SB Nation - Aaron Bates

Boston Red Sox Top 20 Prospects for 2010

John Sickels — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:52:45 -0000

2 months ago: Boston Red Sox's Josh Reddick fouls off a pitch during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Friday, Sept. 18, 2009, in Baltimore. The Red Sox won 3-1. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

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Boston Red Sox Top 20 Prospects for 2010.

All grades are EXTREMELY PRELIMINARY and subject to change. Don't get too worried about exact rankings at this point, especially once you get beyond the Top 10. Grade C+/C guys are pretty interchangeable depending on what you want to emphasize. Complete reports on these and over 1,000 other players will be in the 2010 Baseball Prospect Book, now available for pre-order, shipping on February 2^nd!

1) Ryan Westmoreland, OF, Grade B+: I love this guy: Five Tool/Seven Skill player who can do everything. I expect more power will come. Just needs to stay healthy.

2) Casey Kelly, RHP, Grade B+: He's not a shortstop, but he's a very good pitching prospect who could advance quickly. Possible number two/three starter.

3) Ryan Kalish, OF, Grade B: Another guy with a broad skill base. I like him slightly better than Reddick due to his superior plate discipline and he's one year younger.

4) Josh Reddick, OF, Grade B: He was rushed. Most people would rank Reddick ahead of Kalish since Reddick has more power. My instinct says Kalish but it's close.

5) Michael Bowden, RHP, Grade B: His component ratios deteriorated in Triple-A, but I still like him. Very similar minor league components to Jeff Suppan, not an ace but if Bowden ends up throwing 2411 average major league innings it counts as a success.

6) Junichi Tazawa, RHP, Grade B-: Bowden ranks a bit ahead because he's younger, but Tazawa is another guy who can be a good inning-eater. Deserves another chance despite poor pitching in Boston.

7) Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Grade B-: Great human interest story and a very solid hitter, but needs to show more power at first base. I think it will come.

8) Lars Anderson, 1B, Grade B-: A difficult grade, but I'm going to give him an injury mulligan and see what he can do with a fresh start. Like Rizzo, will he have the home run power you want in a first baseman?

9) Reymond Fuentes, OF, Grade B-: Borderline C+. Great tools, will he develop skills?

10) Stolmy Pimentel, RHP, Grade B-: Borderline C+. Still projectable, throws strikes.

11) Jose Iglesias, SS, Grade C+: Amazing glove, but I won't rank him higher than this until he shows that he can be an adequate hitter. Could be an Omar Vizquel type if he does.

12) Derrik Gibson, INF, Grade C+: Very athletic, controls the strike zone, steals bases, will he develop some pop?

13) Luis Exposito, C, Grade C+: Deserves more attention than he's received both on offense and defense.

14) David Renfroe, SS-3B, Grade C+: Great scouting reports about bat and athleticism, but need some data.

15) Alex Wilson, RHP, Grade C+: Good fastball/slider combination with sharp command, could rise through system quickly.

16) Roman Mendez, RHP, Grade C+: Breakthrough candidate with a lively arm, need to see what he can do outside the Gulf Coast League, but very intriguing.

17) Pete Hissey, OF, Grade C+: No power yet, but very athletic and projectable.

18) Yamaico Navarro, SS, Grade C+: Injury mulligan. Tools are still here but will he refine them?

19) Madison Younginer, RHP, Grade C+: Raw high school arm with immense potential.

20) Stephen Fife, RHP, Grade C+: Strike-thrower who could develop into an inning-eater type.

21) Kyle Weiland, RHP, Grade C+: Another inning-eating possiblity.

OTHERS (Grade C): Michael Almanzar, 3B; Drake Britton, LHP; Ryan Dent, INF; Felix Doubront, LHP: Tim Federowicz, C; Alex Hassan, OF; Brandon Jacobs, OF; Ryan Lavarnway, C; Che-Hsuan Lin, OF; Will Middlebrooks, 3B; Adam Mills, RHP; Daniel Nava, OF: Eammon Portice, RHP; Jason Rice, RHP; Dustin Richardson, LHP; Manuel Rivera, LHP; Oscar Tejeda, SS; Mark Wagner, C; Fabian Williamson, LHP.

Since the trade isn't final yet, I decided to put off writing about Max Ramirez until I get to the Rangers. I haven't decided on a grade for him yet, but he's somewhere in the B- range I think.

As with the Cardinals, it was really hard to knock this down to 40 players; there were at least another 10 guys I could have written up. I tried to provide a mixture of upside players, role players closer to the majors, and guys I just like for one reason or another. Other guys you could write about include Randy Conseugra, Jason Place, Jose Vinicio, and Zach Daeges, and Aaron Bates. I have to draw the line somewhere however. There just isn't room to include everyone and I could spend a week just trying to make decisions between Grade C guys.

