Tag: prospects

Red Sox prospects Mikey Romero, Yordanny Monegro recognized as South Atlantic League Player, Pitcher of the Week

Red Sox prospects (and High-A Greenville teammates) Mikey Romero and Yordanny Monegro have been named the South Atlantic League Player and Pitcher of the Week for the week of July 29-August 4, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Romero, Baseball America’s 14th-ranked Red Sox prospect, enjoyed a productive week at the plate in Greenville’s last series against the Wilmington Blue Rocks. The left-handed hitter appeared in five of the six games at Fluor Field, going 12-for-25 (.480) with two doubles, three home runs, 11 RBIs, five runs scored, one walk, and four strikeouts.

After stroking two singles on Tuesday, Romero recorded his third and final multi-homer game of July as part of a four-hit effort on Wednesday. The 20-year-old got Thursday off, then closed out the series by picking up six more hits and collecting six more RBIs over the weekend. He went deep yet again in Sunday’s series finale.

Romero, the 24th overall pick in the 2022 draft, opened his second full season in pro ball on the injured list as he continued to work his way back from a back issue that shut him down last August. The Orange Lutheran High School (Orange, Calif.) product completed a three-game rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League before rejoining Greenville in mid-May. He initially got off to a slow start in his second stint with the Drive but started to turn a corner after the calendar flipped from June to July.

In his last 22 games dating back to July 1, Romero is batting .357/.387/.745 with 12 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 25 RBIs, 20 runs scored, one stolen base, five walks, and 17 strikeouts over 106 plate appearances. On the 2024 campaign as a whole, he is slashing .281/.324/.534 with 18 doubles, four triples, 10 homers, 36 runs driven in, 36 runs scored, one stolen base, 12 walks, and 46 strikeouts in 50 games (238 plate appearances) for Greenville.

On the other side of the ball, Romero has seen the majority of his playing time with the Drive this season come in the middle infield. The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder has logged 258 2/3 innings at shortstop and 116 innings at second base, committing eight errors in 146 total defensive chances. He has also started seven games at DH.

Monegro, meanwhile, put together his best start of the season to date in Thursday’s 4-0 shutout win over Wilmington. The 21-year-old right-hander tossed the first five innings of a combined no-hitter, striking out six without issuing a walk, though he did plunk one batter. He finished with 64 pitches (39 strikes) and induced 12 swings-and-misses. Cooper Adams and Isaac Stebens combined for four more no-hit frames to seal Greenville’s second no-no of the year.

In a similar fashion to Romero, Monegro also began 2024 on the injured list after experiencing weakness in his pitching shoulder. He, too, rehabbed in the Florida Complex League before returning to the mound for Greenville in early June. With Thursday’s stellar outing, the righty extended his scoreless innings streak to 19 dating back to July 14. Overall, he has forged a 3.95 ERA (4.77 FIP) with 49 strikeouts to 17 walks in 10 appearances (nine starts) spanning 41 innings for the Drive this season. Opponents have batted .216 against him.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Monegro originally signed with the Red Sox for $35,000 as an international free agent coming out of Santo Domingo in February 2020. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound righty operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a mid-90s fastball that touches 96 mph, an upper-70s curveball, a mid-80s slider, and an upper-80s split-change. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 27 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks 12th among pitchers in the organization.

(Picture of Mikey Romero: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox promote versatile prospect Andy Lugo to High-A Greenville

The Red Sox have promoted versatile prospect Andy Lugo from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville, according to the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Lugo, a right-handed hitting 20-year-old, batted .271/.337/.388 with 24 doubles, one triple, two home runs, 32 RBIs, 37 runs scored, 23 stolen bases, 20 walks, and 64 strikeouts in 77 games (300 plate appearances) for Salem this season. That includes a .306/.306/.431 slash line in the month of July.

Among 67 qualified Carolina League hitters coming into play on Thursday, Lugo is tied for first in doubles. He also ranks seventh in line-drive rate (27.8 percent), 12th in batting average, 21st in slugging percentage and OPS (.725), 22nd in strikeout rate (21.3 percent) and swinging-strike rate (11.3 percent), 23rd in wRC+ (115), 28th in on-base percentage, and 31st in isolated power (.117), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Lugo made at least one start at every position besides pitcher, catcher, shortstop, and center field while with Salem. The 6-foot, 160-pounder logged 108 innings at first base, 59 innings at second base, 78 innings at third base, 244 1/3 innings in left field, and 163 innings in right field. He recorded six outfield assists in that span.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Lugo originally signed with the Red Sox for just $10,000 as an international free agent coming out of San Cristobal in July 2021. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League the following June and was named the organization’s 2022 Latin Program Position Player of the Year after batting .318/.368/.414 in 56 games. He then missed the entire 2023 season with a quad strain.

