Red Sox OF prospect Juan Chacon settling back into things after injury-shortened 2023 season

Red Sox outfield prospect Juan Chacon has been settling back into things this spring after suffering a season-ending wrist injury late last June.

As a minor-league call-up, Chacon has appeared in two spring training games for Boston thus far. Last Friday, he scored a run after reaching on an error in the sixth inning of a 7-2 victory over Northeastern. This past Sunday, he came off the bench and went 2-for-2 with a triple and run scored as part of a split-squad win over the Twins at JetBlue Park.

For Chacon, this has represented his first in-game action of any kind in quite a while. At this time last year, the then-20-year-old was ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 52 prospect in Boston’s farm system. After getting into two Grapefruit League games, he broke camp with Low-A Salem last April.

Out of the gate, Chacon held his own with Boston’s Carolina League affiliate. Through June 10, the right-handed hitter found himself batting .286/.414/.388 with five doubles, five triples, 12 RBIs, 19 runs scored, 19 stolen bases, 30 walks, and 40 strikeouts over his first 44 games (181 plate appearances) of the season. For whatever reason, Chacon hit a speed bump of sorts after that and came into play on June 29 in the midst of a 6-for-51 (.118) slump.

To lead off the first inning of Salem’s contest against the Fredericksburg Nationals that night, Chacon fouled off a pitch and was in visible discomfort after completing his swing. He could be seen favoring his left wrist and was ultimately taken out of the game after leaving the field with a trainer.

On July 2, Chacon was placed on Salem’s 7-day injured list. Eleven days later, he underwent surgery in Boston to repair a hamate bone fracture in his left wrist. He flew down to Fort Myers to begin his rehab shortly thereafter but was transferred to the 60-day injured list on July 27 and spent the rest of the season there.

All told, Chacon slashed .241/.353/.332 (102 wRC+) with six doubles, six triples, 18 runs driven in, 22 runs scored, 20 stolen bases, 31 walks, and 52 strikeouts in 57 games (235 plate appearances) for Salem last year. His 20 stolen bases ranked second on the team behind only Ahbrahm Liendo’s 30.

On the other side of the ball, Chacon saw playing time at all three outfield positions in 2023. The 6-foot-1, 171-pounder logged 36 innings in center field, 163 2/3 innings in left field, and 190 innings in right field. He recorded two outfield assists (which both came in right) and committed a total of just three errors in 75 total defensive chances.

Chacon, who turned 21 in December, originally signed with the Red Sox for $900,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in July 2019. He had to wait until 2021 to make his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League because of the COVID-19 pandemic and has since drawn mixed reviews from evaluators. His speed appears to be his carrying tool but the lack of power in his game is quite apparent as well.

Now healthy heading into the 2024 campaign, Chacon is not currently regarded by SoxProspects.com — or any other outlet, for that matter — as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system. He is, however, expected to start his age 21-season at High-A Greenville, where he could benefit from playing in the hitter-friendly South Atlantic League.

(Picture of Juan Chacon: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox sign former Brewers righty Jason Alexander to minor-league deal

The Red Sox signed free agent right-hander Jason Alexander to a minor-league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Worcester last week, per the club’s MLB.com transactions log. Alexander will head to Boston’s minor-league camp in Fort Myers, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

Alexander, who turns 31 on Friday, has one season of major-league experience under his belt after breaking in with the Brewers in 2022. In 18 appearances (11 starts) for Milwaukee, the righty posted a 5.40 ERA and 5.34 FIP with 46 strikeouts to 28 walks over 71 2/3 innings of work.

Not to be confused with the actor who played George Costanza in Seinfeld, this Jason Alexander is the younger brother of veteran reliever Scott Alexander. He originally went undrafted out of Menlo College (Atherton, Calif.) in 2017 and instead began his professional career by signing with the Angels that summer.

After nearly three years in the Angels organization, Alexander was cut loose by Los Angeles in June 2020. He then latched on with the Marlins the following April and pitched at three different levels in 2021 before joining the Brewers that November. He made his major-league debut in June 2022 as part of being called up by Milwaukee on three separate occasions that season.

