SB Nation - Ryan Kalish

Is Jeremy Hermida on the Move?

Ben Buchanan — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:09:14 -0000

More photos » by Lenny Ignelzi - AP

5 months ago: Florida Marlins' Jeremy Hermida watches his sacrifice fly to left field that scored Emilio Bonifacio from third in the fifth inning in a baseball game Tuesday, July 21, 2009, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

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Jeremy Hermida might be gone before playing a single game in a Red Sox uniform.

WEEI's Alex Speier reported that when the Red Sox traded for Hermida, they mentioned they were likely to trade him if they were to re-sign Jason Bay. While they will almost certainly not do that, the Cameron signing may well have created the same situation. Cameron is unlikely to be a platoon player, and Hermida's splits are not strong enough to warrant giving him time in the field over Cameron. And at a cost of $3 million, Hermida is an odd choice for a defenseless 4th outfielder.

Hermida will not bring a significant bounty, but there are teams that could use a young outfielder with potential. If the Sox do trade Hermida, they would likely have to look at free agency to replace him, as they will want to get Josh Reddick and eventually Ryan Kalish plenty of at bats in AAA. Darnell McDonald could also serve as a warm body in Fenway to avoid getting caught unaware in case of a sudden injury, but he's not good enough to slot in on any given day. A more ideal solution might be to sign a guy like Jerry Hairston Jr. While he's just as bad offensively, he would bring defensive versatility to the Sox' bench at an affordable price.

Boston Red Sox Top 20 Prospects for 2010

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

More photos » by Rob Carr - AP

3 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.,

11/30 - Dumb Stuff

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:00:17 -0000

Possibly the last Filter for a few days - FanPosts get lots of discussion if anyone wants to talk about a few links in the meantime (like who is offered arbitration before tomorrow's deadline). Anyways, let's hit the links!

Apparently, journalists like to make their own stories (SHOCKING).

@clarkspencer

There is no truth to the rumor that the #Marlins are in trade talks with the #Red Sox -- or anyone else -- for shortstop Hanley Ramirez.

Oh, and this should have been our number one hint as to why this was a non-story. But, since it came up...

Red Sox Reportedly Eyeing Hanley Ramirez - Bleacher Report

The package would have to be pretty overwhelming, and would presumably deplete their farm, but if they could somehow get the Marlins to take Kelly, Bowden, Westmoreland, and another prospect not named Reddick, Bard, or Buchholz, I would pull the trigger.

So, basically, this guy only like prospects that have reached the majors. I understand putting Bowden below Buch and Reddick, since he's been struggling of late, but below Bard? I think I'd put Kelly and Manifest Destiny above at least Bard, probably Reddick as well.

More Bleacher Report laughs later; first, some other stories.

Free Agents: Saito, Nishi, Kobayashi - NPB Tracker

Since I can't translate very well, I'll go with the English news; Saito could be lost as well, it appears. Thoughts?

Theo May Get Burned on Saito Too - Fenway West

Nevermind, first comment says it for me. Next topic.

Commissioner plans to step down after 2012 -- chicagotribune.com

GET OUTTA HERE, BUD. So... anyone want to revisit the Bush idea from last year? (Disclaimer: That FanPost probably makes me look really stupid. Enjoy it if you want to find it.)

History Unblurred: The 10 Best Starting Pitchers from the 2000s - Bleacher Report

Interesting methodology. Any issues with the rankings?

Elias Numbers For Type As - MLBTradeRumors.com

With an excellent explanation as well.

More links after the jump, including some projections, complaints, and an opportunity.

Early Offensive Projections for the Boston Red Sox - Sox Tea Party

If Hermida is the starting LF, we don't deserve to make the playoffs.

Division of commerce - BostonHerald.com

Interesting to see that the Sox don't agree with the Blue Jays about trading within the division being not such a bad thing. Although I doubt anyone is crazy about it.

