Category: Baseball

Matt Barnes takes apparent shot at Chaim Bloom when reflecting on time with Red Sox: ‘That organization represents so much more than who’s currently running it’

Former Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes had the opportunity to watch his old team take on his new team in Grapefruit League action on Tuesday night. The Marlins right-hander decided against it.

Barnes pitched in Miami’s 4-3 win over the Astros on Monday. As such, the righty was not required to in attendance for Tuesday’s tilt against Boston. He instead left Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium for his apartment after lunch, well before the Red Sox defeated the Marlins, 7-2, to remain unbeaten this spring.

It has now been a little over a month since the Red Sox designated Barnes for assignment and subsequently traded him to the Marlins for left-handed reliever Richard Bleier. At that time, the 32-year-old described the decision as “a complete blindside.”

Though four-plus weeks have passed since he was moved, Barnes told Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe that while he holds no grudge against the organization he spent the first 12 years of his professional career with, he does take issue with who is running the club at present.

“I’m not mad and I don’t have any animosity toward the Red Sox organization because that organization represents so much more than who’s currently running it,” Barnes said. “The people at the top were so great to me.”

According to Abraham, Barnes “mentioned being grateful” to Red Sox ownership, general manager Brian O’Halloran, and assistant general managers Eddie Romero and Raquel Ferreira. He did not make any mention of chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, however.

Bloom, of course, made the decision to give Barnes a two-year, $18.75 million contract extension in July 2021. At that point in time, Barnes was among the top relievers in the American League and had just been named to his first All-Star Game.

After posting a 2.61 ERA during the first half of the 2021 campaign, though, Barnes struggled to a 6.48 ERA in 22 appearances (16 2/3 innings) down the stretch. He only made Boston’s ALDS roster as an injury replacement that October and was left off the ALCS roster entirely.

Last year, Barnes got off a rough start in which he produced a 7.94 ERA in 20 games before hitting the injured list with right shoulder inflammation in early June. He returned to action two months later and ended his season on a strong note by forging a 1.59 ERA in his final 24 outings. The Red Sox, however, were convinced that those numbers did not reflect Barnes’ true performance.

“They told me I was lucky,” said Barnes. “Unfortunately, a lot of people in this game make decisions based on a spreadsheet.”

This appears to be another indirect shot at Bloom, who explained in January that while he holds Barnes in high regard, the decision to move on from him had more to do with giving other relievers in the organization — especially those who still have minor-league options — an extended look in 2023.

“This was not an easy move. But one that we felt was the right one,” Bloom told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) on Jan. 24. “It wasn’t anything bad about Matt, who I’m sure is going to continue to have success in his career. It was a reflection of where we thought we were and how we saw the pen coming together and what those other guys have a chance to do for us.”

Cotillo also reported on Tuesday that he was always told Bloom was one of Barnes’ “biggest fans (if not the biggest) in the organization. There was not a lot of surprise when it was Barnes who got the rare in-season extension.”

In trading Barnes to the Marlins, the Red Sox agreed to send Miami $5.5 million in cash considerations as part of the deal. Barnes, who turns 33 in June, can become a free agent for the first time next winter if his $8 million club option for 2024 is not picked up at the end of the year. He told Abraham that he is looking forward to a fresh start with a new team.

“It’s been great here so far. The guys are awesome; the staff is awesome,” Barnes said. “We have some really good talent on this team. I’ve seen that in a few weeks. As weird as it’s been, the adjustment has been pretty good. But it’s hard when you go from knowing everybody to knowing nobody.”

Following Tuesday’s exhibition contest in Jupiter, the Red Sox will not see the Marlins again until they host them in a three-game series from June 27-29. Barnes said he will save being “buddy-buddy” with his former teammates and coaches until he steps into Fenway Park as a visitor for the first time in his big-league career.

“I know I was fortunate to play as long as I did in Boston,” he added. “But I’ve got some good years left in me. We have a lot of talent in this clubhouse and we’re here to win.”

(Picture of Matt Barnes: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Triston Casas and Enmanuel Valdez both homer, Corey Kluber tosses pair of scoreless innings in spring debut as Red Sox best Marlins, 7-2

Playing under the lights for the first time this spring in Jupiter, Fla., the Red Sox improved to 3-0-1 in Grapefruit League play on Tuesday night by taking care of business against the Marlins. Boston defeated Miami by a final score of 7-2 at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

Corey Kluber, who signed a one-year deal with the Red Sox in January, made his first start of the spring in this one. The veteran right-hander scattered two hits and zero walks to go along with one strikeout over two scoreless innings of work. He retired six of the eight batters he faced.

