Tag: prospects

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)

Red Sox to promote prospects Franklin Arias, Juan Valera to Low-A Salem

The Red Sox are promoting infield prospect Franklin Arias and pitching prospect Juan Valera from the Florida Complex League to Low-A Salem, according to reports from The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier and SoxProspects.com.

Arias, 18, is currently ranked by Baseball America as the No. 9 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The right-handed hitter batted .355/.471/.584 with 16 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 28 RBIs, 41 runs scored, 30 stolen bases, 34 walks, and 34 strikeouts in 51 games (206 plate appearances) for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox this season.

In the month of July alone, Arias has slashed a ridiculous .482/.574/.768 with five doubles, one triple, three homers, nine RBIs, 18 runs scored, 14 stolen bases, 12 walks, and 14 strikeouts over 18 games (68 plate appearances). Among 70 qualified FCL hitters coming into play on Monday, Arias led the pack in batting average, on-base percentage, OPS (1.055), and wRC+ (180). He also ranked second in slugging percentage, fifth in isolated power (.229), 17th in walk rate (16.5 percent), and 23rd in strikeout rate (17.5 percent), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Arias has split his playing time on the field this season between shortstop and second base. The 5-foot-11, 170-pounder committed nine errors in 33 starts at short for the FCL Red Sox but did not commit an error in 10 starts at second. He also made four starts at DH.

Arias, who turns 19 in November, originally signed with the Red Sox for $525,000 as a highly-touted international free agent coming out of Venezuela in January 2023. The Caracas native made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last year and has since added to his glove-first profile by showing signs of immense improvement at the plate.

“He’s one of these guys that you can close your eyes and you know he’s going to field a ground ball,” Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham said of Arias when speaking with Speier earlier this month. “He’s a very easy plus defender, which is, I think, what’s really exciting about him. The bat has always been behind, and now the bat is starting to creep up and all of a sudden, you’re looking at a player who does a little bit of everything.”

Valera, meanwhile, is not yet ranked by Baseball America but is rated by SoxProspects.com as the No. 42 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The 18-year-old right-hander posted a 1.79 ERA and 3.29 FIP with 40 strikeouts to 14 walks in 11 appearances (nine starts) spanning 40 1/3 innings for the FCL Red Sox this season. Opposing hitters batted just .128 against him.

Dating back to the beginning of June, Valera has pitched to a 0.98 ERA (2.20 FIP) with 29 strikeouts to four walks over his last seven starts (27 2/3 innings). That includes punching out a season-high seven batters in five perfect frames against the FCL Braves last Thursday.

Among the 20 FCL pitchers who entered Monday with at least 40 innings under their belt to this point in the year, Valera ranked first in batting average against and WHIP (0.77), second in FIP, third in groundball rate (56 percent), fourth in ERA fifth in strikeout rate (26 percent), sixth in walk rate (9.1 percent) and xFIP (3.98), and eighth in swinging-strike rate (16 percent), per FanGraphs.

Valera, who turned 18 in May, originally signed with the Red Sox for $45,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in April 2023. The Sabana Grande de Palenque native appeared in 15 games (one start) as part of his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League last season but has really burst onto the scene this year.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Valera primarily operates with a 93-97 mph fastball and an 83-85 mph slider, according to his initial SoxProspects.com scouting report. The projectable righty does not yet feature a third pitch and is inconsistent when it comes to throwing strikes. Still, “he checks a lot of boxes that you look for in a pitching prospect his age.”

While Arias and Valera are getting somewhat of a head start in making the jump to Salem, others in Fort Myers will likely join them at some point in August since the 2024 FCL season will conclude on July 30 at the latest.

(Picture of Franklin Arias: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Two Red Sox prospects named Dominican Summer League All-Stars

Two young prospects have been selected to represent the Red Sox in the 2024 Dominican Summer League All-Star Game on Sunday.

First baseman/outfielder Justin Gonzales and outfielder Anderson Fermin will suit up for the American League as they go up against DSL All-Stars from the National League at the Milwaukee Brewers’ Dominican complex in Santo Domingo. First pitch is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET.