This is a very deep system, though trades and difficult 2009 seasons for some prospects (Anderson, Navarro, Bowden to a lesser extent) reduced what the overall ranking at the top might otherwise look like. They have a good mixture of tools and skills players, polish and upside. The plan to spend money on high-upside guys with difficult signability seems to be working, although not everyone has panned out exactly as expected. A year from now things could look even better: Westmoreland and Kelly are both potential Grade A/A- prospects, and several of the C+ guys have higher grade potential.

All in all, there is a lot here for Red Sox fans to be happy about.,

Minor League Update -- 12/14/09

Ben Buchanan — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:52:25 -0000

Columbian Winter League

Reynaldo Rodriguez: .296/.375/.467

-Numbers are on the rise again.

Dominican Winter League

Fabio Castro is the first in a string of recent acquisitions playing in the Winter Leagues. It's been a while since he's pitched, so he may be done. Managed a 2.47 ERA in 44 innings, striking out 36 and allowing 16 walks. Certainly not a bad resume.

Jose Capellan: .2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K – 3.75 ERA, 10:24 K:BB, 1.83 WHIP

-It's amazing how low his ERA is giving up a walk per inning...

Mexican Pacific League

Another newbie in Minor League FA Darnell McDonald, but he hasn't played since November 1^st. .854 OPS on the season, which is pretty much in line with his AAA-lifer status at age 31. Entirely a depth move.

Robert Coello: 2.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 3 K – 3.29 ERA, 46:24 K:BB, 1.28 WHIP

Puerto Rican Winter League

The new guy here is Angel Sanchez, a 26-year-old defensive specialist SS with no bat.

Aaron Bates: 5-14, 2B, 3B, 5 K – .315/.373/.481

Reymond Fuentes: 1-3, K – .182/.250/.227

-I'm honestly sort of surprised the Sox are playing him here. It seems like it's just a good opportunity to ruin confidence.

Angel Sanchez: 7-15, 2B, K, SB, CS – .324/.385/.412

-Based on his lifetime numbers, this is the best you're gonna see him at.

Sydney Winter League

Boss Moanaroa: 3-5, 3B – .417/.500/.611

Moko Moanaroa: 1-3, 2 BB, 2B – .294/.429/.382

Venezuelan Winter League

More new faces here in free agent signing Edwin Moreno and waiver acquisition Ramon Ramirez. Moreno hasn't pitched in 3 weeks or so. 3.12 ERA, 16:6 K:BB, 1.27 WHIP in 17.1 innings.

Yeiper Castillo: .1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K – 3.86 ERA, 7:10 K:BB, 1.63 WHIP

Ramon Ramirez: 5 IP, 11 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 3 BB, 7 K – 7.02 ERA, 15:5 K:BB, 1.74 WHIP

-A less-than-stellar introduction.

Plenty of Movement in the Minors

While the Red Sox' front office has been largely quiet as far as major league moves are concerned, Baseball America says they've been plenty active on the minor league front. Over the last few weeks, the Sox have re-signed reliever Fernando Cabrera and shortstop Gil Velazquez, and added relievers Bob McCrory and Edwin Moreno, shortstop Angel Sanchez, and outfielder Darnell McDonald. As is usually the case with free-agent signings, these all appear to be depth moves with only a few guys having any chance to impact the big league club at all.

To counter the additions, the Red Sox released reliever Jason Blackey, outfielders Jered Stanley and Sean Danielson, and catcher John Otness.

Rookie Program Invitees Anounced

WEEI has the Red Sox' list of players attending this year's rookie program. The program is half-baseball, half-life, with players learning how to cope with the various issues that come up with working in the MLB. The program is typically reserved for those players the Red Sox expect to see in the majors within the next year or two.

A few things of note. Ryne Miller sneaks in as sort of an organizational sleeper pick after throwing around 100 good innings between Salem and Portland last year, posting a 2.76 ERA with a 97:31 K:BB ratio. Not bad for an undrafted free agent who had an ERA over 5 in '08. The invitation of Casey Kelly speaks to Theo's prediction of his getting on the major league radar fairly soon. Jose Iglesias is attending (along with best bud Luis Exposito), probably as much to help with his cultural transition as professional.

Red Sox Lose Jimenez, Zerpa to Rule 5 Draft

Chris Province Traded for Boof Bonser

Minor League Update -- 12/7/09

Ben Buchanan — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 05:10:14 -0000

Columbian Winter League

Reynaldo Rodriguez: .280/.347/.440

-Numbers improving again.

Dominican Winter League

Jose Capellan: 0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K – 3.86 ERA, 8:21 K:BB, 1.76 WHIP

-Good god, it keeps getting worse!