Top baserunners of 2009 - THT

This is a look at baserunning runs, excluding stolen base attempts.

We really don't play small ball at all, do we?

All-Aughts Team of the Decade SP4: Jon Lester - Fire Brand of the American League

Adam Foster: Interview with Sox prospect Ryan Kalish - Fire Brand of the American League

Scutaro's top two: Sox and Dodgers - Extra Bases

Some Awards Don't Show Up In The Boxscore - A Red Sox Fan From Pinstripe Territory

MLBTR Seeks Comment Moderators - MLBTradeRumors.com

If anyone's interested - it'd be a good way to better the reputation of Sox fans.

Falling to the Bottom of the Filter

The Boston Red Sox Will Be Lucky To Get A .500 Record In 2010 - Bleacher Report

Please further note that all of this will come true and I will be laughing at the end of next year.

Can't... stop... laughing... Absolutely NO explanation of how he arrived at his numbers, just a declaration of their undeniable validity.

Doc Halladay Would Look Great in Fenway - Bleacher Report

And... cue the WINZ.

Links, comments, boredom rants, etc. We need something to discuss besides the usual stuff.

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.

Arizona Fall League: Monday's Roundup

raygu — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:00:13 -0000

The AFL was back in action and the Nationals Danny Espinosa helped Phoenix win the East division title by driving in four runs on Monday.

If you have an ESPN Insider subscription, check out Jason Grey's article from Monday. Here is Grey on the Giant's prospect Thomas Neal:

Thomas Neal, San Francisco Giants: Was Neal's breakout season (.337, 22 homers, 1.010 OPS) in the hitting-friendly Cal League legit? I think it's possible, especially when I heard that his swing wasn't necessarily all the way back in 2008 after major shoulder surgery. I saw him during the year as well, and I've seen an improved approach at the plate. He's willing to go the other way, and his raw power allows him to hit the ball out to any field. Let's see how he does at Double-A. It's worth noting that Neal is playing some first base here as well.

You might also want to check out www.projectprospect.com as they are going through their top 15 prospects at each position, and have recently posted interviews with Domonic Brown and Buster Posey, with a few more on the way.

Let's take a look at how the top prospects performed after the jump:

Danny Espinosa, SS, WAS-3-4, RS, 3B, 4 RBI (.329)

Josh Bell, 3B, BAL-2-4, RS, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB, 2 K (.329)

Grant Desme, OF, OAK 0-3, RS, 2 BB, 3 K (.333)

Jemile Weeks, 2B, OAK-1-5, RS, 3B (.247)

Bryan Peterson, OF, FLA-0-5, RS (.398)

Starlin Castro, SS, CHC-1-4 (.382)

Casey Kelly, SS, BOS-0-4, 2 K (.212)

Ryan Kalish, OF, BOS-1-4, 2B (.303)

Chase D'arnaud, 2B, PITT-1-4, SB (9) (.284)

Thomas Neal, OF, SFG-1-2, BB, SB (10) (.277)

Domonic Brown, OF, PHI-0-2, BB, K (.250)

Brandon Allen, 1B, ARI-0-3 (.160)

Jose Tabata, OF, PITT-0-4 (.343)

Buster Posey, C, SFG 0-3 (.209)

Lance Zawadzki, SS, SDG-2-5, 2 RS, 2 RBI, SB (8), (.300)

Chris Heisey, OF, CIN-0-5, 3 K (.287)

Yonder Alonso, 1B, CIN-0-2, 3 BB, K (.270)

Matt McBride, C, CLE-3-4, RS, 2B, 2 RBI (.369)

Trayvon Robinson, OF, LAD01-4, RS, BB, 2 K (.243)

Dustin Ackley, OF, SEA-0-2, RS, 2 BB (.288)

Andrew Lambo, OF, LAD-1-4,. RS, K (.321)

Brandon Laird, 3B, NYY-3-3, RS, 2B, 2 BB (.337)

Ike Davis, 1B, NYM-2-4, 2 RBI, BB, K (.329)

Taylor Teagarden, C, TEX- 1-5, RBI, 3 K (.163)

Michael Dunn, RP, NYY-1 Inn, 2 H, 2 ER, BB, 4 K (3.86)

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.

