Red Sox ace Chris Sale began his highly-anticipated rehab assignment on Thursday afternoon, and it’s safe to say things got off to a positive start.
Starting for the rookie-level Florida Complex League Red Sox in their contest against the FCL Orioles Orange team at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Sale was scheduled to throw two innings, but wound up going three instead.
Over those three frames, the veteran left-hander kept the Orioles off the scoreboard while scattering just four hits and zero walks to go along with five strikeouts on the day.
After working his way around a leadoff single in an otherwise perfect first inning, Sale put himself in a bit of a jam in the bottom of the second, as he fanned the first batter of the inning before putting two straight Orioles on on back-to-back singles.
Faced with runners on the corners and two outs still to get, the 32-year-old dialed it up and punched out both Ricardo Castro and Luis Sena in consecutive order to get out of the inning.
In the third inning, Sale again allowed another runner to reach base on a one-out double, but got Moises Ramirez to ground out and followed that up by striking out the last man he faced — Isaac Bellony — on three pitches to end his outing on an encouraging note.
Of the 13 Orioles who came to the plate against him on Thursday, Sale induced two groundouts and one fly out in addition to the five punchouts. He finished with a final pitch count of 39.
Per SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall, Sale relied on his fastball, slider, and changeup over the course of his three innings pitched. The fiery southpaw topped out at 94 mph with his heater, hovered around 78-79 mph with his slider, and sat between 85-87 mph with his changeup.
Cundall also noted that Sale’s feel for his secondary pitches improved as he threw them more and that the majority of the contact he gave up was weak.
Chris Sale struck out two more and allowed a double in his third and final inning. Final line: 3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K. Fastball topped out at 94 and mixed in both his slider and changeup. Feel for secondaries improved as he threw them more. Mostly weak contact against.
Sale, as you may recall, is on the road back from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent on March 30, 2020 — his 31st birthday — after experiencing inflammation in his throwing elbow throughout the latter half of the 2019 season.
The seven-time All-Star last appeared in a major-league game on August 13, 2019, when he struck out 12 over 6 2/3 innings against the Indians at Progressive Field.
In working his way back from Tommy John, Sale has now reached the point where he can face live hitters, as he has done on a frequent basis since late June.
Under the pretext that he wakes up Friday morning without feeling any sort of pain or discomfort in his left elbow, Sale could be in line to make his second rehab start early next week seeing how he has been pitching every five days.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora had previously said that the club would like to keep Sale close to Boston while he rehabs so that he has easy access to the team’s medical staff. With that condition in mind, it appears likely that Sale’s next outing will come with Double-A Portland, per Cora.
Cora on Sale: 3 IP, 39 pitches, up to 97 mph. Plan is for next start in Portland.
The Sea Dogs open up a 12-game homestand at Hadlock Field beginning on Tuesday, July 20, so that should be the date for Sale’s next rehab start if he continues to pitch on four days rest. He probably would see his workload increase to four innings as well.
(Picture of Chris Sale: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
Houck, 25, opened the 2021 season in Boston’s starting rotation and posted a 4.35 ERA and .806 OPS against over three outings (two starts) and 10 1/3 innings pitched across two separate stints with the team, the second of which concluded after he yielded three runs over 4 1/3 frames as the 27th man in the first game of a doubleheader against the White Sox on April 18.
Since then, the lanky righty had to be shut down for approximately six weeks beginning in early May after experiencing flexor muscle soreness in his throwing arm, but was able to return to the mound for Triple-A Worcester on June 17.
In the five starts he has made with the WooSox since returning to action last month, Houck has put up a 4.50 ERA and 3.28 FIP to go along with 22 strikeouts to seven walks over 18 total innings of work.
At the moment, how the Red Sox plan on using Houck is unclear. As noted by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, the former first-round pick could be used as a starter, a multi-inning reliever out of the bullpen, or a hybrid-type who is capable of doing both when needed.
That being said, Sox manager Alex Cora did hint earlier this month that Houck’s role with the club during the second half of the season was going to be a multifaceted one.
