Boston Red Sox call up first wave of September reinforcements
The Boston Red Sox have called up a handful of players to the big leagues as rosters expand for the September stretch run.
It must be September. The weather is starting to cool off, Labor Day weekend festivities are being planned and the Boston Red Sox clubhouse is starting to get a bit more crowded.
The Red Sox made their first wave of September call-ups, with a handful of players joining the team for the start of a road trip beginning in Oakland on Friday. Roster expansion allows teams to add anyone from the 40-man roster for the final month of the regular season, but there is no rush to add everyone. Another wave of call-ups is likely to occur next Tuesday after the minor league schedule ends.
Yoan Moncada is of course the biggest name that the Red Sox will add this month. Much has already been written about the top prospect in baseball, who fans hope will be the savior at third base, where the Red Sox have ranked 29th in the majors in offensive production. Moncada may be given an opportunity to supplant Travis Shaw as the primary starter at the hot corner against right-handed pitching, while his speed makes him an appealing option to pinch-run with.
The promotion of the highly touted prospect has garnered most of the attention, but Moncada isn’t the only one being added to the Red Sox roster for tonight’s game.
Next: Joe Kelly
Joe Kelly
It wasn’t long ago that Red Sox fans were ready to kick Kelly to the curb, but the right-hander has found new life as a reliever.
Kelly has been a constant disappointment in previous attempts to stick him in the starting rotation since he was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals mid-way through the 2014 season. He would tease us with flashes of brilliance and a blazing fastball, but failed to find consistent success.
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The bottom fell out for Kelly this season, as he produced a brutal 8.46 ERA through six starts before the Red Sox finally gave up on the idea of relying on him as a starter.
Kelly returned to the team briefly in late July, showing some promising signs as a reliever by allowing only one run in 3 2/3 innings over three appearances out of the bullpen and has thrived in his new relief role since being demoted back to Pawtucket in early August. He allowed only one run on a walk and six hits while striking out 16 in 11 innings in his latest stint down in Triple-A.
Pitching out of the bullpen has allowed Kelly to rely more on his fastball, which gets an uptick in velocity working in shorter outings. A limited arsenal was one of the issues that always held him back as a starter and it’s long been questioned if he would be better served working out of the bullpen. Based on the latest results from Pawtucket, it seems Kelly is finally settling into that role. He could provide the Red Sox a tremendous boost if he can help solve the late-inning issues that have plagued the team in front of closer Craig Kimbrel.
Next: Ryan Hanigan
Ryan Hanigan
The veteran catcher will be activated from the 15-day disabled list after missing nearly a month with an ankle injury.
Hanigan has provided the Red Sox with very little offensive production this year, hitting a meager .158 with a .437 OPS. The team picked up Bryan Holaday to help fill the void during Hanigan’s absence, but he has somehow managed to be even more inept at the plate in the eight games he has appeared in for the Red Sox. It’s likely that Hanigan moves ahead of him on the depth chart as the more trusted option.
He’s always been considered a solid defensive catcher, so Hanigan can still provide value even when he’s not hitting. He can reclaim his position as the primary catcher for knuckleball pitcher Steven Wright, who has been in a funk since his return from a shoulder injury. Perhaps reuniting with Hanigan as a battery mate is just what Wright needs to get back on track.
Having a third catcher around also helps ease the workload on Sandy Leon. He took the league by storm, hitting .350 through his first 55 games, but is only 5-for-28 with 10 strikeouts in his last eight games. Has the magic worn off or is he merely wearing down? The added depth should help keep him fresh as we head toward October.
Carrying an extra catcher will also allow manager John Farrell to feel more comfortable pinch-hitting for one of them. He’s been hesitant to hit for Hanigan or Holaday in the past because it would leave him without a backup if anything were to happen to Leon after coming in as a replacement. That’s no longer a concern with three catchers on the roster.
Next: Deven Marrero
Deven Marrero
The slick fielding shortstop is back with the big league club to provide infield depth.