After stranding one runner in the bottom of the first, Kluber gave up a leadoff double to Avisail Garcia to begin things in the second. Garcia then moved up to third base on a fly out, but Kluber kept him there by getting both Joey Wendle and Jerar Encarnacion to ground out to second baseman Nick Sogard.

Of the 26 pitches Kluber threw on Tuesday, 18 went for strikes. The 36-year-old hurler mixed in his cutter, curveball, four-seam fastball, changeup, and sinker while sitting between 77 and 83 mph, per Baseball Savant. He also induced one swing-and-miss.

Shortly after Kluber’s night came to an end, the Red Sox drew first blood in their half of the third. Greg Allen reached base via a one-out double off Marlins reliever JT Chargois. He then scored from second on a groundball RBI single off the bat of Triston Casas.

Boston extended its early lead an inning later. With no outs and runners at second and third following a Rob Refsnyder walk and Jorge Alfaro ground-rule double, Connor Wong plated Refsnyder from third with a run-scoring groundout to third base.

Following scoreless frames out of the bullpen from left-handers Ryan Sherriff and Oddanier Mosqueda. The Allen-Casas combination struck again in the fifth. After Allen led off with a double, Casas promptly crushed a 374-foot two-run home run to deep right field off lefty Dax Fulton. Casas’ first big fly of the spring had an exit velocity of over 103 mph. It also gave the Red Sox a 4-0 lead.

Norwith Gudino took over for Mosqueda and retired the side in order to end the fifth. The sixth inning was far more eventful. In the top half, Ryan Fitzgerald came through with a two-out, two-run double that scored both Enmanuel Valdez and Narciso Crook. In the bottom half, the Marlins got both of those runs back when non-roster invitee Jake Faria allowed Jake Magnum to score on a wild pitch before serving up a 362-foot solo shot to Garcia.

Brendan Nail was responsible for the seventh inning. The southpaw needed just 13 pitches (10 strikes) to punch out two of the three Miami hitters he faced. In the eighth, Valdez greeted new Marlins reliever Jefry Van by cranking a 379-foot leadoff home run to right field. The 24-year-old’s first long ball of the spring put Boston up by five runs going into the latter half of the frame.

Former Marlin Sterling Sharp then put up a zero in the eighth before Cody Scroggins worked his way around a leadoff walk in an otherwise clean ninth inning to secure a 7-2 victory for the Red Sox.

Tuesday’s contest, which took two hours and 21 minutes to complete, marked the first time the Red Sox had beaten the Marlins in a spring training game since March 24, 2012.

Other notable numbers:

Allen went 3-for-3 with two doubles and two runs scored out of the leadoff spot on Tuesday. Bobby Dalbec also went 1-for-3 with a double out of the three-hole.

Fitzgerald, who pinch-hit for Dalbec, went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs. His first double had an exit velocity of 103.5 mph while his second double left his bat at a blistering 105.2 mph.

Next up: Second leg of road trip

The Red Sox will head to West Palm Beach to take on the reigning World Series champion Astros on Wednesday afternoon. Lefty Richard Bleier will serve as an opener for Boston while rookie righty Hunter Brown will get the start for Houston.

First pitch from The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. eastern tine. The game will not be televised.

(Picture of Corey Kluber: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Alex Verdugo, Jarren Duran team up, bring in mariachi band to perform as part of presentation on Mexico

Red Sox outfielders Alex Verdugo and Jarren Duran will soon be heading out to Arizona to play for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. To mark the occasion, manager Alex Cora instructed the pair to give a presentation on the country to the rest of their teammates on Monday.

As part of that presentation, a five-piece mariachi band performed inside the clubhouse and later on while players stretched and played catch on the field. They even played Verdugo’s walk-up song, “Volver, Volver” by Vicente Fernandez.

Verdugo, whose father Joe is from Mexico, took charge of the assignment. The 26-year-old put together an informational poster board that included facts about the country’s history, the origins of its flag, and some of its most accomplished baseball stars like Fernando Valenzuela and Vinny Castilla.

