Red Sox Prospect Watch: Roster moves have started
With a little over a week left in Spring Training, these last handful of games are time for young players in the Red Sox system to make their mark.
With just around a dozen games left in Spring Training, time is running out in Fort Myers. The Boston Red Sox have made their first round of roster cuts, reassigning some players to a minor league camp.
Even with these cuts, the time left can prove invaluable to these prospects. For someone like Rafael Devers, who might not be a part of Boston’s 2017 roster, this could be his only chance to face major league talent. For others, it could help them get into their groove and start the season off strong.
This time is also very valuable to the players on the major league roster. As a young player, Spring Training allows you with an opportunity you rarely get in baseball. That is the ability to get to know some of the younger prospects and try and show them the ropes.
For example, Andrew Benintendi spent his first Spring Training at Fort Myers last year. He became close with Dustin Pedroia, and that friendship paid off just a couple months later. When Benintendi was called up that August, Pedey made sure he looked out for Benny Baseball. Instead of having Benintendi get an apartment for roughly six weeks, Pedroia let him live in his house until the season ended.
While this doesn’t sound like much, Spring Training is where many teams truly get their chemistry down. Members of the 2013 team have said they bonded heavily over Spring Training. Here’s to hoping that 2013’s outcome happens 4 years later, with the number one prospect in baseball leading the charge.
Andrew Benintendi
Benintendi will soon break free from his prospect status and ascend to a veteran. This is a big year for him, as his first year in the bigs showed the world what he has to offer. Joining arguably the most talented outfield in baseball, Benintendi needs to continue his success through a full season.
Benintendi has been one of the hitters who have played the most this spring. It naturally makes sense, as the 24 year-old now will be preparing for the long grind of the season. With over 40 at-bats, it is enough of a sample size to draw educated conclusions.
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It is safe to assume that Benintendi, barring injury, should be in line for anywhere from 500-600 at bats. This is roughly 12-15 times larger than the sample size Benintendi currently has. He is currently hitting .302, which is a great sign for his future. If he can keep up the great hitting, Boston’s lineup just got that much better.
With the addition of Benintendi full-time to the roster, it adds another facet of the offense. The lineup will have to undergo some renovations after the retirement of David Ortiz. The prototypical number 2 hitter, Dustin Pedroia, will be leading off the lineup. Batting 3rd is the runner-up of the AL MVP race, Mookie Betts. In between those is Benintendi.
All three of these hitters are extremely talented at hitting for average. For Benintendi, who was the best hitter in college when he was drafted, this is a key to him having a successful career. The sky is the limit for Benintendi, and if he lives up to expectations, he can be a part of one of the most dominant outfields in recent memory.
Hitters
While Benintendi is getting all the praise, there are other hitters who are trying to make an impact on the coaching staff. Both of these players are trying to fight for a roster spot in Boston for Opening Day, but it seems highly unlikely that they both will be a part of the roster. These players are Marco Hernandez and Deven Marrero.
For position players, it is hard to argue that anyone other than Hernandez has had a better spring. Hernandez has appeared in 16 games, and has been on an absolute tear. Hitting .422 with 6 doubles and 5 triples, he has been unstoppable.
Hernandez has also been perfect in the field while being ranked in the top 10 for total fielding chances. Even with the Red Sox having a super-utility player in Brock Holt, Marco Hernandez is proving he cannot be left off the Opening Day roster.
Deven Marrero’s case to make the team is nowhere as strong as Hernandez’. Marrero is hitting .325 in 19 games, so it is clear that he is hitting the ball well. A strike against Marrero’s case to make the roster is where he plays. He is a natural middle infielder, and so it does not seem like Pedroia or Xander Bogaerts are going to be losing their job anytime soon.
Finally, Marrero has not been an effective fielder this Spring. In roughly 50 chances, he already has 3 errors. With the outstanding Spring Hernandez is having, it was already hard to see Marrero making the roster. Now with these errors, he seems destined to start the season in Pawtucket.
Pitchers
While the offense for the Red Sox seems to be without questions, their pitching staff is not the same. David Price will probably not be on the Opening Day roster, and there is no timetable for his return. Carson Smith is still rehabbing from Tommy John surgery in May last year, and is shooting for a June-July return.
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- Red Sox invited group of players you’ve probably never heard of to Spring Training
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With that being said, there are some prospects who are fighting to try and be a part of this staff. One player who is exceeding expectations is Robby Scott.
Scott has a feel-good story that could be made into a Hollywood movie. Scott went to a community college after high school, and then transferred to Florida State for his last two years.
He went undrafted in 2011, but still wanted to pursue his dreams of being a professional baseball player. He played independent ball for a year, before being signed by the Red Sox. Now, the 26 year-old is factoring as starting the season in Boston’s bullpen as an effectively lefty specialist.
Scott was very effective in his limited time in Boston last season. In 7 games, he did not allow a run, and became another quality lefty out of the pen. This Spring, he has continued his great ways of getting batters out.
In 8 innings, he has not given up a run, while also keeping opponents hitting under .220. Boston’s bullpen might be able to fly under the radar due to contributions like Scott. If he keeps his ways up, there is no telling what Scott can’t accomplish out of the bullpen.
Non-Roster Invitees
Non-Roster Invitees are one of the integral parts of Spring Training. It is a chance to see future stars who still need development. For someone who is perhaps a fan of the Red Sox living on the West Coast, Spring Training might be the only time they can see a future star like Rafael Devers.
Speaking of Devers, he is having a spring to forget. Devers is hitting an atrocious .136. He has only gotten 3 hits in 22 at-bats. Also, Devers has 2 errors in only 15 total fielding chances.
Obviously Spring Training statistics always have to be looked at in a certain light. Even still, Devers has shot up the system over the last two years. While he is only 20 years old, it would have been nice to see him hit for average a little more. While a September call-up isn’t out of the question for him, it becomes much more unlikely.
There is good news on the NRI front, though. That would be the stellar spring that Sam Travis has had. Travis is in the top 10 for average this spring, hitting a great .351. Also, Travis has 3 homeruns, showcasing the power that he possesses. He has an insane 1.118 OPS, which puts him 2nd on the team among qualified players.
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Travis will start the season in Pawtucket. While some fans might want him to start at first for Boston this year, he will benefit from being able to play everyday down there. Also, he is still recovering from a torn ACL that happened in May of last year. With Mitch Moreland on a one-year deal, it seems highly unlikely that Travis is not the everyday first baseman coming into next season.