Mexican Winter League

Robert Coello: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 3 BB, 6 K – 2.58 ERA, 43:21 K:BB, 1.16 WHIP

Puerto Rican Winter League

Aaron Bates: 6-17, 2 2B, 2 BB, 3 K -- .314/.385/.457

Ken Roque: 1-4, 2 K – .273/.273/.273

Venezuelan Winter League

Yeiper Castillo: .2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K – 3.18 ERA, 6:8 K:BB, 1.50 WHIP

Leandro Marin: .1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K – 10.80 ERA, 4:3 K:BB, 2.40 WHIP

Casey Kelly Chooses Pitching

Jason McLeod Heads to San Diego

Red Sox Resign Kason Gabbard

Kason Gabbard is rejoining the Sox' minor league system per NESN's Neil Keefe. Gabbard suffered through a truly horrendous year where he could not find the strike zone, allowing 54 walks in just over 50 innings in the minors. Gabbard once seemed like a legitimate back-of-the-rotation starter, which is presumably what the Sox will be trying to get him back to.

Hey, if David Murphy doesn't get much better, the Gagne trade doesn't look quite as awful.

A Very Brief Minor League Update -- 11/30/09

Ben Buchanan — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 06:09:45 -0000

Not much activity in the minors this week. BS.UF already covered Torey Lovullo's hiring to the PawSox, and I've had a busy day involving plain travel and the like, so yeah.

Columbian Winter League
Reynaldo Rodriguez: .270/.336/.396

Mexican Winter League
Robert Coello: 13 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K -- 2.53 ERA, 37:18 K:BB, 1.19 WHIP
-Getting the K:BB numbers up.

Puerto Rican Winter League
Aaron Bates: 4-10, HR, 2 BB -- .278/.350/.444
Reymond Fuentes: 2-11, 2B, BB, 6 K -- .188/.278/.250
Kenneth Roque: 1-5, 3 K -- .273/.273/.273

Venezuelan Winter League
Juan Apodaca: 0-2, K -- .261/.308/.261
Yeiper Castillo: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K -- 3.38 ER, 6:7 K:BB, 1.5 WHIP
Leandro Marin: .2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 1 BB, 0 K -- 9.64 ERA, 4:2 K:BB, 2.14 WHIP

Minor League Update -- 11/23/09

Ben Buchanan — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:17:48 -0000

First, a weekly reminder to join in on voting for the OTM Top Prospects list here.

Arizona Fall League

Luis Exposito: 3-7, 2B, BB, 2 K -- .314/.364/.431

-A solid showing for Luis Exposito, if not quite as good as he did in Portland. Expo kept his strikeouts down and earned as many walks as he did in AA in about half as many ABs. Not a big step forward, but also not a step back.

Jose Iglesias: 1-8, 3 K -- .275/.324/.420, 3/3 SB

-Iglesias ends on a down note, but once again the story is that he wasn't completely overwhelmed in the small sample size (73 plate appearances) against higher-level minor league competition. This showing may have cleared the way for Iglesias to start in AA next year, which would be nice if only to keep him with buddy/interpreter Exposito. Also of note is the 2 home runs, which hopefully indicate some unpredicted power potential.

Ryan Kalish: 3-11, 2B, BB, 4 K -- .301/.384/.384, 6/7 SB

-While Kalish didn't exactly carry his hot streak from late in the year over to the AFL, he put on another good OBP performance. The power was a bit lacking, but this is coming on the tail end of a year in which he hit 18 home runs during the regular season—far more than he ever had before. Kalish also put on a good show on the basepaths, as he has done in years past (for instance, stealing 12 bases in 13 attempts in the 2008 winter leagues while getting under 100 plate appearances).

Casey Kelly: 0-12, 6 K -- .171/.261/.244, 1/1 SB

-Kelly keeps moving towards full time pitching. While the level of competition was predictably way over his head, he struck out in nearly half of his at bats, which is a bit too much no matter how advanced the opposition. This performance may have cleared the way to full-time pitching in 2010.

Randor Bierd: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K – 6.04 ERA, 17:12 K:BB, 1.47 WHIP

-An uninspiring performance by an uninspiring pitcher.

Richie Lentz: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 HR, 1 BB, 3 K – 4.11 ERA, 16:3 K:BB, 1.04 WHIP

-Lentz ended the year very poorly, giving up 6 ER over his last 2 appearances to squander a great start to the AFL. But the huge improvement in K:BB shouldn't be overlooked, and if nothing else maybe this will help him be ignored in the Rule 5 Draft.

Chris Province: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K – 3.46 ERA, 9:5 K:BB, 1.08 WHIP

-Not too bad for Province, if not as good as his year in Portland. Would have liked to have seen some K:BB improvement.