“It was on, I think Friday, when we got hit with it,” Verdugo told reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) on Monday. “AC had a meeting and at the end of it, asked me and Duran to do a presentation on Mexico. I just got the ball rolling and obviously I knew I had to make a poster with some facts on it. But I think the big thing that kind of got everybody excited was having the mariachi band here.”

Verdugo was then asked how one goes about finding a mariachi band in southwest Florida?

“Google. You just Google them and we found them,” Verdugo said of the group, Mariachi Villa de Guadalupe. “They were out of Cape Coral. They were able to drive out here and help me out. It was great. They were great, honestly. I was a little nervous, obviously being in Fort Myers and I was like, ‘I hope they’re good,’ you know what I mean? But they were great and it came out really good.”

Verdugo said he began working on the poster following Sunday’s 7-6 Grapefruit League win over the Rays at JetBlue Park. While most veteran players will head home as soon as they are subbed out during spring games, Verdugo — who played the first five innings on Sunday — remained at the Fenway South complex well into the evening.

“I didn’t leave here until 6 p.m.,” said Verdugo. “I was taking advantage of the printers and everything that they have here. It was hard work, but it felt good and it was rewarding to kind of see the guys, the clubhouse, everybody, just really enjoy it. It was fun.”

Though he certainly does not lack confidence on the field, Verdugo did acknowledge that he felt some angst building up before and during the oral part of the presentation.

“Yeah, I felt so nervous. I don’t usually mind talking in front of the group if it’s all just jokes and fun. But as soon as I had to be a little bit serious, my heart was racing,” he said. “I was more nervous there than I was in the postseason or any type of baseball atmosphere.”

Verdugo, who was acquired from the Dodgers in the infamous Mookie Betts trade three years ago, is preparing for his fourth season with the Red Sox. Despite the fact that he is still two-plus months shy of turning 27, he is already the fourth-longest tenured player on the team behind only Chris Sale, Rafael Devers, and Ryan Brasier.

“Dugie, he’s been here since ’20,” Cora said. “He’s an important part of what we’re trying to accomplish and you see what he’s done physically and where he’s at.”

Duran, meanwhile, undertook a supporting role in the presentation before going 2-for-2 with a double and home run in Monday’s 4-1 win victory over the Twins to kick off the 2023 Chairman’s Cup. Like Verdugo, the 26-year-old Duran’s father, Octavio, hails from Mexico.

“We did our part. [Verdugo] did a lot of the research,” said Duran. “I just had a little acting skit going. I was doing some acting on the side.”

Regarding Duran and the presentation as a whole, Cora remarked: “Obviously Jarren is a kid that we appreciate and we expect a lot from him. And just for them to step up and be [out of their comfort zone] doing this [was good]. They did their research. And it was actually a great day for us in the clubhouse.”

Based on photos posted on the Red Sox’ social media accounts, it appears as though some of the more established veterans on the team, such as Kiké Hernández, Justin Turner, and Corey Kluber, enjoyed the show.

“That’s what it’s all about, right?” Cora said, via The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham. “I know [people] are questioning the clubhouse and leadership and what we’re doing there. We’re going to do stuff to get to where we’re supposed to.”

With Monday’s team-building exercise in the books as a rousing success, Cora indicated that one of the club’s other WBC participants could give a similar kind of presentation some time next week.

“We’ve got a few guys who are going to the tournament,” said Cora. “I’ll probably tell Kiké to do something to talk about Puerto Rico, so we’ll see.”

(Picture of Alex Verdugo and Jarren Duran: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Garrett Whitlock may not be ready for Opening Day, Alex Cora says

Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock may not be ready for the start of the season, manager Alex Cora indicated to reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) on Monday.

Having undergone right hip surgery in September, Whitlock came into camp this spring still in rehab mode. While the 26-year-old has been throwing bullpens like the club’s other pitchers in Fort Myers, he has not yet been cleared to face live hitters or participate in fielding practice, which requires additional movement.

Because the Red Sox are still waiting for that clearance, Cora admitted that Whitlock could have to start the season on the injured list if he is not ready for Opening Day against the Orioles on March 30.

