Pawtucket Red Sox
While there was great news to report about prospects in Boston, the same cannot be said about the young players in Pawtucket. The 3rd best prospect in the system, Sam Travis, has not started the season off great. Currently, Travis is hitting .172, which is 2nd worst among qualified batters in Pawtucket.
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As referenced last week, Travis was involved with Blake Swihart in a collision. While it was a minor injury that Travis only missed 3 games from, it is something to keep in mind. Travis, who is less than a year removed from tearing his ACL, is hoping to be the everyday first baseman next season. But he will need to have a strong showing in Pawtucket this year until he gets the call to Boston in September.
Any thought of Travis being called up sooner than the September call-up has been effectively crushed for one major reason: the emergence of Mitch Moreland. Moreland signed a one year deal to come to Boston, and many saw it as a “prove it” type of contract.
This is a player who is the defending AL Gold Glove winner. And his performance in Boston through the first two plus weeks of the season has been nothing short of phenomenal. If Moreland continues on this pace, he will definitely fetch a big contract from a team who needs a first baseman in the offseason.
Another name to look for is Brandon Workman. A fan favorite in 2013, he has battled multiple injuries over the past couple seasons. Coming out of the pen, he has been very productive for Pawtucket, going 5 scoreless innings over two different outings. If a pitcher in the bullpen falters, Workman could very well get the call to come to Boston.