Dustin Richardson: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K – 5.40 ERA, 18:10 K:BB, 1.97 WHIP

-Certainly not as good as his regular season performance, which brought Richardson back into the picture as a prospect. Should still get a shot for a bullpen spot during spring training, though.

Columbian Winter League

Reynaldo Rodriguez: .255/.360/.394

-The CWL does not have the best record keepers in the world, let it be known.

Dominican Winter League

Neither Navarro nor Wagner have played in a long while. I'm guessing their years are over.

Jose Capellan: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 4 K – 3.86 ERA, 8:19 K:BB, 1.67 WHIP

-Well, if ever there's been an example of unsustainable results, it's Capellan. Even if he has a 3.86 ERA, this has been an awful winter league for him. 8 strikeouts to 19 walks? Awful!

Mexican Winter League

Robert Coello: 2.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K – 2.70 ERA, 30:16 K:BB, 1.35 WHIP

-This is Coello's first real chance against competition that's close to being age appropriate since he became a pitcher, and he's actually done a pretty good job of it. This last outing sort of sucked, but still, something to be said for the righty getting his first shot at starting (he's gone 5 or more innings 4 times so far).

Puerto Rican Winter League

Reymond Fuentes: 1-5, 2 K -- .200/.200/.200

-I can't imagine this is going to be a good stint for Fuentes. He played in the GCL last year and is playing in the same league as Jimenez and Bates. I don't exactly know what level this league is supposed to be at, but it's certainly over his head.

Jorge Jimenez: 2-3, 2B, BB -- .400/.538/.800

Ken Roque: 2-6 -- .333/.333/.33

-Roque very quietly put up a .317/.400/.520 line in his 3^rd year in the GCL, finally breaking through into the A-levels where he put up 32 nice ABs in Lowell without looking too overwhelmed. Roque falls into that "sleeper middle infielder" crowd with guys like Derrik Gibson.

Andrew Dobies: 2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K – 13.50 ERA, 2:0 K:BB, 3.00 WHIP

-After missing 2008 due to injuries, Dobies put up a fair 2009 in Portland. This, so far, has not been an extension of that...

Sydney Winter League

Boss Moanaroa: 0-3, BB, K -- .393/.485/.571

Moko Moanaroa: 2-4 -- .308/.419/.385

Venezuelan Winter League

Yeiper Castillo: .2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K – 5.14 ERA, 5:6 K:BB, 2.00 WHIP

Leandro Marin: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K – 2.25 ERA, 4:1 K:BB, 1.25 WHIP

40-Man Roster Finalized, Rule 5 Draft

MLB teams had to finalize their 40-man rosters on Friday, leaving some tough decisions for teams as to which minor leaguers to protect. For the Red Sox, Jose Iglesias, Michael Bowden, Junichi Tazawa, Dustin Richardson, Mark Wagner, Aaron Bates, and Dusty Brown comprise the Minor League contingent. The most notable unprotected players available in the upcoming draft are Kris Johnson and Richie Lentz.

Minor League Update -- 11/16/09

Ben Buchanan — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:16:28 -0000

Jose Iglesias is not to be kept down. via cache.daylife.com

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First, a weekly reminder to join in on voting for the OTM Top Prospects list here

Arizona Fall League

Only one more week for the AFL and the Sox' biggest name prospects playing this offseason.

Luis Exposito: 3-9, BB -- .295/.340/.409

Jose Iglesias: 8-16, 3 2B, BB, K -- .293/.348/.439

-And just when it looked like he was going to follow through on that "no bat" prediction. A roller coaster stint for Iglesias is so much better than a flatline.

Ryan Kalish: 5-14, HR, 3 BB, 3 K -- .306/.392/.387

-Finally, some of the power! But it's Kalish's continued OBP and patience (BB% of ~12.5) that are really impressive.

Casey Kelly: 3-9, 4 K -- .241/.353/.345

-Y'know, I think Kelly's skills as a shortstop probably get underrated. It's hard to pick things up when everyone is already in midseason form and you're just starting out. Not to mention it seems like he really could have a nice bit of pop for a middle infielder.

Still want him to be a pitcher though...

Randor Bierd: 4 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K – 5.40 ERA, 13:10 K:BB, 1.29 WHIP

Richie Lentz: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K – 1.98 ERA, 13:2 K:BB, .88 WHIP

-Everybody has a bad game sometimes. Lentz' season is still something to write home about after his crappy year in Portland

Chris Province: 3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 0 BB, 0 K – 3.86 ERA, 8:4 K:BB, 1.03 WHIP

Dustin Richardson: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 3 K – 5.91 ERA, 16:9 K:BB, 1.97 WHIP

-I'm starting to notice a trend as far as earned runs are concerned...