“His next bullpen is up and down again. He’s throwing the ball well, he’s moving well. Not yet doing PFPs. We’re not concerned. We’ve got a plan,” Cora said. “We’ll see where we’re at in the upcoming weeks. If he’s ready for Opening Day, he’s ready. But if he’s not, he’s not going to lose too much time. If he’s not there [for Opening Day], it’s not because he’s hurt or whatever. It’s just the progression of where we’re at, especially moving around.”

In addition to Whitlock, the Red Sox have six other candidates vying for five starting rotation spots this spring in Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, Nick Pivetta, James Paxton, Brayan Bello, and Tanner Houck. So, if Whitlock were to miss a few starts to begin the season, they at least have some insurance there.

Though Whitlock has primarily been used out of the bullpen in his first two big-league seasons, the Red Sox have remained adamant that they want the righty to become a full-time starter in 2023. The four-year, $18.75 million contract extension he signed last April that includes significant incentive clauses based on the number of innings he pitches reflects that notion.

Whitlock is not the only Boston starter whose progress has been slowed since camp began earlier this month. Bello was shut down on February 17 due to forearm tightness, but has since been cleared to throw off a mound again. Pivetta has been on the mend following a recent bout with COVID-19 and bowed out of pitching for Canada in the World Baseball Classic as a result.

While the status of those three will remain in question until they can get into games, Kluber will make his spring debut against the Marlins in Jupiter on Tuesday. Houck and Paxton are scheduled to start on Thursday and Friday while Sale is getting close to game action after facing hitters for the first time this year over the weekend.

(Picture of Garrett Whitlock: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Jarren Duran homers, Kutter Crawford tosses two scoreless innings as Red Sox top Twins, 4-1, in first meeting of spring

The Red Sox improved to 2-0-1 in Grapefruit League on Monday afternoon by taking down the Twins in Game 1 of the 2023 Chairman’s Cup. Boston defeated Minnesota by a final score of 4-1 at JetBlue Park.

Kutter Crawford, making his first start of the spring, provided the Sox with two scoreless innings out of the gate. The right-hander gave up two hits and no walks to go along with a pair of strikeouts in the process of retiring six of the eight batters he faced.

Both of those hits came in the top of the second. But Crawford escaped any further damage by getting Austin Martin to ground out to Enrique Hernandez deep in the hole at shortstop. Hernandez, in turn, made an impressive crossbody throw to Justin Turner over at first base to record the out.

In relief of Crawford, fellow righty Durbin Feltman received the first call out of the Boston bullpen. Feltman faced the minimum in the third despite giving up a one-out single to Max Kepler. Kepler attempted to steal second base while Ryan Jeffers was at the plate, but he was instead gunned down by Reese McGuire as part of an inning-ending strike ’em out, throw ’em out double play.

After Chase Shugart and Taylor Broadway each put up zeroes in their respective innings of work, the Red Sox got on the board in their half of the fifth. Jarren Duran, who had already doubled in the third inning, led things off by clubbing his first home run of the spring over the faux Green Monster in left field.

The Twins, however, quickly got that run back in the following inning. After putting runners on the corners with one out in the sixth, minor-league Rule 5 pickup Joe Jacques allowed Kyle Farmer to score from third on an RBI groundout off the bat of Trevor Larnach to pull Minnesota back even with Boston at 1-1.

That stalemate did not last long, though. With one out in the bottom of the sixth, the pinch-hitting Bobby Dalbec laced a hard-hit double to left field off Simeon-Woods Richardson. Enmanuel Valdez and Caleb Hamilton followed by taking ball four to fill the bases for Ceddanne Rafaela, who — in the place of Duran — plated Dalbec with a seeing-eye single through the left side of the infield. Greg Allen then provided some insurance by driving in Valdez with a sacrifice fly to make it a 3-1 game in favor of the Sox.

Left-handers Cam Booser and Brendan Cellucci each kept the Twins off the board in the top half of the seventh and eighth innings. In the latter half of the eighth, Hamilton reached base via a one-out double. He then scored all the way from second when Rafaela lifted a sacrifice fly to deep center field. Minnesota showed very little urgency in getting the ball back to the infield, which allowed Hamilton to accomplish the rare feat.

Taking a newfound 4-1 lead into the ninth, Jake Thompson closed things out for Boston to record his first save of the spring and secure a three-run victory. All told, Monday’s contest took a swift two hours and 24 hours to complete.