Gonzales and Fermin are two 17-year-olds who signed with Boston as international free agents back in January. The Dominican Republic natives received bonuses of $250,000 and $400,000, respectively. The former has spent his first professional season with DSL Red Sox Blue while the latter has been playing for DSL Red Sox Red.

Gonzales, a right-handed hitter, has batted .324/.402/.537 with six doubles, four triples, three home runs, 20 RBIs, 21 runs scored, three stolen bases, 13 walks, and 10 strikeouts in 30 games (122 plate appearances) for DSL Red Sox Blue. The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder has made 20 starts at first base, eight in right field, one in center field, and one at DH. He is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 55 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

According to Ben Badler of Baseball America, Gonzales — who turns 18 in December — “already has plus raw power that could end up a plus-plus tool.” He “uses the whole field, typically stays within the strike zone, and doesn’t miss much when he does swing thanks to a fairly short stroke for his size.”

Fermin, a switch-hitter, has slashed .300/.423/.336 with two doubles, one triple, 14 RBIs, 23 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, 23 walks, and 12 strikeouts in 29 games (137 plate appearances) for DSL Red Sox Red. The 5-foot-11, 174-pounder has made 24 starts in center field, four at DH, and one in left field. He is not ranked among Boston’s top 60 prospects by SoxProspects.com.

In his recent evaluation of the Red Sox farm system, FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen classified Fermin as a “compact rookie-level hitter.” He noted that Fermin, who turns 18 in September, “tracks pitches very well and has the speed to develop in center. His sweeping, downward bat path produces very little power right now.”

While Gonzales and Fermin were selected to the Dominican Summer League All-Star Game as players, DSL Red Sox Red manager Sandy Madera was named to the American League’s coaching staff under DSL Rangers Red skipper Nick Janssen.

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

Red Sox OF prospect Allan Castro makes MLB Pipeline’s Team of the Week

Red Sox outfield prospect Allan Castro made MLB Pipeline’s Team of the Week for the week of July 8-14, MLB.com revealed on Monday.

Castro, Boston’s No. 12 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, has been swinging a hot bat as of late for High-A Greenville. In last week’s series on the road against the Rome Emperors, the switch-hitting 21-year-old went 8-for-18 (.444) with four home runs, eight RBIs, seven runs scored, one walk, and five strikeouts. Three of those four homers came in a doubleheader at AdventHealth Stadium on Thursday.

After accounting for the only scoring with an early two-run double in Sunday’s win over Rome, Castro is now riding a six-game hitting streak. In 10 games this month, he has gone 14-for-39 (.359) with seven home runs. On the 2024 season as a whole, he has batted .239/.365/.434 with 16 doubles, two triples, 11 homers, 35 RBIs, 49 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 50 walks, and 75 strikeouts in 76 games (329 plate appearances) for Greenville. That includes a .233/.324/.367 slash line against left-handed pitching and a .241/.375/.453 slash line against righties.

Among 69 qualified hitters in the South Atlantic League, Castro ranks eighth in walk rate (15.2 percent), 31st in strikeout rate (22.8 percent), 10th in on-base percentage, 24th in slugging percentage, 15th in OPS (.799) and wRC+ (125), 17th in isolated power (.195), and 28th in line-drive rate (22.4 percent) and swinging-strike rate (11.3 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Castro has primarily split his playing time this season between center and right field. The 6-foot-2, 206-pounder has made a team-leading 41 starts in center for the Drive and has recorded three assists to one error in 83 defensive chances. In 22 starts as a right fielder, he has recorded two assists to zero errors over 41 chances.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Castro originally signed with the Red Sox for $100,000 as an international free agent coming out of Santo Domingo in July 2019. He did not make his professional debut until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic but was named Boston’s Latin Program Position Player of the Year that fall for his performance in the Dominican Summer League.