Columbian Winter League

Reynaldo Rodriguez: .213/.310/.311

-Wow, that must've been one bad week.

Puerto Rican Winter League

The late-starting Puerto Rican League started play this week. Only Aaron Bates and Jorge Jimenez saw playing time among Sox players so far.

Aaron Bates: 1-8, 3 K -- .125/.125/.125

Jorge Jimenez: 2-7, HR -- .286/.444/.714

-Two hit by pitches! He's an on base machine!

Sydney Winter League

Boss Moanaroa: 2-4, 2B, K -- .409/.500/.500

-Boss is seeing some time in the corner outfields in Sydney. Committed an error, though.

Moko Moanaroa: 2-4, 3B -- .278/.409/.389

-Though corner outfielder Moko is playing center, so perhaps it's just a matter of level of talent?

Venezuelan Winter League

Yeiper Castillo: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 0 K – 5.68 ERA, 4:5 K:BB, 1.74 WHIP

-Castillo bucks the trend, but in the wrong direction.

Felix Doubront: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K – 1.74 ERA, 3:2 K:BB, 1.06 WHIP

-Not a big "peripherals" year for Doubront.

Ryan Westmoreland Looking Good

The Providence Journal reports that Ryan Westmoreland's recovery is coming along quite nicely. Westmoreland suffered a broken collarbone after running into an outfield wall in the process of making a catch. If Westmoreland is as well as reported, it seems very likely that he won't miss any more baseball due to this injury.

Peter Gammons Chimes In

Gammons had a few notes on Iglesias—not much more than the usual other than this bit:

"What impressed me is that he squares the ball," says an NL scout. "He's not some overwhelmed teenager. He squares the bat on the ball. He shows some pop, and with his speed, if he learns to steal bases, could be a pretty good offensive player."

First time I can remember having heard positive scouting on Iglesias' bat. Maybe he's just having a hot streak, but there's no reason not to hope.
Gammons also notices a long-developing trend in the Sox' minor league system involving depth at shortstop and catcher. While the Sox may not have a wealth of top-level talent, they've been building up a large number of lesser names that could all turn out to be good major league talent at some of the league's most talent-bereft positions. Whether any of them hit remains to be seen, but between Wagner, Exposito, Federowicz and Lavarnway at Catcher, and Iglesias, Navarro, Gibson and Renfroe at SS, they've got some surprisingly good odds. Which is to say nothing of the under-18 group in Oscar Perez and Jose Vinicio.

Sox Acquire Stephen Fox, RHP, from Can-Am League

Fox is the second player acquired by the Red Sox from an independent league this year, joining Reynaldo Rodriguez. Fox had a rocky start to his year, but finished strong by posting a 1.90 ERA and 29 strikeouts in his final 24 innings of work, earning him a look from MLB teams.

So far, Reynaldo Rodriguez has struggled during his short time spent in Edgar Renteria's Columbia Winter League. Daniel Nava, another independent league acquisition, has been dominating every level of competition he's faced in the Sox' farm system, and is likely to start the year in Pawtucket.

Brave New Pawtucket

Ben Buchanan — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 11:00:40 -0000

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About 50 days ago, I wrote a piece on upcoming roster changes for the Pawtucket Red Sox that would be necessitated by a surge of players from below (see: The Pawtucket Roster Crunch). Things have turned out slightly differently. Promotion from within has certainly occurred. Aaron Bates had already moved up by then. Mark Wagner has since, and Junichi Tazawa recently joined the ranks in McCoy Stadium. Victor Martinez' acquisition will likely force Kottaras back down also (he should clear waivers) once the dust has settled. I expect the denizens of this site are already plenty familiar with those names, though, so let's focus elsewhere.

Equal pressure has come from outside the organization. By trading Julio Lugo and Mark Kotsay, the Red Sox acquired Chris Duncan and Brian Anderson. These acquisitions have of course required counter moves. Joining the ranks of the departed are outfielders Freddy Guzman, Jonathan Van Every (who left earlier due to a season ending injury, signing with Pittsburgh), and Paul McAnulty, as well as catcher Carlos Maldonado.

Two once highly-touted prospects whose careers had fizzled over the last few years, Duncan and Anderson now provide organizational depth at the AAA level with hopes of maybe reigniting the spark that a few years back had promised long successful MLB careers.

Major League success has always eluded Brian Anderson. Despite once being named a top-30 prospect in all of Baseball, Anderson has never batted well for average, has only once managed an OBP over .300 (this season at .322), and has only once slugged over .400 (last year and .436). His career average line in 782 professional at bats is an ugly .225/.288/.364. So far, in his short AAA stint, Anderson has been average. He's homered twice in 25 at bats, and has 7 hits for a .280 average. He's only walked once, however, leaving his OBP at a lowly .308, and that looks particularly ugly next to the 6 strikeouts. Earlier this year, with AAA Charlotte, he posted similar average and on base numbers, just without any power to back it up. It would be more than a little bit wishful to expect Anderson to turn it around at this point and live up to his 1^st round pick status, or anything close to it.