Other notable numbers:

Duran, who went 2-for-2 with two extra-base hits, is now batting .330/.378/.592 with five homers and 11 RBIs in 54 career Grapefruit League games dating back to 2019.

Alex Verdugo also recorded two hits on Monday. The left-handed hitter has kicked off his spring by going 4-for-5 (.800) in his first two Grapefruit League games of the year.

Next up: Kluber makes his 2023 debut

The Red Sox will hit the road and head to the east coast of Florida for their next two games. They will be taking on the Marlins in Jupiter on Tuesday evening. Veteran right-hander Corey Kluber is slated to make his first start for Boston opposite Miami left-hander Trevor Rogers.

First pitch from Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. eastern time on NESN+ and MLB Network.

(Picture of Jarren Duran: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Brayan Bello throws off mound for first time since being shut down earlier this month

For the first time since being shut down with forearm tightness earlier this month, Red Sox starter Brayan Bello threw off a mound at the Fenway South complex on Sunday.

As part of a 20-pitch bullpen with pitching coach Dave Bush looking on, Bello threw strictly fastballs and changeups. The right-hander told reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) that he did not feel any discomfort and will feature all of his pitches in his next side session.

“I feel good. I’m pushing myself to be ready for Opening Day,” Bello said through a translator, via The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham. “In the beginning I was worried because I didn’t know what it was, but I’m fine now.”

After debuting for the Red Sox last July and posting a 4.71 ERA (2.94 FIP) with 55 strikeouts to 27 walks over 13 outings (11 starts, 57 1/3 innings) as a rookie, Bello came into camp this spring with the hopes of competing for a spot in Boston’s Opening Day starting rotation. But the 23-year-old hurler was shut down on February 17 due to experiencing soreness in his right forearm.

Following a brief hiatus, Bello resumed throwing on flat ground last Monday. Shortly thereafter, he told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith that he was optimistic he would be able to avoid the injured list and would be ready for the start of the 2023 season.

“Of course I’m ready,” Bello said through translator Carlos Villoria Benitez. “The (tightness) that set me back, it wasn’t that much of a time. So for me, I’m ready, hopefully, to be the No. 5 starter in that rotation.”

Although he has graduated from his prospect status, Bello — who turns 24 in May — is still considered to be the top young pitching talent in the Red Sox organization. He is one of seven candidates competing for a spot in Boston’s five-man rotation to begin the year. The other six starters are Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, Nick Pivetta, James Paxton, Garrett Whitlock, and Tanner Houck.

“I feel way better than last year. I feel more prepared,” said Bello. “I know I’m competing with other pitchers for a spot in the starting rotation. For me, that’s my goal. My goal is to try to make the team out of camp as a starter.”

If Bello does not experience any setbacks following Sunday’s bullpen and his next side session, the next step will presumably be for him to face live hitters. The Red Sox, of course, will exercise caution and patience. One would have to assume that the club would need to see how Bello fares in competitive action (i.e. in Grapefruit League Games) before determining if he will indeed be ready for Opening Day or not.

(Picture of Brayan Bello: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Ryan Fitzgerald caps off comeback with walk-off single as Red Sox top Rays, 7-6, for first Grapefruit League win

The Red Sox opened the home portion of their Grapefruit League schedule on Sunday afternoon by walking off the Rays in thrilling fashion at JetBlue Park. Boston defeated Tampa Bay by a final score of 7-6 to notch its first official win of the spring.

Josh Winckowski got the start for the Sox. The right-hander allowed one hit and one walk to go along with three strikeouts over two scoreless innings of work. He retired the side in order in the first before running into some trouble in the second by issuing a one-out walk and giving up a two-out double to Tristan Gray.

With two runners in scoring position, Winckowski kept the Rays off the scoreboard by fanning Greg Jones for his third and final punchout of the day. Following a Tampa Bay pitching change that saw Braden Bristo take over for Taj Bradley, Boston was able to plate the game’s first run in the latter half of the second.

Masataka Yoshida led off the frame by lacing a double to deep right field for his first hit of the spring. He then promptly scored from second base on an RBI single off the bat of Alex Verdugo that deflected off the faux Green Monster in left field.

Taking a 1-0 lead into the top of the third, left-hander Chris Murphy faced the minimum in his lone inning of work by hitting a batter with one out and inducing an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. Bryan Mata took over for Murphy and maneuvered his way around a two-out walk in an otherwise clean fourth inning. Brandon Walter, too, had little trouble in the fifth, as the intriguing lefty struck a pair in a perfect frame.