Because of a strained right rotator cuff, Alexander opened the 2023 campaign on the 60-day injured list. He began rehabbing in the Arizona Complex League last June and worked his way back up to Triple-A Nashville prior to losing his spot on the Brewers’ 40-man roster in late July. He subsequently cleared outright waivers and spent the rest of the year with Milwaukee’s top affiliate, finishing with a 5.86 ERA in 16 outings (55 1/3 innings) for the Sounds before reaching free agency in November.

Standing at 6-foot-2 and 227 pounds, Alexander is known for his ability to keep the ball on the ground, as evidenced by his 46.1 percent groundball rate with Nashville last year. He could potentially provide the Red Sox with experienced rotational depth in Worcester alongside the likes of lefty Brandon Walter and righties Cooper Criswell, Richard Fitts, Grant Gambrell, and Brian Van Belle, among others.

Alexander also has plenty of experience when it comes to pitching out of the bullpen, so he could be utilized in a relief role as well. Regardless of how the Red Sox plan on using him, Alexander does have minor-league options remaining if he were to be added to the major-league roster at some point down the line.

 (Picture of Jason Alexander: John Fisher/Getty Images)

Red Sox pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz focused on his own development in 2023

Despite dealing with elbow issues last year, Red Sox pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz still enjoyed a relatively productive 2023 season with Low-A Salem.

Rodriguez-Cruz made 14 starts for Salem, which is where he ended his first full professional season in 2022. In 2023, the 20-year-old right-hander posted a 2.60 ERA and 4.37 FIP with 51 strikeouts to 27 walks over 55 1/3 innings of work in which he held opposing hitters to a .219 batting average against.

Prior to the major-league All-Star break in mid-July, Rodriguez had gone 6-2 with a 2.53 ERA (4.45 FIP) in his first 12 outings (53 1/3 innings) of the season. He was then placed on Salem’s injured list on July 21 with right elbow inflammation and did not return to action until the first of September.

Rodriguez-Cruz made two more starts for Salem before the minor-league campaign drew to a close and went an inning in each, allowing one earned run on two hits, one walk, and three strikeouts. He later told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith at the Red Sox’ fall performance program in Fort Myers that he thought his season “went well.”

“Nobody expects to be injured but besides that, I started the season strong,” Rodriguez-Cruz said. “I feel like I was doing great. I was developing some stuff the organization wants me to do. I feel like I was doing all those things.”

Among the 111 pitchers who tossed 50 or more innings in the Carolina League last year, Rodriguez-Cruz most notably ranked 33rd in batting average against, 42nd in WHIP (1.27), 36th in groundball rate (48.3 percent), and seventh in ERA, per FanGraphs.

Rodriguez-Cruz was originally selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round (105th overall pick) of the 2021 amateur draft out of Leadership Christian Academy in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. The Trujillo Alto native forwent his commitment to the University of Oregon by signing with Boston for $497,500 as a 17-year-old that July.

Since debuting in the rookie-level Florida Complex League the following June, Rodriguez-Cruz has compiled a 2.31 ERA (3.76 FIP) with 93 strikeouts to 42 walks over 27 total appearances (24 starts) spanning 93 2/3 innings in pro ball thus far.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds, Rodriguez-Cruz throws from a three-quarters arm slot and operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 91-93 mph fastball that tops out at 95 mph, a 76-78 mph curveball that features long, 11-to-5 break, an 86-88 mph changeup, and an 84-86 mph slider that is considered by SoxProspects.com to be a “work in progress.”

To that end, Rodriguez-Cruz indicated to Smith back in September that one of his main goals of the offseason was to build strength as he continues to fill out.

“That’s going to help me to improve velo and all that and stay healthy,” the righty explained. “I feel like working on my body is my main priority.”

Having said that, it will be interesting to see if Rodriguez-Cruz benefits from the new pitching infrastructure the Red Sox are putting in place under chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. Brian Abraham, Boston’s farm director, described Rodriguez-Cruz to Smith as a “development staff’s dream because he’s young, he has a live arm, he’s athletic, he’s got a good frame to put on weight, and he works hard.”

Rodriguez-Cruz — who does not turn 20 until August — is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 30 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks ninth among pitchers in the organization. He is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to High-A Greenville for the start of the 2024 season.