Chris Duncan, on the other hand, has experienced quite a bit of success in the majors. In his first season in the majors in 2006, Duncan was on fire, hitting 22 home runs in only 280 at bats en route to a line of .293/.363/.589. He followed this up with a solid, if unimpressive in comparison 2007, where he nearly matched his home run numbers, but in an extra 100 at bats. His high strikeout rate caught up with him somewhat, lowering his average to .259, but where he nearly doubled his strikeouts, he also nearly doubled his walks, keeping his OBP fairly consistent at .354. Duncan has been hampered by injuries in the last few years, though, starting with a hernia in late 2007, then a herniated disk in his neck in July of 2008. In recovering this year, Duncan posted a career low OPS of .687 in 260 career at bats. Duncan typically struggles tremendously against lefties, but has hit righties very well over the course of his career.

For the Red Sox right now, Brian Anderson is the one most likely to contribute, and could actually see time with the team reasonably soon. While Josh Reddick is more than making use of his time in the majors, the Sox are certain to want to make sure he gets ample playing time, so if the regular cadre of outfielders ends up healthy anytime soon, he could quickly be recalled to AA—or pro/demoted to AAA—to assure him a standard 4 at bats a game. In such a situation, the Sox would likely want to have a 5^th outfielder on the bench, and Brian Anderson can provide a solid glove at all three positions. Duncan lacks the range the Red Sox would be looking for, and so for now will most likely have to make the best with his opportunity in Pawtucket. If he can get himself healthy, his ceiling could be fairly high though, if unlikely to be reached. If he can also work out his problems with lefties to a point where he's at least respectable against them, Duncan has a slim chance of being a future contributor to the team. If not, he's more likely to be traded elsewhere to act in a platoon role. Still, at the moment he has quite a bit more long-term potential than Brian Anderson.

Stimulus Package: 5 Red Sox Prospects Whose Stocks Have Risen

Ben Buchanan — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 17:15:54 -0000

Cancer isn't about to stop Anthony Rizzo. via snapshots.mlblogs.com

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No, I am not proud of the title.

Alright, the trade deadline has passed, and the Sox are minus 2 prospects and a young graduate. But all is well in the farm system. Between Clay, Bard, Kelly, Bowden, Tazawa, and arguably Pimentel and Doubront, none of the arms the Sox shipped out were even top-5 pitchers in the system, and of course the positional depth remains untouched from Lars and Reddick, right on down to Westmoreland.

So, now that I am certain that none of these guys will be pulled out from underneath me, here's the follow-up to the "Market Crash" piece. These are the Sox farmhands who have best improved their stock over the season to date.

Just for clarity's sake, this does not include newly acquired guys playing their first season, improving on scouting. So that's why there's no Westmoreland or Kelly (first pitching season) sitting at the top.

5. Aaron Bates

Who he is: A 25-year-old 1^st baseman who, at this time last year, was on the fast track to nowhere. Other than his time in short-season Lowell and the ever-inflating Lancaster, Bates had never really put up big numbers. Certainly not enough for a first baseman, even one with a good glove. OPS' in the mid-high .700s. He had fair plate discipline, hit for an acceptable average, but never really found any of his advertised power. He was at his worst, in fact, in fall and winter 2008 leagues, his OPS hitting all-time lows of .670 and .714.

What's gone right: The power showed up. And with it came even better average and OBP. At .340/.405/.505, Bates emerged in AA after a change in swing mechanics before the season started. These improvements have earned him a spot in AAA, and even a short call up to the majors—an opportunity he took full advantage of, impressing in a very limited role.

Lasting concerns: He's not exactly dominated in AAA. His OPS sits well under .600, thanks largely in part to power more reminiscent of his 2008 numbers. He's still walking at a fair clip, and he's not really striking out any more. He's just not making as solid contact as he did in AA—a typical symptom of a post-promotion slump, however good his short stint in the MLB may have been. Still, for a 25-year-old in AA, this sort of breakout was quite necessary to even be considered in the future.

4. Mark Wagner

Who he is: A 25-year-old catcher who had managed to drop off the map like nothing else last year. After posting great offensive numbers (for a catcher) in his first 2 Just to ease some minds about one Lars Anderson, here are Mark Wagner's relevant lines of the last few years:

2006 (A): .301/.386/.456

2007 (A+): .318/.406/.533

2008 (AA): .219/.304/.363

2009 (AA): .301/.410/.477

One bad year and nobody had ever heard of him.