“He’ll be versatile,” Cora told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) back on July 1. “We’ve been talking about a few things. After the All-Star break, how are we going to do this? And where or how are we going to use him? Where and how are we going to use everybody else understanding that we’re going to play all those games in a row against division rivals. And we don’t have an off day until August 2.
“So we’ll stretch him out,” added Cora. “That’s the most important thing. And then we’ll decide how we’re going to use him. But versatility is something that might come into the equation and he might fit that bill.”
For the Red Sox to add both Duran and Houck to the major-league roster, a series of roster moves will need to be made.
While Houck is already on Boston’s 40-man roster, the same cannot be said for Duran, so a spot will need to be created there for the speedy outfield prospect.
Additionally, Cotillo notes that Marwin Gonzalez is likely headed to the injured list after the veteran utility man re-aggravated his right hamstring on Sunday.
Reliever Austin Brice, who was added back to the 40-man roster on Saturday, meanwhile, is a candidate to be designated for assignment in order to open up a spot on the 40-man for Duran, though that is just pure speculation at this point.
(Picture of Tanner Houck: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
The Red Sox are planning on calling up top outfield prospect Jarren Duran for their upcoming series against the Yankees in the Bronx, according to the Worcester Telegram’s Joe McDonald.
Jarren Duran will not be in the lineup for the nightcap. In fact, he’s not in the building and is on his way to New York to join the Red Sox tomorrow and could make his major league debut against the Yankees.
Duran, who has been playing with Triple-A Worcester this season, was not in the WooSox’ lineup for the first game of their doubleheader against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders at Polar Park on Wednesday, nor will he be in their lineup for the nightcap.
Instead, as noted by McDonald, Duran is on his way to New York to join the Red Sox as they prepare to kick off the second half of their season with a four-game series against the Yankees that begins on Thursday night.
Duran, 24, is regarded by Baseball America as the No. 5 prospect in Boston’s farm system, ranking tops among outfielders in the organization. The Red Sox selected the California native out of Long Beach State in the seventh round of the 2018 amateur draft.
Coming into play Wednesday, the 6-foot-2, 202 pound left-handed hitter was hitting .270/.365/.561 to go along with eight doubles, one triple, 15 home runs, 32 RBI, 37 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 24 walks, and 52 strikeouts over 46 games (219 plate appearances) for the WooSox.
Earlier in the spring, the speedy Duran helped United States baseball qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, but he was left off of Team USA’s Olympic roster due to the USOC being wary of the fact that the Red Sox would want to call him up at some point over the summer.
Because Duran — who turns 25 in September — is not currently on the Red Sox’ 40-man roster, the club will need to make a corresponding roster move on Thursday in order to add him to the major-league squad.
While it is unclear at the moment what that move will look like, one thing is for certain: Duran will be making his big-league debut under the bright lights of Yankee Stadium.
As noted by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, who confirmed McDonald’s report, Duran joins Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts as prior top Red Sox outfield prospects to make their major-league debut in the Bronx.
(Picture of Jarren Duran: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
Of the 15 college players the Red Sox selected in the 2021 MLB first-year player draft this week, 10 attended schools that are in Power Five conferences (the ACC, Big 12, Big 10, Pac-12, and SEC).
While the likes of University of Florida outfielder Jud Fabian stick out in regards to big names Boston took from the college ranks in this year’s draft, their 11th-round selection has garnered some attention as well.
To kick off the third and final day of the draft on Tuesday, Boston took University of Notre Dame first baseman Niko Kavadas with the 316th overall pick.
Kavadas, 22, was regarded by Baseball America as the 158th-ranked draft-eligible prospect coming into the week, and one BA writer in particular views the Fighting Irish slugger as perhaps the most underrated member of Boston’s 20-man draft class.
“Calling Kavadas underrated seems odd considering he was one of the best and most successful players in college this year,” Baseball America’s Ben Badler wrote on Wednesday. “But he was an 11th-round pick, so he fits the bill. Kavadas has massive power and he draws walks. That’s pretty much the extent of his plus tools, but it’s a very important skill and one that can carry a player all the way to the big-leagues.”