In the sixth, Rio Gomez served up a game-tying solo shot to Luke Raley. But the Red Sox quickly responded in their half of the inning. Ryan Fitzgerald, Nick Sogard, and Narciso Crook all drew walks to fill the bases with two outs. The Rays then brought in right-hander Jaime Schultz to face Matthew Lugo, but that move did not pan out as Lugo blooped a bases-clearing double that evaded second baseman Osleivis Basabe and right fielder Ruben Cardenas in shallow right field.

As a result, all three of Fitzgerald, Sogard, and Crook scored, and the Red Sox suddenly found themselves up by three runs. That lead would not last long, however, as Skylar Arias was tagged for one run on two walks in the seventh. In the eighth, Jacob Webb issued three consecutive one-out walks before yielding a go-ahead grand slam to Basabe that gave the Rays a 6-4 advantage.

After Luis Guerrero put the flames out in the top of the eighth, the Red Sox again responded in the bottom half. With two outs and runners at the corners, Lugo came through once more by ripping a two-run triple off Hector Perez that nearly left the yard in the right field corner.

Lugo’s second run-producing hit of the day pulled the Red Sox even with the Rays at six runs a piece. Ryan Zeferjahn kept things that way by retiring the side in order in the top of the ninth. In the bottom half, Stephen Scott and Enmanuel Valdez each took ball four to lead off the inning. Fitzgerald then ended it by scoring Scott on a walk-off single through the left side of the infield.

Fitzgerald, who went 1-for-2 with a walk on Sunday, is now batting .290/.405/.774 with four home runs and 14 RBIs in 21 career Grapefruit League games dating back to the spring of 2019.

Other notable numbers:

Sunday’s contest took two hours and 39 minutes to complete. Justin Turner and Adam Duvall each went hitless and their respective Red Sox debuts while Verdugo went 2-for-2 with one run batted in.

Lugo, who is the youngest player on Boston’s current spring training roster, went 2-for-3 with a three-run double and two-run triple en route to recording a game-high five RBIs.

Next up: The race for the 2023 Chairman’s Cup begins

With their first Grapefruit League victory of the year in tow, the Red Sox will next host the Twins in the opening game of the 2023 Chairman’s Cup on Monday.

Kutter Crawford will get the start for Boston in the opener of this five-game series while fellow right-hander Pablo Lopez will do the same for Minnesota.

First pitch from JetBlue Park is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Ryan Fitzgerald: Elsa/Getty Images)

Red Sox top prospect Marcelo Mayer forges bonds with English- and Spanish-speaking teammates on back fields of Fenway South

One day before the Red Sox took on Northeastern in their spring opener at JetBlue Park on Friday, three of the organization’s top prospects were in the spotlight on the back fields of the Fenway South Complex in Fort Myers.

As highlighted by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, infielder Marcelo Mayer was joined by outfielders Miguel Bleis and Roman Anthony behind an L-screen while waiting to jump into the box for live batting practice as part of a minor-league mini-camp on Thursay.

Mayer, 20, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the top prospect in Boston’s farm system. Bleis — who turns 19 on Wednesday — and Anthony — who turns 19 in May — come in at No. 5 and No. 9, respectively. Both Mayer (No. 10) and Bleis (No. 88) are included in the publication’s top 100 prospects list as well.

Of the three, Mayer has the most professional experience. The left-handed hitting shortstop split the 2022 season between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville and batted .280/.399/.489 with 30 doubles, 13 home runs, 53 RBIs, 61 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases over 91 games and 424 plate appearances. He is arguably the top hitting prospect in the system and is expected to return to Greenville for the start of the 2023 campaign.

Bleis, who has been tabbed as Boston’s best international prospect since Rafael Devers, is in a similar position to where Mayer was at this time last year since he is preparing to make the jump to full-season ball in 2023. The right-handed hitter out of the Dominican Republic enjoyed an all-around great year in the Florida Complex League by slashing .301/.353/.543 with 14 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 27 RBIs, 28 runs scored, and 18 stolen bases in 40 games (167 plate appearances) for the FCL Red Sox. He consistently made hard contact and would have received a late-season promotion to Salem were it not for a minor back injury.