Lugo, who does not turn 21 until next March, is not currently ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com. He figures to provide Greenville with more depth in the infield and outfield after infielder Ahbram Liendo was promoted to Double-A Portland on Thursday.

(Picture of Andy Lugo: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer placed on Double-A Portland’s 7-day injured list

Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer has been placed on Double-A Portland’s 7-day injured list, per the club’s MiLB.com transactions log.

Mayer was removed in the third inning of Portland’s game against Erie on Tuesday and was also absent from Wednesday’s lineup. The 21-year-old shortstop is dealing with hip irritation but is not expected to be sidelined for long, according to The Boston Herald’s Mac Cerullo.

Mayer, who is currently ranked by Baseball America as the No. 1 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 10 prospect in the sport, is enjoying a bounceback season with Portland after being shut down with a left shoulder impingement last summer. In 77 games for the Sea Dogs, the left-handed hitter has batted .307/.370/.480 with 28 doubles, eight home runs, 38 RBIs, 60 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 30 walks, and 66 strikeouts over 335 plate appearances.

Defensively, Mayer has unsurprisingly seen the majority of his playing time this season come at shortstop. The 6-foot-3, 188-pounder has logged 543 innings at short for Portland, committing 10 errors in 212 chances. He has also started one game at third base and nine at DH.

Originally selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft out of Eastlake High School (Chula Vista, Calif.), Mayer joined Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts as the only Red Sox position prospects to be take part in multiple All-Star Futures Games when he suited up for the American League at Globe Life Field in Arlinton, Texas last month.

Mayer, who does not turn 22 until December, was expected to be promoted to Triple-A Worcester alongside fellow “Big Three” prospects Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel in the very near future. He will now have to wait a little bit longer for that promotion since he is not eligible to be activated from the injured list until next Thursday, August 8, at the earliest.

With Mayer on the shelf for the time being, infielder Ahbram Liendo was promoted from High-A Greenville to Portland on Thursday. The 20-year-old Venezuelan has slashed .204/.300/.271 with four doubles, three triples, three home runs, 25 RBIs, 32 runs scored, 24 stolen bases, 38 walks, and 125 strikeouts in 76 games (323 plate appearances) for the Drive this season. He has made 26 starts at second base, 39 starts at third base, and 10 starts at shortstop.

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Red Sox promote infield prospect Luis Ravelo to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox have promoted infield prospect Luis Ravelo from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Beyond the Monster’s Hunter Noll.

Ravelo enjoyed a strong month of July for Greenville. The switch-hitting 20-year-old batted .357/.433/.446 with two doubles, one home run, 11 RBIs, nine runs scored, nine walks, and 13 strikeouts in 17 games (67 plate appearances). He is slashing .232/.314/.327 with 12 doubles, one triple, four homers, 30 runs driven in, 28 runs scored, one stolen base, 29 walks, and 72 strikeouts over 75 games (309 plate appearances) on the season as a whole.

Defensively, Ravelo has seen all of his playing time on the field this year come at either second base or shortstop. The 6-foot-1, 187-pounder logged 261 1/3 innings at second and 350 1/3 innings at short with the Drive, committing 13 errors in 231 total chances. He also started five games at DH and has past experience at third base.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Ravelo originally signed with Boston for $545,000 as an international free agent coming out of Santo Domingo in January 2021. The Red Sox, according to Baseball America, “were drawn to Ravelo as “a defensive magician whose lightning hands created a number of did-you-see-that double takes at shortstop.”

After making his professional debut in the 2021 Dominican Summer League, Ravelo split the 2022 campaign between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem. He entered 2023 ranked by Baseball America as the No. 30 prospect in Boston’s farm system and spent the entire year with Salem, batting .217/.311/.303 with 15 doubles, six home runs, and 47 RBIs in 108 games.

Ravelo, who turns 21 in November, is not currently ranked among the Red Sox’ top 30 prospects by Baseball America. He profiles as a glove-first infielder who still has plenty of room to grow offensively, particularly when hitting from the right side of the plate. With that said, he is slated to bat ninth and start at second base for Portland against Erie at Hadlock Field on Wednesday night.