In his senior season for Notre Dame this spring, Kavadas — an Indiana native — produced a slash line of .302/.473/.767 with eight doubles, 22 home runs, 64 RBI, 42 runs scored, two stolen bases, 50 walks, and 55 strikeouts over 47 games (220 plate appearances).
While Kavadas is known for what he can do at the plate, there is some concern regarding the left-handed hitter’s defensive range as well as his speed on the base paths.
Per his Baseball America scouting report from earlier this year, Kavadas “is a well below-average runner with limited range who will be limited to first base or DH at the next level. He has the raw power to profile there and he can send the ball out of the park in any direction, and he did a nice job getting into hitter’s counts and then hammering fastballs this spring.
“He did struggle more against breaking and offspeed stuff and was also less successful than scouts would have liked to see against 93-plus mph velocity, which are valid concerns for his pure hit tool at the next level.”
On top of that, Kavadas turns 23 in October, so he is a bit older than the prototypical college prospect. That being said — or as BA noted, “there’s real power for a team that thinks he’ll be able to regularly get to it at the next level with a wood bat.”
Red Sox amateur scouting director Paul Toboni seems to buy into this philosophy as well, as he told reporters (including The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier) on Tuesday that Kavadas’ power tool is at “the top of the scale” already.
“If he were in the major-leagues right now, my guess is that the power would line up with the best of them,” Toboni said. “He’s an interesting player and a great kid.”
Notre Dame 1B Niko Kavadas just turned around 100mph from Ryan Cusick and the ball has left the state of North Carolina entirely… pic.twitter.com/WdBPyXtbUr
Listed at 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, it’s safe to say Kavadas is an intimidating presence when he steps in the batter’s box.
By taking Kavadas in the 11th round of this year’s draft, the Red Sox can sign the slugging corner infielder for up to $125,000 without tapping into their bonus pool total.
As things currently stand, Boston has $11,359,600 in total bonus pool space to work with, though that cap could increase to approximately $11,927,580 if the club was willing to incur some tax-related penalties by surpassing the limit by up to 5%.
The Red Sox, like all major-league teams, will have until 5 p.m. eastern time on Sunday, August 1 to sign as many of their draft picks as possible, though Toboni did say he only expects 13-15 of the club’s draftees to actually sign.
(Picture of Niko Kavadas: Michael Caterina/South Bend Tribune via AP)
The American League bested the National League by a final score of 5-2 in the 91st MLB All-Star Game at Coors Field in Denver on Tuesday night, and the Red Sox’ five All-Star representatives played a significant role in making that happen.
Bogaerts, making his second career All-Star Game start in his third overall appearance, got the start at shortstop for the American League while batting out of the three-hole.
The 28-year-old went 2-for-3 on the night with an RBI and a pair of singles, the second of which came off Marlins starter Trevor Rogers and drove in Orioles’ All-Star Cedric Mullins with two outs in the top of the fifth inning that gave the American League a 4-0 lead at the time it was hit.
Devers, making his first career All-Star Game start in his first overall appearance, started alongside Bogaerts at third base as the two became the first pair of Red Sox teammates to start in the same Midsummer Classic on the left side of the infield.
Batting two spots behind Bogaerts out of the five-hole, the 24-year-old slugger followed a leadoff walk drawn by Aaron Judge in the top half of the second inning by lacing a 106.6 mph double off Brewers starter Corbin Burnes that advanced Judge up to third.
An RBI single courtesy of Blue Jays starter Marcus Semien brought in Judge from third, giving the American League their first lead of the night at 1-0.
Fast forward to the fourth, and Devers — matched up against Rockies All-Star German Marquez — grounded out to shortstop for the first out of the inning, but it was a grounder that left the left-handed hitter’s bat at a scorching 106.3 mph.
Devers, like Bogaerts, was pulled in the middle of the fifth inning.
J.D. Martinez
Martinez, making his fourth career All-Star appearance and his third with the Red Sox, replaced starting designated hitter Shohei Ohtani with no outs and runners in the corners in the fifth inning. He proceeded to strike out on three pitches against Rogers.