Anthony was who the Red Sox selected with the 79th overall pick in last year’s draft. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Fla.) product signed with the club for $2.5 million. He showed flashes of his potential in the Florida Complex League by hitting .429/.475/.486 in 10 games before slowing down in Salem (.189/.279/.243 line in 10 more games) to close out his debut season. Like Bleis, Anthony is expected to be in Salem’s everyday outfield mix to start the year.

“The trio represents part of an impressive group of young players who have a chance to transform the big-league roster a few years down the road,” Speier wrote of Mayer, Bleis, and Anthony. “The most noteworthy part of the afternoon was not what the players did on the field in a practice setting but how they interacted with each other.”

Mayer, a native of Southern California, is bilingual (his mother is from Mexico). As such, he has the ability to engage and connect with both English- and Spanish-speaking teammates. It also helps that he has been described by Red Sox officials and players as “a natural leader.”

On Thursday, Mayer put his fluency in the two languages on full display. According to Speier, he “happily pinballed between Anthony and a small group of English-speaking teammates and Bleis and other Spanish-speaking teammates, breaking down pitch types in English in one moment and then playfully turning around to take some righthanded dry swings (Mayer is a left-handed hitter) while coaxing Bleis (a right-handed hitter) to show off his left-handed hacks.”

It may not carry much significance at present, but as noted by Speier, these kinds of interactions offer a glimpse of what the next homegrown core for the Red Sox could look like in the not-so-distant future.

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Bobby Dalbec homers, Raimel Tapia doubles twice as Red Sox’ Grapefruit League opener against Braves ends in 6-6 tie

The Red Sox opened Grapefruit League play with a 6-6 tie against the Braves at CoolToday Park in Northport, Fla. on Saturday afternoon.

Half of Boston’s six runs came within the first three innings of this contest. In the top of the second, Bobby Dalbec led off with a double and promptly moved up to third base on a Narciso Crook groundout. He then scored from third on an RBI single off the bat of Caleb Hamilton that got the Sox on the board first.

An inning later, Dalbec struck again. With two outs and a runner at second following a Raimel Tapia double, the slugging first baseman cranked a two-run shot to right field off veteran right-hander Jesse Chavez for his first home run of the spring.

The Braves, however, quickly responded in their half of the third by getting those two runs back. After left-handers Matt Dermody and Richard Bleier each tossed a scoreless frame to begin things for the Red Sox pitching staff, Kaleb Ort ran into some trouble. The hard-throwing righty yielded a leadoff single to Ronald Ocuna Jr. and followed that up by serving up a blistering two-run blast to Matt Olson, which brought Atlanta back to within one run at 3-2.

Following a scoreless fourth inning from Wyatt Mills, Ryan Sherriff surrendered the tying run to Eli White in the bottom of the fifth. Eddie Rosario reached base on a fielding error committed by Niko Goodrum and then scored all the way from first on a double from White (who was pinch-hitting for Ozzie Albies) that split the gap in right-center field.

Jake Faria took over for Sherriff in the sixth and worked his way around a leadoff walk before Norwith Gudino faced the minimum in the seventh. In the top of the eighth, Wilyer Abreu ignited a three-run rally by ripping a one-out triple to center field. Ryan Fitzgerald broke the 3-3 stalemate by plating Abreu from third on a hard-hit double.

A wild pitch from Braves reliever Victor Vodnik allowed Fitzgerald to take third base. He then scored from third on a two-out double from the pinch-hitting Tyler McDonough. Ronaldo Hernandez followed by pushing across McDonough on an RBI single through the right side of the infield, which gave Boston a 6-3 advantage going into the late stages.

While Sterling Sharp was able to keep Atlanta in check in the eighth, the same cannot be said for Joey Stock in the ninth. The 25-year-old hurler gave up back-to-back hits with one out before yielding a run-scoring single to Magneuris Sierra. Stock then issued three consecutive walks, the latter two of which came with the bases loaded, allowing the Braves to knot things back up at six runs apiece.

Stock was given the hook in favor of Robert Kwiatkowski, who struck out the first batter he faced in Tyler Tolve. He then fell behind in a 3-2 count against Cal Conley before the Braves second baseman was called out on strikes by home plate umpire John Libka for not being set in the batter’s box with eight seconds left on the newly-implemented pitch clock.