What's gone right: He returned to form. Not a whole lot more to it than that. Wagner had performed in the past, the aberration was that he DIDN'T perform last year. Call him the Red Sox minor league comeback player of the year, if you like. Given the dire catching situation at the start of the year, some folks started to take note of Wagner again (for the first time?) as he went on an early tear. Oh, and it doesn't hurt that he's throwing out about half of all base stealers for his minor league career.

Lasting concerns: Pawtucket has not been particularly kind through 61 at bats. .230/.273/.443 is not an impressive line. He also seems to lack home run pop, at least at this point, which should hurt him in any organizational battle involving Tim Federowicz or Ryan Lavarnway, who have both shown a great deal of power in the lower levels. The biggest question about Wagner has to be if he can make that jump to the majors. He's far from being a sure-thing as anything more than a backup backstop. But if he can bring his great plate discipline with him, and continue to put the bat on the ball, his lack of power shouldn't hold him back at what is, right now, an offensively bankrupt position.

3. Will Middlebrooks

Who he is: Wait, what? Some of you may remember this guy as the 5^th worst fallen stock in the Sox system about a week-and-a-half ago. Has a one-week hot streak really changed that much?

What's gone right: It's a really nice hot streak, and it's more like a 2-week, 3-week long one. Here's what I said last time about why Middlebrooks was not at all a lost cause:

Middlebrooks has managed a .850 [OPS] June and then regressed to a .702 [OPS] July. The power isn't really there, and he's still striking out plenty more than he's walking, but it's better than what he did to start the year and certainly better than '07.

Well, .702 became .949 (.337/.391/.558)—like I said, a REALLY nice hot streak. The power has shown up rather dramatically, with 5 homers in the month alone to give him a .221 ISO on the month. He's still striking out plenty, and not walking a ton, but he's 18-for-his-last-38 with no signs of slowing down (given his 3-5 game yesterday). It's also fairly telling to consider that his progression this year is fairly similar to his progression last year. If there is a trend for Middlebrooks, it's that if you give him time to adjust, he will pay dividends.

Lasting concerns: The K:BB is not good. Even in July, it's been 34:10. Middlebrooks has had some troubles in the field as well, but there was no prior indication that his fielding was anything other than good, so that should come around.

2. Yamaico Navarro

Who he is: A 21-year-old shortstop with an awesome name. Navarro has exploded onto the top-prospect scene since his 2008 time in Lancaster. Now, a sudden offensive improvement in Lancaster is often a warning flag for a sort of false boost—especially when it's followed by a pitiful showing in Fall baseball. But after a few rehab starts this year following an early injury, Navarro has been doing his best to show that he's not going away.

What's gone right: Navarro has not only replicated, but improved on his earlier results in the less-inflating Lewis-Gale Field. After a line of .348/.393/.508 in Lancaster, Navarro managed .319/.373/.543 in a rather short time in Salem this year. His K:BB ratio isn't bad at all, and is made largely irrelevant because Navarro simply puts the ball in play so often with his great ability to make contact. Navarro puts the ball in play in about 79% of all plate appearances since the start of 2008, and strikes out in less than 15% of his plate appearances. He's also shown a little pop, with 4 homers in 94 Salem at bats

Lasting Concerns: Is having a fairly typical slump since his promotion to AA. Not walking any, but he's striking out at about the same clip which means he should probably get his numbers up fairly quickly. If not this season, look for him to rebound early next season. If he doesn't, it could be a worrying sign that his sudden production was somewhat ephemeral, since guys like that tend to be exposed by AA. If there's any other concern, it's that he could end up a lot like Ellsbury at the plate—high average, low OBP, letting the pitcher off easy on short counts.

1. Anthony Rizzo

Who he is: A young first baseman whose career was threatened by Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Cancer-free for all of 8 months, Rizzo has done his damnedest to dispel all fears that it may have had some lasting effect. Hell, we've all heard this story before. We're Red Sox fans. If Jon Lester isn't enough proof that Sox players won't let cancer get in the way, here's Anthony Rizzo.

What's gone right: All Anthony Rizzo needed to do in order to be on any semblance of a track was to not look hopeless. If he was weaker, that was to be expected. If he couldn't necessarily catch up to fastballs, give him a year to get back in shape. Instead, Rizzo batted .298/.365/.494 in his first 245 cancer-free at bats, belting 9 homers and 21 doubles at the age of 19. It took him a few weeks to get acclimated to Advanced-A ball after his promotion to Salem, but he's adapted well there too. After batting .222/.323/.222 in 27 June at bats, Rizzo has basically gone back to doing what he did in Greenville, with a July line of .319/.369/.495. Rizzo is on a roll.

