Boston Red Sox Prospect Watch: Trade deadline shakes things up

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 3: Tanner Houck #89 of the Boston Red Sox delivers during the first inning of a game against the Baltimore Orioles on April 3, 2021 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 3: Tanner Houck #89 of the Boston Red Sox delivers during the first inning of a game against the Baltimore Orioles on April 3, 2021 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
3 of 5
Red Sox prospect Kole Cottam
Greenville Drive’s Kole Cottam (39) is safe at first base after a pickoff attempt from West Virginia Power during the game at Flour Field Thursday, April 4, 2019.Ss Drive 04 04 2019 1603

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

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.

Schedule