Since then, Castro has emerged as an intriguing prospect who has shown that he can play all three outfield positions. He can become Rule 5 eligible if he is not added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster at the end of the year, which makes him a potential candidate to be moved as part of a bigger deal ahead of the upcoming trade deadline.

Assuming he remains in the organization for the time being, though, Castro could be in line for a promotion to Double-A Portland soon. He made the jump from Salem to Greenville during last year’s All-Star break and has held his own there, so it may be time for a new challenge.

(Picture of Allan Castro: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Kyle Teel rips two doubles at All-Star Futures Game

Red Sox catching prospect Kyle Teel delivered a standout performance in the 2024 All-Star Futures Game at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on Saturday afternoon.

Teel went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles in the American League’s 6-1 loss to the National League, making him the only player on either side to record multiple hits in the seven-inning exhibition.

Representing the Red Sox alongside fellow top prospect Marcelo Mayer — who went 0-for-2 with two groundouts — in the 25th annual Futures Game, Teel entered the contest as a defensive replacement for starting catcher Samuel Basallo in the fifth inning. The 22-year-old backstop was unable to throw out Dylan Crews stealing second base in the top half of the frame but made up for it with his first plate appearance in the latter half.

With one out and the bases empty, Teel found himself matched up against Reds pitching prospect Rhett Lowder. The left-handed hitter worked a 2-2 count before barreling an 86.3 mph slider from the right-hander to deep left-center for an opposite-field double. The ball left his bat at 98.8 mph and traveled 379 feet over the outstretched glove of National League center fielder Druw Jones.

Teel advanced to third base on a fielding error but was left stranded there. He got his next opportunity with one out in the bottom of the seventh, this time pitted against another righty in the Pirates’ Bubba Chandler. Though he fell behind in the count at 1-2, Teel kept things rolling by lacing an 86.3 mph fastball down the left-field line for his second double of the day.

Teel was, yet again, left in scoring position as Chandler recorded the game’s final two outs to seal the 6-1 victory for the National League. Reds prospect Cam Collier was named Futures Game MVP after going 1-for-2 with a 409-foot solo home run.

Selected by the Red Sox with the 14th overall pick in last year’s draft out of Virginia, Teel is currently ranked by Baseball America as the No. 3 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 27 prospect in the sport. He has batted .298/.384/.455 with 16 doubles, eight home runs, 49 RBIs, 53 runs scored, six stolen bases, 33 walks, and 70 strikeouts in 65 games (294 plate appearances) for Double-A Portland to begin his first full professional season.

Defensively, Teel has unsurprisingly seen all of his playing time on the field this season come at catcher. The 6-foot, 190-pounder has logged 380 innings behind the plate for the Sea Dogs, allowing three passed balls and throwing out 11 of 64 possible base stealers in that time.

Along with Mayer and outfielder Roman Anthony, who won the inaugural Future Skills Showcase on Saturday, Teel is the third member of the Red Sox’ Big Three. The top three prospects in the organization are knocking on the door for a promotion to Triple-A Worcester but are all planning on returning to Portland after the All-Star break, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

“We still have half a season left,” Teel told Speier. “This is a really cool journey. [The Futures Game] is a little sidequest we get to do midway through our season, but we’ve still got to compete for the playoffs with the Sea Dogs. The only thing that we can really control is playing for the Sea Dogs right now. That’s it. So we want to do that the best that we can and develop the most that we can.”

(Picture of Kyle Teel: Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Red Sox top prospect Yoeilin Cespedes likely requires surgery after breaking bone in left hand

Top Red Sox prospect Yoeilin Cespedes has a broken hamate bone in his left hand that will likely require surgery, as was first reported by Alex Speier of The Boston Globe.

Cespedes had yet to appear in a game for Low-A Salem after earning a promotion from the rookie-level Florida Complex League on June 25. The 18-year-old middle infielder was instead placed on the 7-day injured list last Wednesday due to what was initially believed to be left-hand soreness.