Lasting Concerns: Um...I suppose the plate discipline isn't fantastic. 83:38 K:BB on the year is not too bad, though, and he's still just shy of 20 with limited professional experience in A+ ball. I think that can slide. Other than that, it would be nice to see more power out of Rizzo home run wise, but this early both in his career and back from cancer, it's remarkable he's on pace for 15, so that's more of a thing to watch for going forward. There's just not a lot to dislike about Anthony Rizzo.

As it turns out, my list stayed the same before and after the deadline—a good thing by my estimation. Gotta love Theo and the $100 million player development machine.

Game 88: Beckett caps first half with CG over Royals

Randy Booth — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 02:27:21 -0000

More photos » by Michael Dwyer - AP

5 months ago: Emily DiMaggio, right, widow of former Boston Red Sox player Dom DiMaggio, throws out the first pitch as Red Sox's Tim Wakefield, foreground, catches before the start of a baseball game between the Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals, Sunday, July 12, 2009, in Boston. The Red Sox honored Dom DiMaggio on Sunday by dedicating the center-field flagpole to him and raising a banner with his name on it just below the American flag. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

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Final - 7.12.2009	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kansas City Royals	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
Boston Red Sox	1	0	0	3	1	0	0	1	X	6	10	0
WP: Josh Beckett (11 - 3) LP: Bruce Chen (0 - 4)

Complete Coverage >

Royals vs Red Sox recap
Royals vs Red Sox boxscore

That, my friends, is what we call a "gem."

Josh Beckett led the charge in the Red Sox's 6-0 win over the Royals Sunday by throwing a complete-game, three-hit shutout. It is Beckett's 11th win of the season, tied for the best in the AL with teammate Tim Wakefield.

Beckett walked none and fanned seven in the outing.

"Oh, he was good," Terry Francona said after the game. "He attacked the strike zone with his fastball and it was very obvious they wanted to hit his fastball."

Jason Varitek said he "struggled" during parts of the game, but the end result doesn't show that. Beckett put an exclamation mark on the end of the Red Sox's first half of the season and puts them in a great position -- alone atop the AL East -- heading into the second half.

Aaron Bates led the offense by going 3 for 4 with two doubles, a run and an RBI. Jason Bay pulled off a ridiculous game: he walked three times and was hit by two pitches. His final line was 0 for 0, but his OBP is loving him.

Dustin Pedroia (.303 on the year now), Kevin Youkilis (.298) and Rocco Baldelli (.282 -- not bad!) each had two hits on the game. Youk, David Ortiz, Jason Varitek and Baldelli each had an RBI. Nick Green also walked three times.

And now let's all exhale -- wooo. It's All-Star break time. Let's enjoy the festivities and hope for an even better second half by the Sox.

Glenn Wilkes Classic Matchups Set

Akula Wolf — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:57:57 -0000

Per this release from the athletics department, here's what the Pack's tournament schedule will look like: Georgia State (date TBA), Akron (Friday, 11/20, at 3:30 PM), Austin Peay (Saturday, 11/21, at 8:15 PM), Auburn (Sunday, 11/22, at 8:15 PM). A glance at each:

Georgia State -- How they ranked last season in 3FG%, 2FG%, and FT%: 268th, 238th, 331st, respectively. But their donations did allow for the construction of a new on-campus library. They will return their primary contributors from a year ago--a pair of guards--which is either good or bad depending on how you want to look at it.

Akron -- Some nails-on-chalkboard potential here: the Zips ranked 33rd nationally in eFG% defense and 6th in defensive TO%. Turnovers appear to be one of the bigger keys, since Akron's D is terrible in the other two factors. So a good number of second chance opportunities and FTAs should be available to the Pack if they can keep the mistakes under control. (I forsee 8-10 FTAs for Tracy alone.)

Austin Peay -- They were a defensive disaster last season, and they'll be without the point-producing services of Drake Reed, who was outstanding: he shot 58.2% from the field despite a heavy workload. It was a short team--287th in effective height--and it shows: they ranked 299th in eFG% defense. The biggest guy in their '09 rotation was just 6-7 215. Hope they found some help this off-season.

Auburn -- In SEC play last season, the Tigers had the league's fifth-best offense and second-best D, and the third-best overall efficiency margin. Despite the solid performance and a 10-6 record in conference play, they missed out on the NCAAs. They'll miss a couple of departing seniors but should still present a big challenge for the Wolfpack.

In other news...

-- Welcome to the show, Aaron Bates.

-- Richard Barron has been added to the women's basketball staff, and he looks like a great addition:

Barron spent the last two seasons as the Associate Head coach at Baylor. The Tennessee native was the recruiting coordinator for the Lady Bears that landed the consensus top-ranked player (Brittney Griner) and class of 2009.

Barron replaces Walter Mebane, who left after being on the job for less than two months.