(Picture of Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz: Gary Streiffer/Flickr)

Newcomer Mark Contreras hits Red Sox’ first home run of 2024

A newcomer hit the first home run of the spring for the Red Sox in their spring training opener against Northeastern at JetBlue Park on Friday afternoon.

Mark Contreras, who is in camp as a non-roster invitee, belted a go-ahead three-run homer in the third inning of the Sox’ 7-2 victory over the Huskies.

After grounding out to end to the bottom of the first, Contreras — Boston’s three-hole hitter and starting center fielder — stepped back up to the plate with two outs and runners on the corners in the latter half of the third. The left-handed hitter drilled a first-pitch strike from Northeastern reliever Joseph Hauser into the visitor’s bullpen in right field to score both David Hamilton and Nick Yorke.

By crossing home plate himself, Contreras gave the Red Sox their first lead of the day at 4-1. The 29-year-old remained in the game through the fourth inning before being replaced in center field by Allan Castro.

Friday represented a strong first impression for Contreras, who was brought in on a minor-league contract in November after spending the first six years of his professional career in the Twins organization.

“He’s a good player,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Contreras when speaking with reporters (including the Boston Herald’s Mac Cerullo). “We recognized him early in the offseason. Good athlete, good baserunner, we just have to make sure he swings at the right ones.”

Contreras, who hails from California, was originally selected by the Twins in the ninth round of the 2017 amateur draft out of UC Riverside. The Moreno Valley native signed with Minnesota for a mere $10,000 that June, but established himself in the pro ranks by taking home a Rawlings MiLB Gold Glove Award in 2019 and earning MiLB.com organizational All-Star honors in 2021.

After getting off to a solid start at Triple-A St. Paul in 2022, Contreras was called up by the Twins for the first time that May. He debuted against the Astros and appeared in a total of 28 games, going 7-for-58 (.121) with one double, three home runs, six RBIs, nine runs scored, one stolen base, one walk, and 21 strikeouts.

Contreras lost his spot on Minnesota’s 40-man roster that December after fellow outfielder Joey Gallo was signed to a one-year deal. He wound up clearing waivers and spending the first four-plus months of the 2023 campaign with St. Paul, where he batted .274/.352/.418 to go along with 17 doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, 54 RBIs, 52 runs scored, 23 stolen bases, 36 walks, and 99 strikeouts over 90 games (381 plate appearances), before being released by the Twins last August.

Since he has prior major- and minor-league experience at all three outfield positions, Contreras figures to provide the Red Sox with much-needed versatile depth at Triple-A Worcester to begin the 2024 season. The 6-foot, 195-pound speedster also has minor-league options remaining, which could play in his favor if the need arises for outfield help later in the year.

(Picture of Mark Contreras: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Roman Anthony tabbed by MLB Pipeline as Red Sox’ top power-hitting prospect

Outfielder Roman Anthony has been tabbed by MLB Pipeline as the top power-hitting prospect in the Red Sox farm system heading into the 2024 season.

Anthony is currently regarded by MLB Pipeline as the No. 24 prospect in baseball, trailing only shortstop Marcelo Mayer (No. 15) for the top spot in the organization. The 19-year-old’s power tool is graded by the outlet as a 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale, which translates to above average.

After being selected by the Red Sox with the 79th overall pick in the 2022 amateur draft out of Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., Anthony enjoyed a productive first full season in pro ball last year. Across 106 total games at three different minor-league levels, the left-handed hitter slashed .272/.403/.466 with 27 doubles, four triples, 14 home runs, 64 RBIs, 78 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 86 walks, and 119 strikeouts over 491 plate appearances.

Anthony spent the first two-plus months of the 2023 campaign at Low-A Salem, where he slashed .228/.376/.317 with nine doubles, one triple, one home run (the first of his professional career), 18 RBIs, 27 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 38 walks, and 38 strikeouts in 42 games (202 plate appearances). While some of those surface-level numbers may seem uninspiring, the Red Sox were encouraged by the underlying metrics (such as swing decisions and high exit velocities) and elected to move Anthony up to High-A Greenville in early June.

