Boston Red Sox Prospect Watch: Trade deadline shakes things up
The Trade deadline shakes up the MiLB rosters as we look at this week’s Boston Red Sox Prospect Watch.
The Boston Red Sox honestly did not make all that many moves at the trade deadline. Obviously, it would’ve been great if they could have added a little more help. However, at the same time I would have been absolutely gutted if they moved too many prospects.
Even with minimal moves, the Red Sox parted ways with Michael Chavis, Alex Scherff, Aldo Ramirez, and Marcus Wilson. Scherff had the makings of a potential closer and Ramirez was looking like a legitimate starter. Meanwhile, Chavis had his moments and Wilson is a solid all-around weapon in the outfield. It’s time to move forward though.
Garrett Whitlock has now thrown 52 innings in 2021. He has a 1.21 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and .234 BAA. Whitlock has a 4-1 record, 10 holds, one save, and 53 strikeouts. The Red Sox bullpen has had some glaring holes this year, but Whitlock is one of the reasons they’ve been able to stay decently effective. It’s been amazing to watch all year long.
Jarren Duran has had his electric moments but the numbers aren’t there right now. Currently the outfielder has a .150/.186/.300 slash line with two walks and 17 strikeouts. He does have a double, triple, and homer though. And that triple could’ve been an in-the-parker but they called it an error. Hopefully he’s given a chance to get used to the Majors.
Bobby Dalbec has had his issues. Strikeouts and some fielding mistakes. He’s rocking a .214/.261/.396 slash line at the moment. And it’s that .261 OBP that is really worrisome. Dalbec does have 12 doubles, three triples, and 11 home runs. He’s driven in 40 runs, scored 27 runs, and stolen one base. 113 strikeouts in 280 at-bats. Dalbec needs to turn things around soon.
Jonathan Arauz is slashing .286/.412/.357 in his short time with the Red Sox this year. He has one double, one RBI, and two runs scored so far. Arauz has proven he’s a solid depth piece and it will be interesting to see what their plans are with the 22-year-old moving forward.
Red Sox Triple-A (Worcester)
Jeter Downs had a weird week. He’s still hitting .201, which is what he was hitting at this time last week. However, it was a bad first half and ended on a strong note. The infielder started 0-for-6 in the first two games but went 4-for-14 with two walks, two doubles, two homers, five RBI, four runs scored, and one steal. That boosted his overall numbers decently. Downs now has five doubles, nine homers, 23 RBI, 28 runs scored, and 13 steals.
Ryan Fitzgerald is in Triple-A now and that’s just awesome. He’s just 1-for-14 with a double, a walk, and two RBI so far. Nothing to worry about though, that’s a very tiny sample size. Fitzgerald’s having a fantastic overall season. He has 25 doubles (tied for his career-high) and 10 home runs (a new career-high). Fitzgerald was undrafted a few years ago, now he’s one stop away from Boston. Wild.
Josh Ockimey is slashing .217/.349/.460 on the season. Other than the average, that’s really solid. He’s getting on-base at a strong clip and he’s starting to drive the ball. Ockimey has just three doubles, but also has 12 home runs. He’s driven in 26 runs and scored 26 more.
Kutter Crawford made his Triple-A debut this week. The right-hander wasn’t phenomenal, but he was better than his line shows. There were a number of very unlucky weak contact hits. That includes a “double” that was a pop up to the infield but no one decided to catch it. Crawford gave up three runs on nine hits and one walk (five strikeouts) over six innings.
Jose Adames continues to be ridiculous. He now has eight innings pitched in Triple-A. In those eight innings, the right-hander has not allowed a single run. Adames has a .148 BAA and 1.25 WHIP. Between Triple-A and Double-A he has a 1.65 ERA, .163 BAA, 1.06 WHIP, and 34 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings pitched.
Zack Kelly was untouchable in Double-A. It looks like he’s following that path in Triple-A. The right-hander made his debut and went two scoreless innings. He allowed just one hit and no walks while striking out four.