Arizona Fall League: Friday's Roundup

raygu — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:00:30 -0000

Here's a look at the AFL action from Friday. Be sure to take a look at MLB Fantasy Prospects site over at www.mlbfantasyprospects.com. They are currently going through their top 25 MLB prospects for fantasy/roto leagues.

Taylor Teagarden, C, TEX-0-5, 4 K (.158)

Daryl Jones, OF, STL-0-4, RS, 2 K (.188)

Brandon Laird, 1B, NYY-1-5, RS, RBI (.313)

Dustin Ackley, OF, SEA-1-3, RS, HR, RBI, 2 BB (.302)

Jordan Danks, OF, CHW-1-5 (.321)

Andrew Lambo, OF, LAD-0-4 (.325)

Carlos Triunfel, 2B, SEA-1-4 (.206)

Tanner Scheppers, SP, TEX, 1 Inn, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB (6.30)

Brandon Hicks, SS, ATL-0-3, BB, 3 K (.278)

Chase D'arnaud, 2b, PIT-3-4, RS, 2 RBI, 2 SB (8) (.286)

Bryan Peterson, OF, FLA-3-4, 2 RS, 2 3B, RBI, SB (.422)

Ryan Kalish, OF, BOS-2-3, 2 RS, SB (.306)

Jemile Weeks, 2B, OAK-1-3, 2 RS, HR, 3 RBI, BB (.264)

Danny Espinosa, SS, WA-1-3, RS, 2 BB (.308)

Grant Desme, OF, OAK-2-4, 2 RS, HR, 2 RBI (.355)

Josh Bell, 3B, BAL-1-4, RS, RBI (.319)

Jose Tabata, OF, PIT-1-4, RS (.356)

Domonic Brown, OF, PHI (0-4, 2 K (.265)

Buster Posey, C, SFG-0-3, RS (.219)

Brandon Allen, 1B, ARI-0-3, RS (.161)

Thomas Neal, 1B, SFG -1-3, 2 RS, 2 RBI, BB (.271)

Over the Monster Top 20 Prospects Voting: #1

Ben Buchanan — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:03:20 -0000

Lars Anderson, last year's consensus #1, has likely fallen. Who will take over in his place? via

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It's that time of year again, folks. This year, we're going to be compiling the top 20 prospects in the farm system according to you, the Over the Monster readers, and it will likely be somewhat less cut and dry this time around given the rather seismic nature of the minors this year. We're trying out a new Google Docs based system to make the voting more open. I've provided write ups of 15 of the Sox' best prospects, but voting is not limited to them by any means. Just type in a name and submit.

Lars Anderson

Age: 22 | Position: 1B | Level: AA

2008: .317/.408/.513 (A+) | .316/.436/.526 (AA)

2009: .233/.328/.345

Considered by most to be the Red Sox' top prospect at the beginning of the year, Lars Anderson's stock has dropped significantly following a dismal 2009 campaign. Still, Anderson remains a top name in the farm system. He has huge power potential which he had displayed in earlier years, which combined with great plate patience should be the recipe for a top offensive player.

Michael Bowden

Age: 23 | Position: SP | Level: AAA

2008: 2.33 ERA, 101:24 K:BB, .92 WHIP (AA) | 3.38 ERA, 29:5 K:BB, 1.13 WHIP (AAA)

2009: 3.13 ERA, 88:47 K:BB, 1.21 WHIP

If Lars was first last year, Michael Bowden was almost always second. Like Lars, Bowden has also had something of a discouraging year, but unlike Lars, Bowden's problems came at the major league level, where he was pounded, giving up 17 runs in 16 innings. Still, Bowden is young and impressed at AAA, where for much of the year he was outshining Clay Buchholz. The righty has a low-90s four-seamer, a high-80s two-seamer, a curve with a lot of movement, a very good circle change, and a recently added mid-80s slider which has yet to come along.