The pitch clock was brought in by Major League Baseball in an effort to speed up games and hasten pace of play. Saturday’s bout between the Red Sox and Braves, which included 12 runs, 19 hits, and 17 runners left on base, lasted two hours and 39 minutes.

Other notable numbers:

Dalbec went 2-for-2 with that two-run homer and two runs scored. The 27-year-old is now batting .273/.362/.578 with 12 home runs and 34 RBIs in 70 career Grapefruit League games.

Tapia, who is competing for a spot on Boston’s Opening Day roster, went 2-for-3 with two opposite-field doubles and one run scored. He and infield prospect Matthew Lugo also had automatic strikes called on them for not being set in the batter’s box in time.

Next up: Winckowski and a plethora of pitching prospects

The Red Sox will return to Fort Myers on Sunday to host the Rays in their Grapefruit League home opener. Right-hander Josh Winckowski is slated to start for Boston while Chris Murphy, Brandon Walter, and Bryan Mata are expected to follow. Left-hander Taj Bradley, one of the game’s top pitching prospects, will get the start for Tampa Bay.

First pitch from JetBlue Park is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Bobby Dalbec: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Masataka Yoshida records sacrifice fly in spring debut as Red Sox top Northeastern, 5-3

The Red Sox opened their spring schedule with a 5-3 win over Northeastern at JetBlue Park on Friday afternoon.

Meeting for the first time in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 and the MLB lockout in 2022, Boston moved to 19-0 all-time against the Huskies in exhibition play.

All five of the Red Sox’ runs came in the first inning of this seven-inning contest. Jarren Duran got things started in the bottom of the first with a leadoff double off Northeastern starter James Quinlivan. Rafael Devers followed by plating Duran on an RBI single to right field to give his side an early one-run lead out of the gate.

A pair of wild pitches from Quinlivan allowed Devers to move up to third base. Following an Enrique Hernandez walk, Devers came into score on a sacrifice fly to left field off the bat of Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida. Quinlivan then walked three straight batters in Alex Verdugo, Jorge Alfaro, and Triston Casas, who brought in Hernandez from third by taking ball four.

Trailing by three runs now, the Huskies gave Quinlivan the hook in favor of Patrick Harrington out of the bullpen. Enmanuel Valdez promptly greeted the Northeastern reliever by ripping a two-run double to the gap in right-center field. That pushed across both Verdugo and Alfaro to give the Red Sox a commanding 5-0 lead.

On the other side of things, non-roster invitee Oddanier Mosqueda got the start for Boston on the mound. The left-hander worked his way around a leadoff single off the bat of Spenser Smith by picking off the shortstop at second base to end a scoreless first inning. The two relievers who followed Mosqueda, Durbin Feltman and Taylor Broadway, faced the minimum in the second and third as well thanks to a pair of inning-ending plays.

Chase Shugart, another non-roster invitee, got tagged for two runs in the fourth. The right-hander issued a leadoff walk to Smith and immediately gave up an RBI double to Mike Sirota to put the Huskies on the board. Sirota then stole third base and scored from third on an RBI groundout off the bat of Danny Crossen.

Wyatt Olds took over for Shugart in the fifth and walked two of the first three batters he faced. That first batter, Harrison Feinberg, successfully stole third base with one out and then scored on a throwing error by catcher Elih Marrero. Olds avoided any further damage by getting Sean McGee to ground into another inning-ending, 6-4-3 double play.

From there, a pair of lefties wrapped things up out of the Boston bullpen. Rio Gomez, who will soon be pitching for Colombia in the World Baseball Classic, struck out one in a scoreless sixth inning. Brendan Cellucci followed by stranding one runner in the seventh to notch the save and put the finishing touches on a 5-3 victory.

Next up: Grapefruit League play begins

The Red Sox will kick off the Grapefruit League portion of their spring schedule on Saturday afternoon as they travel to North Port, Fla. to take on the Braves at CoolToday Park.

Left-hander Matt Dermody will get the start for Boston opposite fellow southpaw Kolby Allard for Atlanta. Richard Bleier, Kaleb Ort, Wyatt Mills, Ryan Sherriff, Jake Faria, and Norwith Gudino are also scheduled to pitch for the Red Sox.

First pitch on Saturday is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Masataka Yoshida: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)