Durbin Feltman gave up three runs over two innings in his Triple-A debut last week. This week he was much better. The right-hander threw three innings, allowing no runs on two hits and no walks, striking out three. Feltman has been really strong all year long and it looks like after one bad outing he’s found his footing in Triple-A.
Red Sox Double-A (Portland)
Kole Cottam received a much-deserved call-up to Double-A. The catcher slashed .276/.383/.487 with 13 doubles, one triple, and six home runs in High-A. He drove in 24 runs and scored 22 more. So far in Portland, he is 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI. The catcher deserves to get more recognition, hopefully it happens.
Nick Sogard was having a good time in High-A, but he’s absolutely flourishing in Double-A. The infielder was 2-for-10 at the level heading into this week. Then he went 8-for-16 and is now rocking a .385/.467/.462 slash line with Portland. Sogard has 10 doubles, two triples, and eight home runs on the season combined. He’s scored 37 runs, driven in 26 more, and stolen six bases.
Pedro Castellanos is slashing .301/.370/.492 with 10 doubles, two triples, and 11 home runs. The 23-year-old has 37 RBI, 47 runs scored, and two steals. Castellanos has spent all season playing in the outfield, but has tons of experience at first base as well. He’s been fantastic and could be a solution for the Red Sox issues at the position in the future.
More from Red Sox Prospects
- Predicting top Red Sox outfield prospect Ceddanne Rafaela’s timeline to the majors
- Predicting Red Sox top prospect Marcelo Mayer’s timeline to the majors
- Red Sox risk repeating rookie mistake with Eric Hosmer release
- Red Sox invited group of players you’ve probably never heard of to Spring Training
- Jeter Downs’ official departure will continue to haunt Red Sox
Ronaldo Hernandez had another massive week and the numbers just keep bumping up. The catcher was hitting .242 entering the week, and now has a .252/.296/.467 slash line. He’s hit 12 doubles and 11 home runs, and has 25 RBI and 24 runs scored. The Red Sox have a lot of options at the catcher position moving forward.
Devlin Granberg is slashing .317/.370/.563 between High-A and Double-A this season. He has 15 doubles, two triples, and 12 home runs (already a career-high). Granberg has 53 RBI (career-high is 56), 43 runs scored, and four steals. It’s been an absolutely incredible season and we might even see him get a taste of Triple-A by the end of it.
Tyreque Reed has hit a little bit of a slump, but it’s absolutely nothing to worry about. He’s now hitting .239 in Double-A, but the sample size is so small (46 at-bats) that one good game could change everything. The first baseman has a .284/.391/.564 slash line on the season with 13 doubles, one triple, and 16 home runs. He’s already driven in 61 runs, scored 46 more, and stolen four bases.
Brayan Bello had a solid week. The starter gave up two runs on five hits, two walks, and one HBP in 4 2/3 innings pitched. Not the best start, but it helped lower his ERA in Double-A slightly (to 4.50) and he racked up 10 strikeouts. Bello is 5-0 with a 3.32 ERA, .233 BAA, and 1.17 WHIP between High-A and Double-A. He’s already notched 87 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings pitched.
Joan Martinez is down to a 3.86 ERA. That matches his fantastic BAA much better. While the right-hander has a 1.57 WHIP due to high walk numbers (18 in 23 1/3 innings), he also has 33 strikeouts and a .207 BAA.
Rio Gomez has a 5.40 ERA in Double-A. That might not sound great, but wait for the rest of it. The lefty threw nine innings in July, he did not allow a run in that time. Gomez allowed just seven hits and no walks in that time, while striking out 10. He now has a .295 BAA and 1.46 WHIP with Portland this year. Gomez has improved tremendously as the year’s gone on. Let’s see if it continues in August.