Felix Doubront

Age: 22 | Position: SP | Level: AA

2008: 3.67 ERA, 118:24 K:BB, 1.21 WHIP (A)

2009: 3.35 ERA, 101:52 K:BB, 1.41 WHIP

After a breakout 2008, Prince Felix has been rocketing through the Sox system at an impressive pace. Almost entirely skipping advanced-A and making a seemingly seamless transition into AA, Doubront is poised to start 2010 at AAA—something nobody could've predicted when he posted an 8.93 ERA in Greenville in 2007. Doubront is a 3-pitch pitcher with a fastball that sits in the high 80s, a good change, and a curveball. Though his fastball is nothing special, his unique delivery can fool batters.

Luis Exposito

Age: 22 | Position: C | Level: AA

2008: .283/.328/.508 (A) | .301/.331/.509 (A+)

2009: .274/.332/.427 (A+) | .337/.371/.489

Providing much needed hope for the Red Sox behind the plate, Exposito has displayed a great deal of talent both at and behind the plate. At the plate, Expo is an above average power threat for his position, with a good power swing. He makes a fair deal of contact, but doesn't have the speed to make too much use of it. Instead, Expo would likely be better off working on his discipline, which has netted him only 48 walks in over 800 plate appearances over the last two years. Behind the plate, Luis has great defensive catching skills, but needs to work a bit on the mechanics of his throw to translate arm strength into caught baserunners. Exposito is a clubhouse favorite, notably acting as combination best friend and interpreter to fellow prospect Jose Iglesias.

Reymond Fuentes

Age: 18 | Position: CF | Level: Rookie (GCL)

2009: .290/.391/.379

The new kid on the block, it's hard to mention Fuentes without drawing comparisons to Jacoby Ellsbury. Lots of speed, little pop, not much of an arm, with a tendency for the spectacular. Fuentes is currently lacking in discipline both on the basepaths, where he stole 9 bases in 14 attempts, and at the plate, where he managed only 7 walks in over 150 appearances. Still, both are areas that are likely to improve with professional experience, and Fuentes already has one key advantage over Jacoby: his ability to make good reads.

Derrik Gibson

Age: 19 | Position: SS | Level: Short Season

2008: .309/.411/.394 (Rookie) | .086/.233/.086 (Short Season)

2009: .290/.395/.380

A hidden gem of the Sox system, Derrik Gibson is an absolute on base machine. His plus speed nets him a high average along with a very good number of stolen bases (28 in 33 attempts last year), and his discipline keeps him on the basepaths. Gibson is a plus defender in the middle, and projects to remain at short or second throughout his career. The one obvious knock on Gibson is that he seriously lacks power, and may well not hit more than 2 or 3 home runs in an average year—he has yet to hit one in the minors.

Jose Iglesias

Age: 19 | Position: SS | Level: ? (A-AA)

The newer kid on the block, Jose Iglesias is already drawing attention in Arizona, where observers say there's a lot to the hype Iglesias had coming in as a top defender. Descriptions like "MLB ready" "plus" and even "Ozzie Smith like" have done nothing to lower expectations. The question with Iglesias remains if he will be able to perform offensively. While there is no doubt he is still raw, so far Jose has performed surprisingly well in a limited sample size against the elite Arizona Fall League competition, where he's currently batting .286/.344/.446 with two homers. While speed is not the reason why Iglesias is such a remarkable defender, he does bring a bit to the table, and is 3-for-3 in attempts so far.