The 33-year-old also fanned on four pitches against Brewers All-Star Freddy Peralta in the top half of the seventh, so he finished the night going 0-for-2 with a pair of punchouts.
Nathan Eovaldi
Eovaldi, one of three first-time All-Stars the Red Sox sent to Denver along with Devers and closer Matt Barnes, got the call from his former manager Kevin Cash to take over for Rangers starter Kyle Gibson in the middle of the fourth.
Working on six days rest, the 31-year-old right-hander needed all of 10 pitches (8 strikes) to get through a scoreless frame of relief in which he faced the minimum three batters thanks to that aforementioned double play started by Bogaerts on a Nick Castellanos groundball.
Of the 10 pitches Eovaldi threw on Tuesday, three were splitters, three were four-seam fastballs, one was a curveball, and one was a cutter. The flame-throwing righty induced two total swings-and-misses while topping out at 99.2 mph with his heater. No 100+ mph heat from him.
Matt Barnes
Barnes, making his first career All-Star appearance, did not pitch in the ninth inning as he has primarily done for the Red Sox this season, but he was responsible for a bottom half of the eighth that had plenty of tension.
Fresh off inking a two-year extension to remain in Boston for the foreseeable future over the weekend, the 31-year-old entered with a 5-2 lead to protect, but proceeded to lad the bases on two singles and a walk in the process of recording the first two outs of the frame.
With one out to get, Barnes was matched up against a dangerous opponent in the form of the Cubs’ Kris Bryant, and he fell in behind in the count at 3-0 to make matters even worse.
On the fourth pitch of the at-bat, a 96 mph fastball on the outer half of the plate, the fiery right-hander got Bryant to lift a 296-foot lineout to Angels All-Star Jared Walsh in left field.
It was a lineout that required Walsh, who has never played left field at the major-league level, to make a superb sliding catch, but the out was recorded nonetheless to get Barnes and the American League out of the inning.
Jared Walsh has never played left field in the majors.
Of the 25 pitches (14 strikes) Barnes threw on Tuesday, 18 were four-seam fastballs and seven were curveballs. He topped out at 97.1 mph with his heater.
In tossing a scoreless eighth inning, Barnes wound up picking up the hold as White Sox closer Liam Hendriks shut the door on the National League in the ninth to notch the hold and secure a 5-2 victory victory for the American League.
With the win, the AL has now taken eight consecutive All-Star Games from the NL.
Blue Jays All-Star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was named the game’s Most Valuable Player, as he hit the 200th home run in All-Star Game history, which also happened to be a 468-foot blast that left his bat at 110.2 mph.
The third and final day of the 2021 MLB first-year player draft has come to a close following the conclusion of Round 20.
With 10 more selections to make on Tuesday, the Red Sox wound up taking three college position players, three college pitchers, one junior college position player, one junior college pitcher, and two high school position players.
Here is a rundown of each of the 10 prospects Boston selected, starting with their 11th-round pick.
Niko Kavadas, 1B, Notre Dame
The Red Sox selected University of Notre Dame first baseman Kavadas with their 11th-round pick at No. 316 overall.
Kavadas, 22, was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 158 prospect coming into the draft. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, the left-handed hitting and right-handed throwing senior has experience at both corner infield positions.
Over 47 games (220 plate appearances) with the Irish this past spring, Kavadas hit .302/.473/.767 with eight doubles, 22 home runs, 64 RBI, 42 runs scored, two stolen bases, 50 walks, and 55 strikeouts.
To summarize the Indiana native’s Baseball America scouting report, Kavadas has limited defensive range and is a below-average runner, but his power potential certainly appealing despite his age (turns 23 in October) and peripherals.
The recommended slot value for the 316th overall pick, as well as the remainder of the picks, in this year’s draft is approximately $125,000.
Christopher Troye, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
The Red Sox selected University of California, Santa Barbara right-hander Christopher Troye with their 12th-round pick at No. 346 overall.
Troye, 22, was not ranked by Baseball America — or any other major publication for that matter — heading into the draft.
At 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, Troye, a senior, split time between the starting rotation and bullpen in his four seasons with UCSB.