With Greenville, Anthony experienced a surge in both power and striking out. He produced at a .294/.412/.569 clip with 14 doubles, three triples, 12 homers, 38 RBIs, 41 runs scored, two stolen bases, 40 walks, and 75 punchouts over 54 games (245 plate appearances) for the Drive before receiving another promotion to Double-A Portland in early September.

To close out an eventful season, Anthony batted .343/.477/.543 with four doubles, one home run, eight runs driven in, 10 runs scored, three stolen bases, eight walks, and six strikeouts in a brief 10-game, 44-plate appearance sample with the Sea Dogs. Between what he did in Salem, Greenville, and Portland, Anthony was recognized as the Red Sox’ Minor League Offensive Player of the Year.

Among the 12 Boston minor-leaguers who made at least 450 trips to the plate in 2023, Anthony ranked second in walk rate (17.5 percent), third in batting average, second in on-base percentage, fourth in slugging percentage, third in OPS (.869), fourth in isolated power (.194), first in line-drive rate (27.2 percent), fourth in swinging-strike rate (8.8 percent), and first in wRC+ (143), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Anthony saw playing time at all three outfield spots last year. With Salem, the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder made one start in left, 14 in right, and 18 in center. With Greenville, he made four starts in right and 40 in center.  He was used exclusively in center by Portland, where he registered one outfield assist without committing an error in 28 defensive chances.

Coming off a breakout 2023, Anthony — who does not turn 20 until May — is now considered a consensus top 25 prospect in the sport. Barring a surprise, he is expected to return to Portland for the start of the 2024 season, though he could work his way to Triple-A Worcester (or even Boston) later in the year if the Red Sox continue to be aggressive with his development.

In the more immediate future, Anthony is not at big-league spring training with the Red Sox in Fort Myers even after taking part in the club’s rookie development program earlier this winter. When speaking with reporters (including The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey) at JetBlue Park on Thursday, manager Alex Cora said third base/outfield coach Kyle Hudson has inquired about bringing Anthony up from minor-league camp for a few games.

“It was a hard no,” Cora said (with a laugh) after asking player development staff about Anthony. “Huddy is trying, but (player development) they’ve got their program over there, he needs to get his reps and we don’t want to take him out of that. Two at-bats here, yeah it’s great for everybody to see him play and all that, but I think there’s a lot of things going on that are more important right now for his development. So whenever they decide we can take him, we’ll take him.”

(Picture of Roman Anthony: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox bring back Joely Rodriguez on minor-league deal

The Red Sox have brought back veteran reliever Joely Rodriguez on a minor-league contract, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. The deal comes with an invite to major-league spring training.

Rodriguez, who was present at the Fenway South complex in Fort Myers on Thursday morning, will not count against Boston’s 40-man roster but will have the opportunity to make the club’s Opening Day roster out of camp next month.

“Excited for him. We know health is a priority for him,” said Red Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey, who confirmed the pending signing of Rodriguez to MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam. “He’s got electric stuff. He’s around here getting his physical done. Excited to meet him. I know he’s a loud, boisterous personality and a good guy to have around so we’re excited to have him back here.”

Rodriguez, 32, returns to the Red Sox after originally signing a one-year, $2 million contract with an option for 2024 in November 2022. The left-hander was Boston’s first free agent addition that winter, though the contract he ultimately signed was “a re-worked version of a previously agreed-upon deal that was revised once balky medicals came back,” according to Cotillo.

Like trade addition Richard Bleier, who came over from the Marlins in January, Rodrigue was supposed to provide manager Alex Cora with an experienced left-handed option out of the bullpen. He was instead plagued by injury issues throughout the year and posted a career-worst 6.55 ERA (4.71 FIP) with 14 strikeouts to six walks over 11 appearances spanning just 11 innings of relief.

Rodriguez began the 2023 campaign on the injured list after suffering a right oblique strain in a Grapefruit League outing. As a result, he did not make his Red Sox debut until May 17 and struggled immensely out of the gate, surrendering nine runs (eight earned) in his first five appearances (four innings) of the season. He then hit the injured list again because of left shoulder inflammation in early June and did not return to the big-league mound until July 9.

Upon returning to action with Boston, Rodriguez strung together six straight scoreless outings in which he recorded nine strikeouts and zero walks over seven effective innings. Unfortunately, he sustained a hip injury in late July that wound up ending his season prematurely. The Red Sox then declined the club option they held over Rodriguez in November.