Ryan Kalish

Age: 21 | Position: CF | Level: AA

2008: .281/.376/.356 (A) | .233/.305/.397 (A+)

2009: .304/.434/.504 (A+) | .271/.341/.440

One half of 2009's pair of breakout outfielders, Kalish started the year on fire as his power emerged for the first time. Kalish hit 5 homers in 115 at bats in Salem before being promoted to Portland, where he experienced a decent post-promotion slump. Kalish was not to be kept down, though, and ended the season making AA look as easy as A+, even if the season totals seem unremarkable. Kalish has great patience at the plate, consistently managing high OBPs, and is an above average fielder, showing a good arm, range, and glove. Kalish could pan out as either a center fielder or right fielder. One underrated aspect of Ryan's game is his speed, which has regularly netted him about 20 stolen bases a year with a high success rate.

Casey Kelly

Age: 20 | Position: SP/SS | Level: A+

2008: .173/.229/.255 (Rookie) | .344/.344/.563 (Short Season)

2009: .214/.290/.464 (Rookie) | .224/.305/.313 (A)

2009: 1.12 ERA, 39:9 K:BB, .85 WHIP (A) | 3.09 ERA, 35:7 K:BB, .87 WHIP

Perhaps the greatest source for angst in the Sox' farm system is Casey Kelly's position decision: shortstop, or pitcher? It would seem an obvious choice through 2 years, as Kelly is already pushing AA as a starter, but is clearly not ready to leave A-ball as a shortstop. Unfortunately, Kelly has stated his personal preference for shortstop a few times, and so the angst continues. As a pitcher Kelly mixes in a plus curveball and good changeup with his low-90s fastball. He's got great control over all his pitches and is not going to give up a lot of free passes or high meatballs as a result. As a shortstop, Kelly is a plus defender who has shown some potential for good power, but has yet to consistently get on base.

Yamaico Navarro

Age: 22 | Position: SS | Level: AA

2008: .280/.341/.412 (A) | .348/.393/.508 (A+)

2009: .319/.373/.543 (A+) | .185/.270/.304 (AA)

A solid defender with a potentially big bat, Navarro makes solid contact with regularity and has enough power to make a few of them leave the park. Not a hugely disciplined hitter, Navarro is going to have to continue to hit the ball or refine his approach if he wants to be productive at higher level, as his average speed will not bail him out. Navarro is not a plus defender, but will not make you uncomfortable if slotted in at second, short, or third.

Stolmy Pimentel

Age: 19 | Position: SP | Level: A

2008: 3.14 ERA, 61:17 K:BB, 1.08 WHIP (Short Season)

2009: 3.82 ERA, 103:29 K:BB, 1.39 WHIP

With a signing bonus of just $25,000, Stolmy Pimentel is looking like one of the Sox' best international bargains. The tall righty has a fastball that can reach the mid 90s with a potentially plus curve and change. Pimentel has the ability to generate swings and misses without offering up a lot of walks, which should serve him well as he moves up through the organization

Josh Reddick

Age: 22 | Position: CF | Level: AAA

2008: .340/.397/.491 (A) | .343/.375/.593 (A+) | .214/.290/.436 (AA)

2009: .277/.352/.520 (AA) | .127/.190/.183

The Sox' most MLB-ready position prospect, Reddick has cut through the Sox' farm system in a mere 3 years' time. Reddick is a versatile outfielder likely to end up in either center or right depending on who you ask. In center, Reddick would likely have around MLB average range—maybe less, given the recent rise of the position defensively speaking—but would be capable none-the-less. Reddick also has a cannon arm with great accuracy. At the plate, Reddick makes good contact and brings a good deal of power to the table with the potential for more as he matures. Josh has struggled with discipline in the past, but seems to be coming around some, improving to a BB% of around 10 last year.

Anthony Rizzo

Age: 20 | Position: 1B | Level: A+

2009: .298/.365/.494 (A) | .295/.371/.420 (A+)

After missing much of 2008 following a diagnosis of Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Rizzo has stormed back from his illness and established himself in the upper echelon of Sox prospects. Rizzo brings an advanced approach to the plate and combines it with a strong bat that, while currently being more of a doubles threat, has shown the potential to be a home run threat. Rizzo is a plus defender at first, with a great feel for the game and good range. Given his strong arm, it's not inconceivable that Rizzo could move to third down the line, though for now he projects much better as a first baseman.