As noted by Speier, however, the issue lingered longer than expected. Further testing led to the diagnosis of a hamate fracture, according to Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham. Since surgery to remove a broken hamate typically sidelines players for approximately six to eight weeks, the rest of Cespedes’ season could be in jeopardy if he does indeed go under the knife.

Before being promoted to Salem late last month, the right-handed hitting Cespedes batted a stout .319/.400/.615 with 10 doubles, one triple, five home runs, 24 RBIs, 20 runs scored, three stolen bases, 12 walks, and 19 strikeouts in 25 games (105 plate appearances) for the FCL Red Sox to open the 2024 campaign.

Defensively, Cespedes split his playing time on the field between second base and shortstop. The 5-foot-8, 181-pounder made seven starts at the former and 10 at the latter. He also started eight games at DH, though five of those starts came in the early stages of the FCL season as he was still working his way back from a quadriceps strain that sidelined him during spring training.

Cespedes, who turns 19 in September, is currently ranked by Baseball America as the No. 7 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The Dominican Republic native originally signed with the Red Sox for $1.4 million as a highly-touted international free agent coming out of Azua last January. He made a positive first impression in his professional debut by being named a 2023 Dominican Summer League All-Star and the organization’s Latin Program Position Player of the Year.

Had he remained healthy upon making the jump to Salem, Cespedes could have put himself in the conversation to join fellow Red Sox prospects Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, Kyle Teel, and Kristian Campbell on Baseball America’s top-100 list this summer. He will now have to wait a bit until he is cleared to return to action.

(Picture of Yoeilin Cespedes: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Top prospects Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kyle Teel to represent Red Sox in Futures Game festivities

The Big Three of outfielder Roman Anthony, shortstop Marcelo Mayer, and catcher Kyle Teel have been invited to represent the Red Sox at the All-Star Futures Game in Arlinton, Texas on July 13.

Mayer and Teel will play for the American League in the Futures Game itself while Anthony (an inactive selection) is slated to take part in the first-ever MLB Futures Skills Showcase — a three-round competition of hitting challenges — that follows the seven-inning exhibition at Globe Life Field.

Anthony, Mayer, and Teel have spent the entirety of the 2024 season together at Double-A Portland and are currently regarded by Baseball America as The Nos. 1, 2, and 3 prospects in Boston’s farm system, respectively. All three are represented in Baseball America’s top 100 prospects rankings as well.

Anthony has overtaken Mayer for the top spot in the organization. The left-handed hitting 20-year-old is batting .246/.358/.441 with 15 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, 24 RBIs, 35 runs scored, six stolen bases, 36 walks, and 66 strikeouts in 60 games (260 plate appearances) for Portland this season. He has made 46 starts in center field and one in right field.

Mayer, who suited up for the American League in Seattle last year, joins Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts as the only Red Sox position prospects to be named to multiple Futures Games. The left-handed hitting 21-year-old is slashing .307/.371/.479 with 25 doubles, seven home runs, 36 RBIs, 54 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 27 walks, and 57 strikeouts in 68 games (299 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs this season. He has made 56 starts at shortstop and one at third base.

As noted by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, Mayer was scratched from Portland’s lineup on Monday after experiencing back stiffness during batting practice. He may sit again on Tuesday, but the issue is still considered minor and one that is not expected to keep the former fourth-overall pick out for long.

Teel, meanwhile, is enjoying a strong first full season in pro ball after being selected by the Red Sox with the 14th overall pick in last year’s draft out of Virginia. The left-handed hitting 22-year-old is batting .302/.390/.464 with 14 doubles, eight home runs, 48 RBIs, 51 runs scored, five stolen bases, 31 walks, and 67 strikeouts in 60 games (272 plate appearances) for Portland. He has thrown out 10 of 60 possible base stealers in his 40 starts behind the plate.

All three of Anthony, Mayer, and Teel remain in Portland for the time being but are undoubtedly nearing a promotion to Triple-A Worcester. It remains to be seen if they will move up as a group or individually, though Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham acknowledged in a recent conversation with Speier that “the conversations are happening constantly.”

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)