As noted by Cotillo, the Red Sox are thin when it comes to left-handed relief options. Brennan Bernardino, who stood out last season after being claimed off waivers from the Mariners in April, Joe Jacques, Chris Murphy, and Brandon Walter are the only lefties currently on Boston’s 40-man roster.

Externally, Rodriguez is slated to join fellow non-roster invitees Jorge Benitez, Cam Booser, Lucas Luetge, and Helcris Olivarez as lefty relievers competing for a spot in the Sox’ bullpen to begin the 2024 season.

“We’ve got to get lefties out. You can’t ever have enough lefties,” Bailey told McAdam, noting that the Rodriguez signing was about adding depth. “There was an opportunity from the front office to sign him and we jumped at it.”

(Picture of Joely Rodriguez: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Could Romy Gonzalez make Red Sox’ Opening Day roster?

The Red Sox have several offseason additions vying for Opening Day roster spots at spring training in Fort Myers, including the versatile Romy Gonzalez.

Gonalez is a veteran of three major-league seasons who was claimed off waivers from the White Sox in late January. The 27-year-old had lost his spot on Chicago’s 40-man roster after the club signed right-hander John Brebbia to a one-year deal, but he did not stay in DFA limbo for long.

A Florida native, Gonzalez was originally selected by the White Sox in the 18th round of the 2018 amateur draft out of Miami. The former Hurricane signed with Chicago for $125,000 and made his professional debut in the Pioneer League that summer.

After spending the entirety of his first full pro season with Class-A Kannapolis in 2019, Gonzalez’s baseball career was temporarily put on hold as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. He did not receive an invite to the White Sox’ alternate training site in 2020, but he evidently used the time off to his advantage.

To start off the 2021 campaign, Gonzalez batted .267/.355/.502 with 11 doubles, 20 home runs, 47 RBIs, 52 runs scored, 21 stolen bases, 38 walks, and 97 strikeouts in his first 78 games (344 plate appearances) with Double-A Birmingham. The right-handed hitter then earned a promotion to Triple-A Charlotte, where he went 11-for-32 (.344) with three homers and 10 RBIs over nine games through the end of August.

With MLB rosters expanding from 26 to 28 players on the first of September, Gonzalez received his first call-up and then made his big-league debut three days shy of his 25th birthday on Sept. 3. Gonzalez’s first stint with the White Sox lasted exactly three weeks, as he went 8-for-32 (.250) while appearing in 10 games for Chicago before being sent back down to Charlotte for the remainder of the season.

On the heels of a productive 2021 in which he was named the White Sox’ Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America, Gonzalez seemed primed for a breakout of sorts in 2022. He came into the season ranked by BA as the No. 15 prospect in Chicago’s farm system, but he did not make his return to the South Side until late August due in part to multiple stints on the minor-league injured list.

Gonzalez spent the rest of the 2022 season with the White Sox after being recalled from Charlotte on Aug. 17. In that time, he slashed .238/.257/.352 with four doubles, one triple, the first two home runs of his major-league career, 11 runs driven in, 15 runs scored, two walks, and 39 strikeouts across 32 games spanning 109 trips to the plate. He then made his first Opening Day roster the following spring, but the offensive struggles continued.

In 44 games with the White Sox last year, Gonzalez produced a .194/.208/.376 slash line with four doubles, two triples, three home runs, 14 RBIs, 11 runs scored, seven stolen bases, two walks, and 36 strikeouts over 97 plate appearances. He was sidelined with right shoulder inflammation for most of May and was then placed on the 10-day injured list on June 19 for the very same reason.

After being transferred to the 60-day injured list in early July, Gonzalez underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder over the All-Star break. The White Sox were optimistic that Gonzalez would be ready for the start of spring training, but that procedure effectively ended his tenure with the only organization he had known before being scooped up by the Red Sox last month.

All told, Gonzalez is a lifetime .222/.239/.361 hitter with 11 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 27 RBIs, 30 runs scored, seven stolen bases, five walks, and 86 strikeouts in 86 career big-league games from 2021-2023. Defensively, the 6-foot-1, 215-pounder saw playing time at six different positions (second base, third base, shortstop, left field, center field, and right field) in his three seasons with the White Sox. As a second baseman (his primary spot in that span), he has been worth one out above average over 417 2/3 innings.