In addition to elevating Ravelo, the Red Sox promoted four other infielders on Wednesday. Nick Sogard was called up from Triple-A Worcester to Boston for his first major-league stint, Tyler McDonough was called up from Portland to Worcester to take Sogard’s place, Fraymi De Leon was called up from Salem to Greenville to take Ravelo’s place, and Kelvin Diaz was called up from the Florida Complex League to Salem to take De Leon’s place.

(Picture of Luis Ravelo: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Which four prospects did Red Sox trade to Angels for Luis García?

The Red Sox closed out the 2024 trade deadline by dealing four more prospects to the Angels for veteran reliever Luis Garcia on Tuesday night.

In exchange for Garcia, who will be eligible for free agency at the end of the season, Boston sent a quartet of minor-leaguers in outfielder Matthew Lugo, first baseman Niko Kavadas, and right-handers Ryan Zeferjahn and Yeferson Vargas to Los Angeles, per a club announcement.

Lugo, 23, was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 23 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The right-handed hitter batted .250/.340/.452 with 10 doubles, five home runs, 19 RBIs, 21 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 12 walks, and 38 strikeouts in 35 games (141 plate appearances) for Triple-A Worcester this season after being promoted from Double-A Portland in early June.

A native of Puerto Rico, Lugo was selected by the Red Sox in the second round of the 2019 amateur draft out of Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder rose originally through the ranks as an infielder but has since transitioned to becoming a full-time outfielder. Between Portland and Worcester this season, he started 55 games in left field, 15 in right field, and one in center field.

Kavadas, 25, was taken by the Red Sox in the 11th round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Notre Dame. The left-handed hitting slugger had spent all of 2023 with Worcester, batting .281/.424/.551 with 20 doubles, 17 homers, 63 RBIs, 57 runs scored, 58 walks, and 112 strikeouts over 83 games (335 plate appearances). That includes a .300/.447/.595 slash line against right-handed pitching and a less favorable .233/.360/.438 slash line against lefties.

In addition to the rough platoon splits, Kavadas has struggled against breaking pitches and is limited in what he can do defensively. With the WooSox this season, for instance, the 6-foot-1, 235-pounder made 53 of his 81 starts at first base and the other 28 at DH. As such, he profiles as a potential three-true-outcomes bench bat at the next level.

Zeferjahn, 26, was selected in the third round of the 2019 amateur draft out of Kanas. The hard-throwing righty originally came up as a starter but has since moved to the bullpen. He allowed just two unearned runs with 22 strikeouts to three walks in his first seven relief appearances (13 2/3 innings) of the season for Portland before earning a promotion to Worcester in early May.

With the WooSox, however, Zeferjahn struggled to a 5.47 ERA (5.37 FIP) with 31 strikeouts to 17 walks over 19 outings (24 2/3 innings). The 6-foot-5, 209-pound hurler has sat between 96-98 mph and topped out at 100 mph with his fastball this season. He also features an 88-92 mph slider and 84-87 mph curveball, as noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report.

Vargas, who turns 20 this weekend, signed with the Red Sox for $10,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in December 2022. After making his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last year, the San Pedro de Macoris native opened this season in the Florida Complex League. He forged a 3.13 ERA and 4.58 FIP with 29 strikeouts to 13 walks in 10 appearances (three starts) spanning 31 2/3 innings for Boston’s FCL affiliate before making the jump to Low-A Salem a few days ago.

In his full-season debut against the Carolina Mudcats last Friday, Vargas struck out five and walked two while allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits over four innings. The 6-foot, 177-pound righty threw 62 pitches (39 strikes) and elicited 10 swings-and-misses, per Baseball Savant. Earlier this month, FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen wrote that Vargas averaged 95-96 mph and touched 98 mph with his fastball during a June outing. He also mixed in an 81-84 mph curveball.

As is the case with Nick Yorke (who was traded to the Pirates for Quinn Priester) and Eddinson Paulino (one of three minor-leaguers dealt to the Blue Jays for Danny Jansen), Lugo, Kavadas, and Zeferjahn can all become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if they are not added to their respective clubs’ 40-man rosters.

Vargas, on the other hand, joins the likes of Ovis Portes and Gilberto Batista as young pitching prospects Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Co. traded away to address other areas of need. Portes was dealt to the Reds for reliever Lucas Sims while Batista was part of the package that went to the Blue Jays for Jansen.