Most recently, the California native posted a 4.50 ERA and 1.83 WHIP in addition to a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 29:25 over 15 appearances (four starts) spanning 18 innings of work for the Gauchos this spring. He also spent part of his summer on Cape Cod with the Cotuit Kettleers.
Zach Ehrhard, SS, Wharton (FL) HS
The Red Sox selected Wharton High School (Tampa, Fla.) shortstop Zach Ehrhard with their 13th-round pick at No. 376 overall.
The first prep prospect taken by Boston on Day 3, Ehrhard is an 18-year-old high school shortstop who is currently committed to play college baseball at Oklahoma State University.
Listed at 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, the right-handed hitting Florida native slashed .438/.562/.700 with 12 doubles, three home runs, 21 RBI, 29 runs scored, 26 stolen bases, 23 walks, and 10 strikeouts over 26 games (106 plate appearances) during his senior season at Wharton, per his MaxPreps page.
According to Perfect Game, Ehrhard was the No. 500 prep prospect coming into this year’s draft, ranking 177th among all high school shortstops and 29th among high school shortstops in his home state of Florida.
Jacob Webb, RHP, Miami (OH) University
The Red Sox selected Miami (Ohio) University right-hander Jacob Webb with their 14th-round pick at No. 406 overall.
Webb, 22, is listed at 6-foot-5 and 246 pounds, and is the fourth of six seniors Boston took in this year’s draft.
The Ohio native began his collegiate career at Sinclair Community College in Dayton before transferring to Miami for his junior season in 2020.
This past spring, Webb posted a 2.08 ERA and 1.00 WHIP to go along with 59 strikeouts and 14 walks over 18 relief appearances spanning 39 innings of work for the RedHawks. He also spent part of his summer pitching for the Willmar Stingers of the Northwoods League.
Payton Green, SS, Green Hope (NC) HS
The Red Sox selected Green Hope High School (N.C.) shortstop Payton Green with their 15th-round pick at No. 436 overall.
Green, 18, was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 113 prospect heading into the draft. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, the right-handed hitting infielder is committed to play college baseball at North Carolina State.
According to Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo, Green “seems very unlikely to sign” with the Red Sox on account of where he was taken in the draft as well as his strong commitment to play college ball for the Wolfpack.
Per his BA scouting report, “Green has solid actions and should be able to play either second or third base if he outgrows the position. The teams that like Green are buying into his improved swing this spring and believe he has the skill to turn into a solid-average or better hitter, while those that are more skeptical saw a lot of swing and miss last summer on the showcase circuit, with a bat path that was too steep at times.”
B.J. Vela, 2B, Reedley JC (CA)
The Red Sox selected Reedley College (Reedley, Calif.) second baseman B.J. Vela with their 16th-round pick at No. 466 overall.
Vela, 21, is listed at 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds, and he played his high school baseball at Pleasant Valley High School in Chico.
Per Reedley College’s website, the right-handed hitting freshman posted a .481/.560/.821 slash line to go along with 11 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 35 RBI, 47 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 15 walks, and four strikeouts over 27 games played for the Tigers this spring.
While there is not too much information available pertaining to Vela’s peripherals or anything of the sort, he did attend the same junior college as Buffalo Bills star quarterback Josh Allen, so there’s that.
Luis Guerrero, RHP, Chipola College (FL)
The Red Sox selected Chipola College (Marianna, Fla.) right-hander Luis Guerrero with their 17th-round pick at No. 496 overall.
Guerrero, who turns 21 next month, is listed at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, and he played his high school baseball at Juan Pablo Duarte Bani School in the Dominican Republic.
This past spring with the Indians, Guerrero produced a 3.72 ERA while striking out 96 over 14 appearances — five of which were starts — over 58 innings of work, per his school’s website.
In addition to his college work, the young righty also pitched in the MLB Draft League this year, where he posted an 8.59 ERA to go along with 21 strikeouts to 17 walks over five outings (four starts) and 14 2/3 innings with the Frederick Keys.
On top of that, Guerrero spent part of last summer with the Brockton Rox of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League.