Equipped with raw power, speed, and positional versatility, Gonzalez profiles as an intriguing pick-up with some upside who could benefit from a change of scenery. His injury history and propensity to strike out at high rates are concerning, but he has minor-league options remaining.

Assuming he stays healthy, Gonzalez should have a chance to compete with the likes of Bobby Dalbec and Pablo Reyes for spot on the Red Sox’ Opening Day roster as a utility man who can come off the bench when needed. If that does not come to fruition, Gonzalez figures to provide Boston with depth at Triple-A Worcester to begin the 2024 campaign.

(Picture of Romy Gonzalez: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

How did versatile Red Sox prospect Tyler McDonough fare in 2023?

There is a case to be made that versatile Red Sox prospect Tyler McDonough got better as the year went on in 2023.

After spending the entirety of his first full professional season at High-A Greenville, McDonough graduated to the upper-minors by breaking camp with Double-A Portland last spring. The 24-year-old struggled out of the gate, slashing just .200/.287/.297 through his first 42 games (168 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs.

In the midst of a 2-for-23 (.087) skid that dated back to late May, McDonough broke out for two hits and two RBIs as part of a 9-1 win over the Binghamton Rumble Ponies on June 17. The switch-hitter proceeded to end the month of June on a relatively high note before making a brief one-game cameo with Triple-A Worcester after the calendar flipped to July.

At that point in time, the WooSox found themselves in need of infield depth, and so McDonough spent about a week with the affiliate during their road trip in Buffalo. He made his Triple-A debut against the Bisons on July 3 and went 0-for-3 while serving as Worcester’s starting third baseman.

Shortly after the WooSox returned home from that trip, McDonough was sent back down to Portland. He returned to the Sea Dogs’ lineup on July 5 and began to pick things up offensively from that point forward. Over the next two-plus months, McDonough batted a solid .286/.354/.429 with seven doubles, three triples, three home runs, 16 RBIs, 28 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 18 walks, and 43 strikeouts in 50 games (177 plate appearances) through the end of the Eastern League regular season.

With Portland done for the year, McDonough again made the jump to Worcester and joined the WooSox for their final series of the season in Lehigh Valley. He got into three of six possible games and went 3-for-9 (.333) with a double, a triple, a run scored, a walk, and three strikeouts.

Altogether, McDonough slashed .250/.325/.375 with 16 doubles, five triples, five homers, 35 runs driven in, 51 runs scored, 24 stolen bases, 36 walks, and 100 strikeouts in 101 total games (379 plate appearances) between Portland and Worcester last season. While those numbers may not necessarily be eye-opening, it is worth mentioning that — after his second stint with the Sea Dogs commenced in early July — McDonough hit a more respectable .288/.357/.442 over his final 53 games (188 plate appearances) of the year.

Among the 27 Red Sox minor-leaguers who made at least 350 trips to the plate in 2023, McDonough ranked seventh in stolen bases, third in speed score (8.1), sixth in wSB (1.0), ninth in line-drive rate (21 percent), and 12th in swinging-strike rate (11.3 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, McDonough started games at six different positions last year. In total, the 5-foot-8, 180-pounder logged 135 innings at second base, 16 innings at third base, 195 innings at shortstop, 49 innings in center field, 316 innings in left field, and 129 innings in right field. He recorded a team-high six outfield assists while with the Sea Dogs and was used strictly as an infielder by the WooSox.

Though it initially appeared as if McDonough’s season ended in September, he was actually a late addition to the group of prospects the Red Sox sent out west to play in the Arizona Fall League. He effectively took the place of infielder Brainer Bonaci, who was placed on the restricted list in October for violating MLB’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse policy, but certainly made the most of the opportunity.

In 16 games with the Glendale Desert Dogs, McDonough batted .254/.366/.424 with four doubles, two home runs, six RBIs, 11 runs scored, five stolen bases, 11 walks, and 17 strikeouts over 71 plate appearances while seeing playing time at second base, shortstop, and left field.