(Picture of Luis Garcia: John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox trade breakout pitching prospect Ovis Portes to Reds for bullpen help

The Red Sox parted ways with a promising young pitching prospect to upgrade their bullpen depth in a trade with the Reds on Tuesday afternoon.

In exchange for reliever Lucas Sims, who is eligible for free agency this winter, Boston dealt right-hander Ovis Portes to Cincinnati, per a club announcement. Injured left-hander Brandon Walter was also designated for assignment to make room for Sims on the Red Sox’ 40-man roster.

Portes was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 29 prospect in Boston’s farm system, ranking 10th among pitchers in the organization. The 19-year-old hurler broke onto the scene this season after posting a 2.12 ERA (3.12 FIP) with 41 strikeouts to 19 walks in 11 appearances (five starts) spanning 34 innings between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem.

A native of Antigua and Barbuda, Portes originally signed with the Red Sox for $25,000 as an international free agent in March 2022. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League that June and repeated the level last year, though he was limited to just four outings in which he put up underwhelming results.

Portes broke camp this past spring with the rookie-level FCL Red Sox and strung together four straight scoreless appearances (13 innings) before earning a promotion to Salem in early June. He then pitched to a 3.43 ERA (3.64 FIP) with 25 strikeouts to 15 walks in seven outings (five starts) and 21 innings for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate. Opposing hitters batted .213 against him.

Standing at 6-foot-4 and 167 pounds, Portes throws from a three-quarters arm slot. The projectable righty has been sitting between 94-96 mph and topping out at 98 mph with his four-seam fastball this season while also mixing in a low-80s slider and mid-80s changeup, per his Baseball America scouting report.

Portes, who does not turn 20 until December, has been assigned to the Reds’ Low-A affiliate in Daytona, Fla. It remains to be seen if Cincinnati plans on developing Portes as a starter or reliever, but he nonetheless possesses intriguing potential at this stage in his career.

(Picture of Ovis Portes: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox trade prospect Nick Yorke to Pirates in swap of former first-round picks

The Red Sox once again dipped into their middle infield depth in order to complete a trade with the Pirates on Monday afternoon.

In exchange for right-hander Quinn Priester, Boston traded infield prospect Nick Yorke to Pittsburgh. Yorke becomes the third young infielder to be dealt by the Red Sox in the last three days, joining Eddinson Paulino and Cutter Coffey, who were shipped off to the Blue Jays alongside righty Gilberto Batista for catcher Danny Jansen on Saturday.

Yorke, 22, entered Monday ranked by Baseball America as the No. 14 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The right-handed hitter had batted .310/.408/.490 with eight doubles, six home runs, 19 RBIs, 32 runs scored, six stolen bases, 24 walks, and 32 strikeouts in 38 games (169 plate appearances) for Triple-A Worcester this season after earning a promotion from Double-A Portland in early June.

“He had a great season,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Yorke when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith). “He’s a good player but obviously where we’re at roster-wise and within the organization, it’s something we have to take advantage of in a sense.”

Yorke was originally selected by the Red Sox with the 17th overall pick in the COVID-shortened 2020 draft out of Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif. The Newport Beach native forwent his commitment to the University of Arizona by signing with Boston for $2.7 million. He made his professional debut the following May and burst onto the scene by slashing .325/.412/.516 with 20 doubles, 14 home runs, and 62 RBIs in 97 games (442 plate appearances) between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville as a 19-year-old in 2021.

After being recognized as the organization’s Minor League Offensive Player of the Year, Yorke came into the 2022 campaign ranked by Baseball America as the No. 31 prospect in the entire sport. However, due to injuries to his toe, back, and wrist, he was limited to just 80 games with Greenville and batted .232/.303/.365 over 373 plate appearances. He subsequently dropped from BA’s top-100 list but had a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League. He then bounced back to the tune of a .268/.350/.435 slash line in 110 games (506 plate appearances) for Portland in 2023 while playing in the All-Star Futures Game and being named the Sea Dogs’ Most Valuable Player.

Yorke somewhat surprisingly returned to Portland for the start of the 2024 season and batted .251/.325/.366 in 45 games (197 plate appearances) out of the gate. While a .691 OPS is far from eye-popping, Yorke made strides in terms of his swing decisions and hard-hit rate, which led to him making the jump to Worcester on June 5.