Red Sox High-A (Greenville)
Cameron Cannon is on a different level right now. The shortstop is now up to a .305/.352/.466 slash line. He is currently on an eight-game hitting-streak and has 23 doubles and eight home runs. Cannon has driven in 37 runs, scored 44 more, and stolen eight bases. He’s kept the strikeouts to a bare minimum to, just 33 in 292 at-bats so far.
Joe Davis mashed in Low-A. He’s doing even better in High-A though. The first baseman slashed .333/.384/.577 in Low-A. In High-A he’s slashing .356/.362/.622 with three doubles, three homers, and nine RBI in just 11 games. Overall Davis has a .338 average with 19 doubles, 13 homers, 58 RBI, and 39 runs scored in 59 games.
Tyler Dearden had an absolutely phenomenal week. The outfielder is back up to a .277/402/.545 slash line. He hit four home runs and had plenty of RBI over the last few days. Overall Dearden has 15 doubles, 14 homers, 50 RBI, and 49 runs scored.
Jaxx Groshans was struggling slightly in High-A to this point, then came Sunday. The catcher was great in Low-A but his small sample size was “eh” so far in Greenville. Groshans went 2-for-4 with a triple and a home run on Sunday. He’s now hitting .250 with one double, one triple, and one homer. He’s driven in six runs and scored five more. Overall, it’s been a phenomenal year and gives the Red Sox another exciting catching prospect.
Stephen Scott was called-up to High-A as well and things are already going well for him. The outfielder is 5-for-14 (.357) with one double and one home run, as well as five RBI and two runs scored in Greenville. Overall, Scott is slashing .265/.380/.465 with 18 doubles and nine home runs. He’s driven in 47 runs and scored 51 more, stealing two bases.
Christian Koss holds on to a .279/.340/.419 slash line with 10 doubles, four triples, and six home runs. He’s driven in 28 runs and scored 39 more, stealing six bases. Koss has picked up the power a little bit lately, and is showing a really nice all-around game.
Brandon Howlett is slashing .253/.354/.489 at the moment. The third baseman has hit 13 doubles, two triples, and 12 home runs so far. Meanwhile, he’s driven in 42 runs and scored 45 more, even stealing two bases. Howlett’s slumped a bit but overall the numbers are still absolutely fantastic.
Dominic D’Alessandro is hitting .242 right now. It’s not phenomenal, but it isn’t bad. Meanwhile, he’s only had 120 at-bats so things could change quickly. There are plenty of positives too. With just 120 at-bats, D’Alessandro already has three doubles, one triple, and six home runs. That’s a lot of power. The first baseman has driven in 19 runs and scored 12 more.
Tyler Esplin has a .233/.337/.324 slash line. Still not a great average or slugging percentage, but he’s boosting a little bit. Esplin had a triple and a home run this week, so hopefully that puts him back on track. Right now, the outfielder has 12 doubles, one triple, and two homers. Meanwhile, he’s driven in 28 runs and scored 37 more, while stealing four bases.
Brian Van Belle’s July was insane. I even had to write about it. The right-hander threw 22 innings in the month and did not allow a run. Entering the month, his ERA was 5.56, his BAA was .311, and his WHIP was 1.44. Van Belle left the month with a 3.70 ERA, .272 BAA, and 1.25 WHIP. Serious drop-offs. This absolutely should put him on the map.
Chris Murphy made one start this week, allowing three runs on six hits in five innings. He also struck out seven though. That marked the seventh straight start by the left-hander in which he recorded at least five strikeouts. Murphy has a 4.21 ERA, .240 BAA, and 1.24 WHIP on the season. The numbers are great and he’s playing better than his ERA. Murph also has a really strong 81 strikeouts in 68 1/3 innings.
Jay Groome had his first bad start in what felt like forever this week. The left-hander went just two innings, giving up three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out three. This bumped his ERA back up to 5.47, his BAA up to .239, and his WHIP up to 1.38. Still really solid numbers especially considering that poor start to the year. Groome’s got ace stuff.