In its entirety, the 2023 season was an eventful one for McDonough, who was originally selected by the Red Sox in the third round (75th overall pick) of the 2021 amateur draft out of North Carolina State. The Ohio native signed with the club for an under-slot $828,600 and was viewed by outlets like Baseball America as “perhaps the most polished player drafted” by Boston that year.

After putting forth a strong debut season (.884 OPS) in a 31-game sample between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem in 2021, however, McDonough has struggled to reach that same level of success in recent years. He was able to take a step forward last year after posting a .667 OPS in 114 games with Greenville in 2022, so that represents a positive development.

McDonough, who turns 25 in April, comes into 2024 ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 43 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He is currently projected by the site to return to Portland for the start of the upcoming minor-league season, though it would not be surprising if he were to make his way back to Worcester at some point given his speed and versatility.

With that being said, McDonough can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time in his career next winter if the Red Sox do not add him to their 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November. As such, McDonough has the opportunity to elevate his profile over these next seven or so months.

(Picture of Tyler McDonough: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Who is newest Red Sox pitching prospect David Sandlin?

The Red Sox added to their breadth of pitching prospects on Saturday by acquiring right-hander David Sandlin from the Royals in exchange for veteran reliever John Schreiber.

Sandlin, who turns 23 next week, was originally selected by the Royals in the 11th round of the 2022 amateur draft out of Oklahoma. The former Sooner was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 242 prospect in his class and received a $397,500 signing bonus from Kansas City.

After officially putting pen to paper, Sandlin made his professional debut in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League that August. The righty got the start against ACL Diamondbacks Red on a balmy Monday evening in Surprise and gave up just one hit and no walks with three strikeouts over two scoreless innings of work.

That would prove to be Sandlin’s lone outing with a Royals affiliate in 2022, which is understandable since he had just tossed 66 2/3 innings while helping Oklahoma make it to the College World Series earlier in the spring. Despite the lack of experience, though, the Sooner State native enjoyed a relatively productive first full season of pro ball in 2023.

Sandlin spent most of last year with Low-A Columbia, posting a 3.38 ERA and 3.45 FIP with 79 strikeouts to 13 walks in 12 starts (58 2/3 innings) for the Fireflies. He faced Boston’s Carolina League affiliate, the Salem Red Sox, two times during that stretch and went a season-high seven innings without giving up a run against them on June 9.

Shortly thereafter, Sandlin earned a promotion to High-A Quad Cities. Unfortunately, he made just two starts for the River Bandits — allowing a total of four earned runs with eight strikeouts to five walks over eight innings — before hitting the injured list in early July. That is where he would spend the rest of the season, as he was ultimately shut down due to an oblique strain.

All told, Sandlin went 4-2 with a 3.51 ERA (3.68 FIP) and 87 strikeouts to 18 walks in 14 starts (66 2/3 innings) between Columbia and Quad Cities last season. Among those in the Royals organization who also eclipsed the 60-inning threshold in 2023, Sandlin ranked fifth in strikeouts per nine innings (11.74), seventh in walks per nine innings (2.43), first in strikeout rate (32.1 percent), seventh in walk rate (6.6 percent), eighth in WHIP (1.21), fifth in swinging-strike rate (14.5 percent), eighth in ERA, 11th in FIP, and first in xFIP (2.86), per FanGraphs.

On the heels of that solid showing, Sandlin had been regarded by Baseball America as the No. 20 prospect in Kansas City’s farm system heading into 2024. He was also identified as a potential sleeper candidate “who could take a jump forward” this year.

Standing at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Sandlin operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a mid-90s fastball that touches 97 mph, a mid-80s slider with horizontal break and high spin rate, a low-80s curveball with bite, and a changeup that breaks like a splitter, according to his Baseball America scouting report.

When speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith and MLB.com’s Ian Browne) at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers on Saturday, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow indicated that Sandlin’s velocity has increased significantly since entering the pro ranks, as he previously pitched in the low-90s while in college but has since been able to reach 98-99 mph with his heater.

“He has a good breaking ball and a change that we see room to optimize,” Breslow explained. “So it was a combination of kind of raw stuff, projection and a chance to maybe tweak the usage a little bit and improve performance.”