In addition to what he did offensively between Portland and Worcester this season, Yorke also played the outfield for the first time in his professional career. Traditionally a second baseman, the 6-foot, 200-pounder made 11 starts in left field for the Sea Dogs and 15 starts in left field with the WooSox, mainly in deference to the rehabbing Vaughn Grissom.

With the likes of Grissom, David Hamilton, Enmanuel Valdez, Chase Meidroth, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell making up a crowded middle infield mix in the upper minors for the Red Sox, Yorke became expendable. The Red Sox took advantage of that and improved an area of weakness (pitching depth) by trading Yorke to the Pirates for Priester.

“In Quinn, we see a young starting pitcher with a ton of potential,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow told MLB.com’s Ian Browne. “He throws strikes and misses and keeps the ball on the ground, which is a good place to start when seeking rotation pieces. It hurts to give up a player as talented as Nick, but we saw upper-level middle infielders as an area where we have a lot of good players.”

Yorke, who does not turn 23 until next April, will report to the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis, Ind. If he is not called up for his major-league debut by the end of the season, he will need to be added to Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster this winter in order to receive protection from the Rule 5 Draft.

(Picture of Nick Yorke: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox prospect Frederik Jimenez named Florida Complex League Player of the Week

Red Sox first base prospect Frederik Jimenez has been named the Florida Complex League Player of the Week for the week of July 22-28, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

In three games for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox last week, Jimenez went 4-for-9 (.444) with two doubles, one triple, one home run, three RBIs, two runs scored, two walks, and one strikeout. The switch-hitting 19-year-old homered and doubled twice on Monday, drew two walks on Tuesday, and tripled in Thursday’s regular-season finale against the FCL Rays at JetBlue Park.

On the 2024 campaign as a whole, Jimenez batted .308/.404/.500 with five doubles, two triples, two home runs, 17 RBIs, 18 runs scored, six stolen bases, 12 walks, and 22 strikeouts in 29 games (94 plate appearances) for the FCL Red Sox. Among the 154 FCL hitters who made at least 90 trips to the plate in 2024, Jimenez ranked 17th in batting average, 34th in on-base percentage, 13th in slugging percentage and isolated power (.192), 18th in OPS (.904), and 20th in wRC+ (142), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Jimenez saw the majority of his playing time this season come at first base. The 6-foot-3, 178-pounder logged 133 innings at first, committing one error in 121 chances. He also appeared in one game as a catcher after making eight starts behind the plate as part of his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last year.

A native of the Dominican Republic himself, Jimenez signed with the Red Sox for $10,000 as an international free agent coming out of Sabana Grande de Boya in December 2022. He is not currently ranked among the top 60 prospects in Boston’s farm system by SoxProspects.com.

It remains to be seen if Jimenez, who turns 20 in November, will be making the jump to Low-A Salem before the end of the minor-league season. Assuming he remains in the organization through the winter, that is likely where he will be for the start of 2025.

(Picture of Frederik Jimenez: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Which three prospects did Red Sox trade to Blue Jays for Danny Jansen?

The Red Sox traded three prospects in order to acquire veteran catcher Danny Jansen from the Blue Jays on Saturday night.

In exchange for Jansen, who is slated to reach free agency at the end of the season, Boston dealt minor-league infielders Cutter Coffey and Eddinson Paulino and minor-league right-hander Gilberto Batista to Toronto, per a club announcement.

To make room for Jansen on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox designated righty Alex Speas for assignment. They will need to make another move before adding the 29-year-old backstop to the major-league roster.

Coffey, 20, was ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 28 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The California native was originally selected by the Red Sox with the 41st overall pick in the 2022 amateur draft out of Liberty High School in Bakersfield. He forewent his commitment to the University of Texas by signing for $1.8475 million.

After making his professional debut in the rookie-level Florida Complex League, Coffey split his first full season between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville. The right-handed hitter returned to Greenville for the start of the 2024 campaign and batted .238/.321/.463 with 12 doubles, 14 home runs, 46 RBIs, 39 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 28 walks, and 65 strikeouts in 61 games (271 plate appearances) with the Drive.

Coffey enjoyed a strong month of June, batting .300/.391/.638 in 22 games after returning from a concussion. During that stretch, he became the first player in Drive history to homer in six consecutive games (June 9-15). Since the calendar flipped to July, though, he has struggled to a .191/.286/.338 slash line with four doubles, two home runs, eight RBIs, eight runs scored, two stolen bases, nine walks, and 20 strikeouts over his last 17 games.