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The utility infielder hit .111 with a .222 OPS in six games for the Red Sox this season in which he totaled only 9 at-bats. He wasn’t much better in Pawtucket this season, batting .198 with a .487 OPS in 96 games. Nothing that we have seen from Marrero over the last two years provides a sliver of optimism that he can contribute much with his bat, but he could be a useful defensive replacement when needed.
Most of his time in the majors has been spent at third base, where he has appeared 16 times over the last two seasons. That’s unlikely to be the case now, with Moncada battling Shaw for playing time at the hot corner and Aaron Hill expected to get the start against left-handed pitching.
Marrero could see some time at second base to give veteran Dustin Pedroia a breather. Moncada is a natural second baseman, but the Red Sox may not want to bounce their prized prospect between multiple positions in his first taste of the big leagues. If the team feels that he is their third baseman of the future then letting him stay there would be ideal, which could open a spot for Marrero as the primary back up to Pedroia.
He could also see time a shortstop to spell Xander Bogaerts on occasion.
Next: Robby Scott
Robby Scott
This one comes as a bit of a surprise, as Scott wasn’t on most people’s radars when predicting September call-ups, but he could end up being a valuable member of the bullpen.
The former Independent Leaguer has produced a solid 2.54 ERA and piled up 73 strikeouts against 14 walks in 78 innings for Pawtucket, where he has bounced between the rotation and bullpen. His 0.91 WHIP has been the best among all PawSox pitchers with at least 15 innings pitched this season.
The 27-year old southpaw could be a valuable addition to a Red Sox bullpen in need of reinforcements against left-handed hitters. Scott has held lefties to a .147 average and .459 OPS at the Triple-A level this season.
Only the much maligned Fernando Abad has a better batting average allowed against lefties (.125) on this Red Sox roster. Adding another lefty should allow Farrell to keep Abad in a left-handed specialist role, considering he’s been absolutely brutal against right-handers. The manager has lost faith in Abad after he posted a 6.30 ERA in 12 appearances, so Scott has a chance to surpass him in the bullpen hierarchy if he finds early success.
Next: The Next Wave
The Next Wave
The Red Sox roster currently has 30 active players in the big leagues, but more could be on the way. While they won’t necessarily add everyone from the 40-man roster, another wave of call-ups can be expected when the minor league season ends next week.
Christian Vazquez should be considered at the top of the list for the next batch up call-ups. He has shown a little improvement at the plate since his demotion to Pawtucket, hitting .270 with a .719 OPS in 41 games. Even if that offensive production doesn’t carry over to the majors, he remains a valuable asset for his elite defensive work behind the plate.
The Red Sox have held off on calling Vazquez back to Boston because they didn’t want him to spend most of his time sitting on the bench behind the hot-hitting Leon, but once Pawtucket’s season is over then there is no harm in bringing him up. He could quickly surpass Hanigan and Holaday as the backup to Leon and could steal more playing time if he proves he can hit at this level.
The Red Sox remain hopeful that Andrew Benintendi will make a September return, so the roster expansion will allow the team to activate him without a corresponding move. In the meantime, they may bolster their outfield depth with Bryce Brentz, who hit .279 in 25 games with the Red Sox earlier this season.
The bullpen will need more reinforcements, so Heath Hembree and Noe Ramirez are both candidates to return. Roenis Elias has experience as a reliever, while the Red Sox could consider shifting Henry Owens or Brian Johnson to the bullpen if they find themselves in need of more lefties. It would be a good way to allow them to gain more big league experience, while also managing their workloads.
Next: How Moncada helps the Red Sox
Koji Uehara should be back soon after a couple of successful bullpen sessions. If he can return to anything resembling his previous form then he provides the Red Sox with a tremendous late-inning upgrade.
William Cuevas and Williams Jerez are the other two members on the 40-man roster, but seem less likely to make an impact.