Junichi Tazawa

Age: 23 | Position: SP | Level: AAA

2009: 2.57 ERA, 88:26 K:BB, 1.08 WHIP (AA)

Red Sox fans got to see a lot more of Tazawa than they expected to this year. After being predicted to start anywhere from high A to the MLB, Tazawa settled in at AA Portland and pitched very well. Shortly after being called up to AAA (where he pitched 2 games looking much like he had in Portland), Tazawa was rushed to the majors as injuries and mediocrity took their toll on the Sox' rotation. Things did not go well for him there, where he was pounded for 23 runs (21 earned) in 25.1 innings. So he's not ready for the MLB yet. Tazawa still looks every bit like he's got what it takes to be an MLB starter. His fastball sits around 90 MPH with some plus potential, but it's his wide assortment of off-speed pitches that makes Tazawa special. His curveball, slider, and forkball are all above-average pitches, the last 2 with plus potential. Unlike his Japanese compatriot Daisuke, Tazawa has a tendency to attack the zone and as a result does not walk a lot of guys. Future success in the majors will depend on if he can generate swings-and-misses on his secondary stuff.

Ryan Westmoreland

Age: 19 | Position: CF | Level: Short Season

2009: .296/.401/.484

The official Wunderkind of the Red Sox system, Westmoreland is an amazing all-around player. Offensively he brings an advanced approach to the plate resulting in a BB% of over 15, a power bat good for 7 home runs this year with potential for a good few more, and intelligence and speed (perhaps the fastest player in the entire system) on the basepaths that allowed him to steal 19 bases without being caught once. That speed is also a big part of what makes him a great defensive center fielder. So far Westmoreland has had some injury troubles—a torn Labrum last year, and a broken collarbone this year—but neither are the sort of injury that makes you think he's inherently fragile.

Arizona Fall League: Wednesday's Roundup

raygu — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:00:38 -0000

Getting back to the AFL action as the MLB trade rumors kept me busy yesterday. Let's take a look at Wednesday's action in Arizona:

Trayvon Robinson, OF, LAD-1-4, RS, BB. K, 2 SB (.273)

Andrew Lambo, OF, LAD-2-4, 3 RS, 3 RBI, BB, K (.353)

Casper Wells, OF-2-4, 4 RBI (.362)

Chris Heisey,OF, CIN-0-3, SB, BB, K (.320)

Yonder Alonso, 1B, CIN 0-3, BB, 2 K (.273)

Brandon Laird, 3B, NYY-2-5, 2 RS, HR, 2 RBI (.321)

Ike Davis, 1B, NYM- 2-4, RS, HR, 4 RBI (.348)

Taylor Teagarden, C, TEX-0-5, 2 K (.182)

Daryl Jones, OF, STL-1-3, 22, 2 K (.194)

David Cooper, 1B, TOR-3-4, RS, 2B (.294)

Ryan Kalish, 1B, BOS-2-4, 2 RS, HR, 3 RBI (.291)

Josh Vitters, 3B, CHC-2-5, RS, RBI (.364)

Jose Iglesias, SS, -4-4, 2 RS, SB, RBI (.269)

Ian Kennedy, SP, NYY-4.1 Inn, 7 H, 4 ER, 4 K (4.74)

Andrew Cashner, SP, CHC-3 Inn, 7 H, 4 ER, 5 K (4.32)

Nevin Ashley, C, TB-3-5, 3 RS, 2B, 2 3B, RBI (.400)

Danny Espinosa, SS, WAS-1-5, HR, 2 RBI (.306)

Josh Bell, 3B, BAL-2-5, 2B, RBI (.317)

Jose Tabata, OF, PIT-2-4, RBI, BB (.355)

Domonic Brown, OF, PHI-2-4, 3B, 2 RBI (.266)

Brandon Allen, 1B, ARI-1-4, 2B, 3 K (.166)

Willin Rosario, C, COL-0-4, 3 K (.250)

Buster Posey,C, SFG-1-3, BB, K (.230)

Minor League Update -- 11/09/09

Ben Buchanan — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:34:06 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

Remember Javier Lopez? Turns out he's a free agent.