In light of any possible injury concerns, Breslow said that Sandlin is now “fully ramped up” for spring training and will report to minor-league camp at the Fenway South complex in the coming days. If all goes well, he will likely start the 2024 campaign with High-A Greenville.

(Picture of David Sandlin: Bob Levey/Getty Images)

Why rising Red Sox prospect Yoeilin Cespedes figures to make stateside debut earlier than originally expected

Thanks to a scheduling update, one of the top prospects in the Red Sox farm system will likely make his stateside debut a little earlier than expected later this year.

Infielder Yoeilin Cespedes, who enjoyed a strong debut season in the Dominican Summer League last year, is expected to make the jump to the Florida Complex League in 2024.

In years past, the rookie-level Florida and Arizona Complex Leagues typically get underway in early June and wrap up in late August. As Baseball America’s JJ Cooper reported on Tuesday, though, both complex league seasons this year will begin on May 4 and finish on July 25.

According to Cooper, all 30 big-league clubs “discussed changes to the complex leagues with MLB all last season. Farm directors voted to move the season up after considering multiple proposals for different tweaks. In the end, the decision changes the leagues from ones heavily populated by new draftees to ones that will largely be filled with players making the jump from the Dominican Summer League.”

Cespedes, Boston’s top international signee out of the Dominican Republic in 2023, fits that description. After putting pen to paper and receiving a lucrative $1.4 million bonus, the Azua native made his professional debut for DSL Red Sox Blue last June and proceeded to put up impressive numbers at the plate.

In 46 games with Blue last season, Cespedes slashed a stout .346/.392/.560 with a team-high 15 doubles, four triples, six home runs, 38 RBIs, 37 runs scored, one stolen base, 14 walks, and 24 strikeouts over 209 plate appearances. The right-handed hitting 18-year-old earned DSL All-Star honors in July and was named the Red Sox’ Latin Program Position Player of the Year in September.

Among the 66 DSL hitters who made at least 200 trips to the plate in 2023, Cespedes ranked sixth in strikeout rate (11.5 percent), third in batting average, 27th in on-base percentage, fifth in slugging percentage, seventh in OPS (.953), eighth in isolated power (.215), first in line-drive rate (28.3 percent), 21st in swinging-strike rate (21.6 percent), and ninth in wRC+ (145), per FanGraphs.

“He’s put up some numbers we haven’t seen very much from that level,” Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero said of Cespedes when speaking with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith last July. “Obviously the numbers down there speak for themselves. A lot of contact. A lot of hard contact. I think he’s working on being a little bit more patient at the plate.

“He’s not pull-oriented,” added Romero. “He uses the whole field. He hits the ball hard everywhere. And he hits the ball hard to a lot of quadrants that are pitched to him too, which is good. He doesn’t strike out much. He makes a lot of contact. There’s a lot of good, positive indicators there.”

Defensively, Cespedes saw all of his playing time on the infield dirt last season come at shortstop. The projectable 5-foot-9, 181-pounder logged a team-high 294 innings at short and committed seven errors in 139 chances, which translates to a .950 fielding percentage. He also helped turn 14 double plays.

“He’s become a lot more fundamentally sound,” said Romero, referencing how Cespedes improved on the defensive side of things as the year progressed. “In his base, being more flexible, being more athletic. He’s always had the arm strength. For us, it was working on his range, working on his first step, his agility side to side.”

Coming into the spring, Cespedes is now regarded by Baseball America as the No. 10 prospect in Boston’s farm system, up 14 spots from where he was a year ago. He also received at least one vote to be included in BA’s 2024 preseason top 100 list, which was released last month.

Elsewhere, Keith Law of The Athletic recently tabbed Cespedes as his eighth-ranked Red Sox prospect heading into the 2024 season. Law wrote on Monday that Cespedes, his sleeper pick, could be Boston’s “next superstar hitting prospect if what we saw in the DSL carries over to the US.”

With the 2024 FCL campaign set to begin and end a month earlier than before, Cespedes should have an opportunity to make it to Low-A Salem for what would be his full-season debut well before his 19th birthday in September. There could be some struggles along the way, but Cespedes undoubtedly has tantalizing potential at this early stage in his career.

(Picture of Yoeilin Cespedes: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)