTING
Sam Travis hit .469 in spring training and has hit since being drafted in the second round in 2014. A big right-handed bat with a great stroke that has line drive machine stamped on it. Despite his size – Travis is a 22-year-old right-handed hitter – is not a home run hitter with only nine in 559 plate appearances in 2015. What Travis does have in his hitter’s tool box is gap power. This will be the player to watch as the PawSox season progresses. (not on 40-man).
Marco Hernandez was a PTBNL in the Felix Doubront trade and has hit his way to a 40-man roster slot. In the spring the left-handed hitting infielder – now 23-years-old – hit .579 and had a team-leading six doubles. Is he being groomed for a Brock Holt type role? Any outfield time will tell.
Deven Marrero is another first round pick and pick he can as with a defensive connotation. But one must also hit and .256 at Pawtucket in 2015 needs to improve. Will Marrero be with Boston or elsewhere? Teams – especially in the National League – can carry a good glove in the lower part of the order. Marrero is smart and knows now to utilize his limited offensive skills. I just love his game.
Sean Coyle was a hot commodity after the 2014 season, but 2015 was a washout for the Dustin Pedroia clone. The 24-year-old infielder hit .179 with the PawSox and some nagging injuries were part of the sudden drop. His roster spot is on a very shaky foundation.
How the once mighty have fallen and that summarizes once projected right-hand power bat Bryce Brentz. Brentz had a perfect spring hitting .000 in 16 at-bats with 12 strikeouts. Now 27-years-old his roster time may soon expire for a player I once thought would be a 30+ home run hitter. Leave me off your scouting department.
Christian Vazquez is the real deal defensively and can give some tough at bats. The 25-year-old will continue his surgical recovery and could be back in Boston as the number one catcher in June. He will start as much as medically advisable.
NON-ROSTER POTENTIAL
The sad saga of Allen Craig needs no repeating as the 31-year-old right-handed hitter has done little of merit except cash about nine million a year in payroll checks. The redeeming feature that may give a glimmer of payroll relief is .275 spring average, but like Craig’s 2015 season there is a power outage with no home runs and a mere three RBI in the spring.
Brennan Boesch hit .303 in the spring until injury put him on the DL. Boesch is an excellent outfielder with five years MLB experience and if the stars align in Pawtucket when he returns, he could have value in Boston or elsewhere.
That Josh Rutledge remains in Pawtucket is a mystery to be. The utility infielder had a nice introduction to Boston in 2015 by hitting .284 in 39 games. Rutledge – now 26-years-old – is a right-handed hitter who could fill a utility role in Boston or elsewhere.
Anthony Varvaro had a 5.63 ERA in the spring and does have a few productive seasons on his baseball resume with the Atlanta Braves. Varvaro will only be in Boston (and elsewhere) if he becomes a lights out bullpen artist in Pawtucket. Don’t hold your breath on that.
Sean O’Sullivan went 1-6 in 13 starts with Philadelphia in 2015 and a 6.08 ERA explains that record. O’Sullivan – a 28-year-old right-hander – will be in the PawSox rotation and a positive performance could mean value – but probably not in Boston.
Next: Red Sox Knock Out Dickey
I had no idea the Red Sox had signed Justin Maxwell, who is most noted for prodigious home runs and equally prodigious strikeout totals. An MLB .220 hitter with four different teams the 32-year-old right-handed hitter never quite got to the promise land predicted for him.
Ryan LaMarre equals a famed baseball equation: Good field and no hit. The 27-year-old left-hand hitter has a .261 minor league career average with little power.