Browse more photos »

The Over The Monster top prospects list should start being compiled fairly soon. We'll be using reader voting again, with a slightly different format which should make it so that "write ins" aren't necessary.

Arizona Fall League

Luis Exposito: 3-8, 2B -- .286/.324/.429

-Expo's numbers just keep on improving since the bad start.

Jose Iglesias: 2-8, HR, K -- .222/.286/.378

-Again some pop out of Iglesias. His bat is clearly a work in progress, and he needs to work on plate patience BIG TIME (4 out of 5 at bats last game were 1-pitch at bats. The other was a strikeout. Though he did record RBIs on 3 of 5, so it's worth considering that it might have been somewhat situational.)

Ryan Kalish: 4-9, 2B, 2 BB, K -- .292/.368/.333

-After putting on a surprising power performance during the regular season, it's all but disappeared for Kalish in the fall. I wouldn't worry too much about it, though. It could be fatigue, it could be what he's working on, but he's shown he can smack 20+ out. His emergence as a patient hitter who's gonna get on base a lot is much more important.

Casey Kelly: 0-4, BB, K

-Whoo!

Randor Bierd: 3 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 HR, 2 BB, 4 K – 5.60 ERA, 12:9 K:BB, 1.19 WHIP

-A poor fall can't be a good sign for Bierd's flickering career.

Richie Lentz: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K – 0.77 ERA, 13:2 K:BB, .77 WHIP

-Lentz is putting on quite the show after getting pounded in Portland this year. A dramatic improvement in control (33 BB in 36 IP to 2 in 12) can't hurt.

Chris Province: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K – 3.12 ERA, 8:4 K:BB, 1.04 WHIP

Dustin Richardson: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K – 5.19 ERA, 13:7 K:BB, 1.85 WHIP

-Includes 1 IP, 2 H, 1 K in the Rising Stars game. That inning will not be included in season numbers.

Columbian Winter League

Reynaldo Rodriguez: .261/.352/.391 in 46 ABs

Dominican Winter League

Mark Wagner: 1-8, K – .296/.390/.500

-Can't dominate every week.

Jose Capellan: 7.1 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 0 K – 3.71 ERA, 4:10 K:BB, 1.53 WHIP

-The ERA isn't horrible. But the peripherals...Oh the peripherals.

Sydney Winter League

The brothers Moanaroa and Mitch Dening have been hanging out in Aussie.

Mitch Dening: .500/.600/1.500 in 4 ABs

Boss Moanaroa: .357/.500/.429 in 14 ABs

-Still want to see the power.

Moko Moanaroa: .250/.357/.250

Venezuelan Winter League

Yeiper Castillo: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K – 1.80 ERA, 4:4 K:BB, 1.40 WHIP

Felix Doubront: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K – 2.84 ERA, 2:0 K:BB, .95 WHIP

Leandro Marin: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K – 3.38 ERA, 4:0 K:BB, 1.13 WHIP

List of Red Sox Minor League Free Agents

Edit: I have been correctly called out by poster Chebornek for not crediting SoxProspects.com for having gotten my information for this list from them. It was an oversight, and certainly in no way malicious. SoxProspects.com is a fantastic site and I encourage any and all of Over the Monster's readers to visit it--they're honestly a better resource than I am.

Technically, some of these names aren't minor leaguers, but it's worth noting them separate from the obvious big name guys.

Zach Borowiak

Robert Coello