Red Sox Low-A (Salem)
Are we in the power era for Ceddanne Rafaela? Whatever it is I’m 100% here for it. The 20-year-old was down to a .299 slugging percentage heading into July 9. Since then, he’s hit six doubles, four triples, and five home runs. Rafaela now has a pretty solid .234/.298/.413 slash line. That’s a jump of .114 in his slugging percentage in less than a month. On the year, Rafaela has 10 doubles, seven triples, and six home runs. He’s driven in 24 runs, scored 47 more, and is an incredible 18-for-18 on stolen base attempts.
Nick Yorke is currently riding a 13-game hitting-streak. The 19-year-old is slashing .297/.385/.409 with 11 doubles, three triples, and three home runs. He has driven in 27 runs and scored 37 more, while stealing 10 bases. Yorke getting a promotion by the end of the year certainly wouldn’t be surprising. He’s been outstanding.
Gilberto Jimenez is slashing .295/.334/.381 at the moment. He’s hit 11 doubles, three triples, and two home runs so far. Meanwhile Jimenez has 38 RBI, 42 runs scored, and 11 steals. It’s easy to forget that the outfielder is just 21. A lot of his game feels very refined. He definitely still has a few things to work on but overall 2021 has been extremely positive to this point.
Nicholas Northcut is on some sort of power run right now. The infielder is slashing .239/.345/.479 at the moment with 19 doubles, two triples, and 11 home runs. He’s driven in 49 runs and scored 44 more so far. What’s impressive has been the current run. Northcut had two doubles, one triple, and three home runs in the last five games. That’s one way to get your numbers up heavily.
Antoni Flores is making his Low-A debut this year. So far it’s going decently well. The 20-year-old is hitting .244 through 11 games (41 at-bats) so far. He’s hit four doubles and one home run already, Meanwhile, he has seven RBI and three runs scored, as well as one steal. Flores is a really exciting prospect who has already shown he can play multiple positions in the infield.
Matthew Lugo saw his average creep up a little bit more once again. The shortstop is now slashing .252/.311/.317 with 10 doubles, one triple, and two home runs. He’s driven in 27 RBI and scored 36 more. Meanwhile, he’s stolen 13 bases. Lugo had a really solid month of July (.301) so hopefully he can keep that going in August.
Nick Decker has a really strong .266/.380/.440 slash line in Low-A so far this season. The outfielder has ripped eight doubles, one triple, and three home runs to this point. He has driven in 12 runs and scored 21 more, even stealing three bases. Decker is a very interesting prospect that brings a lot to the table. Good defense and nice raw power potential.
Jeremy Wu-Yelland was hit around a little this week, giving up four runs on seven hits and one walk (four strikeouts) in four innings. This followed a phenomenal start from the prior week though, so it’s not too bad. The lefty still has fantastic numbers on the year. Wu-Yelland has a 3.80 ERA, .195 BAA, and 1.25 WHIP. He’s struck out 57 batters in 47 1/3 innings pitched.
Shane Drohan had an amazing week for himself. The 22-year-old made two starts. In his second start, Drohan went five innings, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out five. His first start was better though. Drohan went five innings, allowing no runs, hits, or walks, and struck out four. He now has a 3.86 ERA, .236 BAA, 1.42 WHIP, and 53 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings pitched. Drohan’s had walk issues this year (33) but no walks in his last two starts is a major positive.
Ryan Fernandez has now thrown 32 1/3 innings this season. The righty has a 0.56 ERA, .200 BAA, and 0.99 WHIP. He has a 3-1 record, three holds, and is 2-for-2 in save opportunities. Fernandez has 38 strikeouts compared to just eight walks.
Next. What Kyle Schwarber brings to Boston. dark
Devon Roedahl has a 1.83 ERA, .200 BAA, and 0.92 WHIP so far this year. The right-hander has thrown 39 1/3 innings so far, racking up 37 strikeouts compared to seven walks. He has a 2-2 record, one hold, and six saves.