Per a Prep Baseball Report spotlight from May, Guerrero’s pitch arsenal consists of a 93-96 mph fastball, a 78-81 mph curveball, a mid-80s slider, and a low-80s splitter that sits between 82-84 mph.
Phillip Sikes, OF, TCU
The Red Sox selected Texas Christian University outfielder Phillip Sikes with their 18th-round pick at No. 526 overall.
Sikes, 22, was regarded by baseball America as the No. 463 prospect coming into the draft.
A former 33rd round selection of the Diamondbacks out of Pima Community College in 2019, the 6-foot-2, 190 pound right-handed hitter — who began his collegiate career at the University of New Mexico — opted to transfer to TCU prior to the start of the 2020 season.
This spring with the Horned Frogs, Sikes, a native of Texas, slashed .329/.427/.620 with 19 doubles, five triples, 11 home runs, 63 RBI, 56 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 26 walks, and 45 strikeouts over 58 games and 255 plate appearances.
According to his Baseball America scouting report, the senior outfielder “has a solid, well-rounded tool set,” as he is “a plus runner who has demonstrated that he can catch up to a good fastball, although he can be enticed to chase a tantalizing slider.
“Sikes has a short, direct swing that is geared more for hitting for average than power, but he has enough strength to drive balls to the right field power alley as well. Sikes is a well-rounded outfielder who can play center field in a pinch and is average in the corners. His arm is fringe-average but accurate.”
Tyler Uberstine, RHP, Northwestern
The Red Sox selected Northwestern University right-hander Tyler Uberstine with their 19th-round pick at No. 556 overall.
Uberstine, who turned 22 last month, also participated in the MLB Draft League this summer after wrapping up his senior season in Evanston.
With the Wildcats this spring, the 6-foot-1, 200 pound righty pitched to the tune of a 5.90 ERA and 1.84 WHIP while striking out 38 and walking 20 over nine starts spanning 39 2/3 innings of work.
With the Williamsport Crosscutters of the Draft League, Uberstine yielded a total of four runs on 10 hits, nine strikeouts, and zero walks over four appearances and nine innings pitched. That’s good for an ERA of 4.00.
A native of California, Uberstine attended Chaminade College Preparatory School in Los Angeles, the same school that has produced major-league talent such as Kevin Pillar and Dan Runzler, both of whom spent time in the Red Sox organization in some capacity over the course of their respective careers.
Josh Hood, SS, Pennsylvania
The Red Sox selected University of Pennsylvania shortstop Josh Hood with their 20th-round (and final) pick at No. 586 overall.
Hood, who turns 21 next week, came into the draft regarded by Baseball America as its 453rd-ranked prospect.
Listed at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, the right-handed hitting infielder did not play collegiately this spring on account of there being no Ivy League season. He did however play for both the Holly Springs Salamanders of the Coastal Plain League and Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
With Harwich specifically, Hood has slashed .194/.257/.258 over nine games (35 plate appearances) for the Mariners so far this summer.
Per Baseball America, the New Jersey native is transferring to North Carolina State next season and could take over as the Wolfpack’s starting shortstop, meaning he could improve his draft stock for 2022 if he opted to remain in school.
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Between Days 1, 2, and 3 of the 2021 MLB first-year player draft, the Red Sox — whose drafting efforts are led by chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and amateur scouting director Paul Toboni, among others — selected four high school position players, one high school pitcher, one junior college position player, one junior college pitcher, eight college position players, and five college pitchers.
It’s no guarantee that all 20 of these players will sign (Toboni said he expects 13-15 draftees to do so), but Boston will have approximately $11,359,600 in total bonus pool space, though they could surpass that limit by 5% ($11,927,580) if they are willing to incur some tax-related penalties, as noted by SoxProspects.com’s Mike Andrews.
That being said, the deadline to sign drafted players arrives at 5 p.m. eastern time on August 1, leaving clubs slightly less than three weeks to work out deals with their draftees.
Additionally, clubs can sign an unlimited number of undrafted free-agents for no more than $20,000, as was the case last year. The same August 1 deadline applies for that as well.
(Picture of Chaim Bloom: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
The recommended slot value for the 75th overall selection in this year’s draft was $831,100, meaning the young infielder will sign for full slot value, as Cotillo noted.