Defensively, Coffey has seen the majority of his playing time this season come on the left side of the infield. With Greenville, the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder made 31 starts at third base and 21 starts at shortstop, committing 19 errors in 150 total chances between the two positions. He also started two games at second base and seven games at DH.

Paulino, who turned 22 earlier this month, was ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 15 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The Dominican Republic native originally signed with the Red Sox for $205,000 as an international free agent coming out of Santiago on his 16th birthday in July 2018. He can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if he is not added to Toronto’s 40-man roster.

After spending the entirety of the 2023 campaign at Greenville, Paulino broke camp with Double-A Portland this spring. The left-handed hitter has not played since being placed on the Sea Dogs’ injured list on July 13. He nevertheless batted .263/.349/.391 with 16 doubles, three triples, three home runs, 35 RBIs, 33 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, 29 walks, and 60 strikeouts in 69 games (278 plate appearances) for Boston’s Eastern League affiliate.

On the other side of the ball, Paulino logged innings at every infield position besides first base in his time with Portland. The 5-foot-10, 155-pounder made 34 starts at third base, 20 at second base, and 11 at shortstop, committing 11 errors in 192 total defensive chances. He also made one start at DH and has past experience in the outfield.

Batista, 19, was not ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com. The Dominican-born right-hander originally signed with the Red Sox for $10,000 as an international free agent in November 2022. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last June and was recognized as the organization’s 2023 Minor League Latin Program Pitcher of the Year.

Listed at 6-foot and 165 pounds, Batista posted a 3.92 ERA and 3.51 FIP with 23 strikeouts to 13 walks in eight appearances (five starts) spanning 20 2/3 innings for the FCL Red Sox this season. Opposing hitters batted .220 against Batista, who reportedly sits between 93-95 mph with his fastball and features a slider. He was promoted to Salem earlier this week but had not yet appeared in a game for the Carolina League affiliate leading up to Saturday’s trade.

(Picture of Cutter Coffey: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Who is Moises Bolivar? Red Sox traded infielder who can ‘hit the ball with authority’ to Dodgers for James Paxton

The Red Sox dipped into their 2024 international signing class in order to complete a trade with the Dodgers on Friday afternoon.

In exchange for bringing back veteran left-hander James Paxton, who was designated for assignment on Monday, Boston dealt minor-league infielder Moises Bolivar to Los Angeles, per a club announcement.

Bolivar, who turned 17 earlier this month, is in the middle of his first professional season in the Dominican Summer League after signing with the Red Sox as an international free agent in January. The native Venezuelan received a modest $25,000 bonus and was not viewed by publications such as SoxProspects.com as one of the top-ranked prospects in Boston’s farm system.

A right-handed hitter, Bolivar batted .270/.364/.423 with six doubles, one triple, three home runs, 19 RBIs, 17 runs scored, one stolen base, 17 walks, and 21 strikeouts in 31 games (132 plate appearances) for DSL Red Sox Blue. He clubbed a walk-off homer in his penultimate game with the rookie-level affiliate on Wednesday.

Among the 82 Dominican Summer League hitters who entered Friday with at least 130 plate appearances this season, Bolivar ranked 29th in strikeout rate (15.9 percent), 40th in batting average, 28th in slugging percentage, 42nd in OPS (.787), 25th in isolated power (.153), and 43rd in swinging-strike rate (24.5 percent), according to FanGraphs.

When asked by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier for a brief assessment of Bolivar, one evaluator “praised his high contact rate and ability to hit the ball with authority.” SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall added that Bolivar is aggressive at the plate but has “solid contact skills” and “rarely whiffs on pitches in the zone.”

On the other side of the ball, Bolivar served as DSL Red Sox Blue’s primary third baseman. The 6-foot, 175-pounder made 23 starts at the hot corner, committing 10 errors in 68 defensive chances over 187 2/3 innings. He also started three games at first base and five at DH.

Since the trade is official, the Dodgers have assigned Bolivar to one of their two Dominican Summer League affiliates (DSL LAD Mega). The Red Sox, meanwhile, transferred injured right-hander Bryan Mata to the 60-day injured list to make room for Paxton on the 40-man roster. They will need to make another move before adding him to the major league roster.

(Picture of James Paxton: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)