Coming into the week as Baseball America’s 127th-ranked draft-eligible prospect, McDonough is listed at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds and proved to be a versatile weapon in his time with North Carolina State.
This past season alone, the switch-hitting junior slashed an impressive .339/.423/.631 to go along with 21 doubles, one triple, 15 home runs, 45 RBI, 58 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases across 55 games (267 plate appearances) for the Wolfpack while seeing playing time in both center field and at third base. He has prior experience at second base as well.
A product of the same high school that produced the likes of Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Larkin in Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati, McDonough — an Ohio native — did not waste any time in going pro, as he could have opted to return to campus in Raleigh for his senior season if he so chose.
Per his MLB Pipeline scouting report, McDonough draws a comparison to former Red Sox utility man and fan favorite Brock Holt for the way he goes about his business on the field.
“A switch-hitter, McDonough was more of a hit-over-power guy in the past but has gotten stronger and is driving the ball more consistently this spring, especially against left-handers,” his scouting report reads. “He has taken a more aggressive approach but still controls the strike zone well and could develop into a .270 hitter with 15 homers per season. He has slowed a bit as he has added muscle but still has solid speed and good savvy on the bases.
“McDonough’s quickness and instincts also translate into range in center field, where he’s a solid defender. He has an average arm and may profile best in a super-utility role where he’d shuttle between all three outfield spots as well as second and third base as needed. Scouts love his makeup and compare his game to those of grinders Adam Eaton and Brock Holt.”
Since he is coming out of college, one would have to wonder if McDonough will be assigned to Low-A Salem out of the gate, though he certainly could start out for the Florida Complex League Red Sox in Fort Myers depending on what the club wants to do with him.
Rays manager Kevin Cash, who is also managing the American League squad in this year’s Midsummer Classic in Denver, announced his starting lineup and starting pitcher earlier Monday afternoon, as Angels’ two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani will bat leadoff as the starting designated hitter while also getting the start on the mound.
The American League All-Star lineup… Ohtani will serve as both the starting pitcher and DH. pic.twitter.com/Q7N6bKSfz4
For Bogaerts, this will be his second All-Star Game start in addition to his third overall All-Star selection (2016, 2019, 2021).
The 28-year-old is currently hitting .321/.385/.545 with a league-leading 27 doubles, 15 home runs, 51 RBI, 57 runs scored, and five stolen bases over 85 games (361) plate appearances so far this season while primarily batting cleanup.
In the seven games he has hit out of the three-hole this year, Bogaerts has slashed .280/.406/.320 with one of his 27 doubles, three of his 51 RBI, and four of his 57 runs scored.
Devers, meanwhile, will be making his first career appearance in an All-Star Game after he — like Bogaerts — was voted in as a starter for the American League earlier this month.
The 24-year-old slugger wrapped up the unofficial first half of his 2021 campaign on Sunday sporting a solid .282/.350/.564 to go along with 25 doubles, one triple, a team-leading 22 home runs and 72 RBI, 59 runs scored, and three stolen bases over 87 games spanning 369 total trips to the plate.
278 of Devers’ 369 plate appearances (75.3%) this season have come with the left-handed hitter batting out of the five-hole. He owns an OPS of .931 when hitting in that particular spot in the order.
In addition to his stellar production at the plate, Devers has enjoyed moderate success defensively as well, as he has been worth one Defensive Run Saved at third base while also putting up an Ultimate Zone rating of 2.2, which translates to an UZR of 3.8 over 150 games.
According to FanGraphs, Devers (3.5 fWAR) and Bogaerts (3.9 fWAR) have been two of the most valuable infielders in the American League so far this season, meaning the dynamic duo has been a driving force when it comes to the Red Sox sitting in first place in the American League East at the All-Star break.
J.D. Martinez, who was selected as a reserve, will start on the bench behind Ohtani, and likely Twins designated hitter Nelson Cruz as well.
Red Sox closer Matt Barnes and starter Nathan Eovaldi are both first-time All-Stars, and the pair of fiery right-handers figure to be available out of the bullpen for Cash once Ohtani’s night is done.
On the other side of things, Nationals ace Max Scherzer will get the start for the National League, marking the fourth time the three-time Cy Young Award winner has had the honor of doing so over the course of his illustrious career.
The Red Sox have selected Indiana University right-hander Matt Litwicki with their 10th-round pick of the 2021 MLB first-year player draft at No. 286 overall.
— MLB Draft Tracker (@MLBDraftTracker) July 12, 2021
Litwicki, who turns 23 in early August, was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 213 prospect coming into the draft.
Listed at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, the fiery right-handed reliever just wrapped up a sophomore season for the Hoosiers in which he posted a 4.50 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in addition to 17 strikeouts and just two walks over 10 relief appearances spanning 12 innings of work.
He also overtook the team’s closer role in the process of converting four saves on the year.
Per his Baseball America scouting report, the Indiana native overpowered hitters this spring with a pitch arsenal that featured a 96-98 mph fastball, but left scouts and evaluators hungry for more on account of a limited workload.
“Litwicki has a sharp slider in the low 80s that he pairs with his heater and seems to have the stuff—and the delivery—of a bullpen arm at the next level,” his scouting report reads, “though his track record with Indiana is extremely limited, with just 31 1/3 total innings under his belt over the last three seasons.”
In selecting Litwicki, the Red Sox have taken their third college pitcher in this draft after picking Oklahoma’s Wyatt Olds in the seventh round and Texas Tech’s Hunter Dobbins in the eighth.
The recommended slot value for the 286th overall selection in this year’s draft is $148,400, though Litwicki could return to campus in Bloomington if he opted not to sign with the Sox.
That concludes Day 2 of the 2021 MLB first-year player draft, or at least BloggingtheRedSox.com’s coverage of it.
Of the nine picks Boston made on Monday, seven come from the college ranks, while just two (Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz and Daniel McElveny) come from the prep ranks.
The third and final day of the draft will begin at 12 p.m. eastern time on Tuesday for Rounds 11 through 20. The Red Sox will be on the clock for picks 316, 346, 376, 406, 436, 466, 496, 526, 556, and 586.
(Picture of Matt Litwicki: Indiana University Athletics)
The Red Sox have selected Auburn University infielder Tyler Miller with their ninth-round pick in the 2021 MLB first-year player draft at No. 256 overall.
— MLB Draft Tracker (@MLBDraftTracker) July 12, 2021
Miller, 21, was regarded by Baseball America as the 397th-ranked prospect coming into the draft.
Previously selected by the Pirates in the 23rd round of the 2018 draft out of Spanish Fort High School, the Alabama native opted to attend East Mississippi Community College before transferring to Auburn for his sophomore year in 2020.
Most recently, the left-handed hitting, right-handed throwing Miller compiled a .313/.354/.601 batting line to go along with 10 doubles, one triple, 16 home runs, 61 RBI, 38 runs scored, three stolen bases, 15 walks, and 44 strikeouts over 51 games (231 plate appearances) with the Tigers this spring.
Listed at 6-foot-2 and 193 pounds, Miller is quite versatile, as he has seen time at left field, right field, shortstop, third base, and first base throughout his two-year career at Auburn.
According to his Baseball America scouting report, “Miller’s power went almost exclusively to the pull side this spring and it came with a strikeout rate close to 20%, but more concerning than those whiffs might be a lack of walks, as he took a free pass just 15 times in 231 plate appearances—a 6.5% walk rate that was towards the bottom for SEC hitters. Another potential concern is Miller’s ability to recognize and hit breaking stuff, as scouts noted that he struggled with those pitch types this spring and almost all of his impact came against fastballs.
“Miller has played a number of positions at Auburn, including third base, shortstop and both corner outfield spots, but spent almost all of his time at first this spring.”
Theoretically, Miller could return to Auburn for his senior season next spring, though it seems more likely than not that he will wind up signing with the Red Sox.
That said, the recommended slot value for the 256th overall pick in this year’s draft is approximately $160,300.
(Picture of Tyler Miller: Auburn University Athletics)
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