Tag: prospects

Red Sox promote prospects Blaze Jordan, Wikelman Gonzalez to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox are promoting power-hitting infield prospect Blaze Jordan and pitching prospect Wikelman Gonzalez from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, as was first reported by Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster.

Jordan, 20, batted a stout .324/.385/.533 with 22 doubles, one triple, 12 home runs, 55 RBIs, 48 runs scored, two stolen bases, 28 walks, and 47 strikeouts in 73 games (322 plate appearances) for Greenville this season. The right-handed hitting slugger clubbed a three-run homer in the Drive’s 7-3 win over the Rome Braves at Fluor Field on Sunday afternoon.

Among qualified South Atlantic League hitters, Jordan ranks first in batting average, 12th in on-base percentage, third in slugging percentage, fourth in OPS (.918), eighth in isolated power (.209), third in strikeout rate (14.6 percent), first in extra-base hits (35), and first in total bases (153), per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

Defensively, Jordan saw playing time at both first and third base for Greenville this season. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder logged 300 innings at first and 301 2/3 innings at the hot corner, committing five errors (all at third) in 319 total defensive chances.

Originally selected by the Red Sox in the third round of the pandemic-shortened 2020 amateur draft out of DeSoto Central High School (Southaven, Miss.), Jordan is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 16 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

In making the jump from Greenville to Portland, Jordan will join a crowded crowded corner infield mix that already includes Niko Kavadas, Alex Binelas, Chase Meidroth, and Matthew Lugo. How Jordan adjusts to more advanced pitching at the Double-A level will be something worth monitoring during the second half of the season.

Gonzalez, meanwhile, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 12 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks fourth among pitchers in the organization. The native Venezuelan originally signed with the Red Sox for $250,000 as an international free agent coming out of Maracay in July 2018.

In 15 starts for Greenville this season, Gonzalez posted a 5.14 ERA and 3.56 FIP with a league-leading 105 strikeouts to 42 walks over 63 innings of work. Prior to getting lit up for seven runs in his last start against Rome this past Wednesday, the 21-year-old right-hander had forged a 2.55 ERA in 10 starts (49 1/3 innings) between May 2 and June 30.

Much like Jordan, Gonzalez will be tested as he goes up against stiffer competition moving forward. The 6-foot, 167-pound hurler possesses an intriguing pitch mix that consists of an upper-90s fastball, an upper-80s changeup, an upper-70s curveball, and an upper-80s slider. He has had issues with his command of the strike zone in the past, though he appears to be improving on that.

Unlike Jordan, Gonzalez can become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter. Assuming he is still with the organization, the Red Sox would need to add him to their 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November in order to prevent that from happening.

(Picture of Blaze Jordan: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

How did Red Sox prospects Marcelo Mayer, Nick Yorke, and Luis Guerrero fare in All-Star Futures Game?

Though the American League fell to the National League by a final score of 5-0 at T-Mobile Park, the Red Sox were well represented at the 2023 All-Star Futures Game in Seattle on Saturday afternoon.

Top prospects Marcelo Mayer and Nick Yorke made up the American League’s starting middle infield while relief prospect Luis Guerrero made an appearance out of the bullpen in the seventh and final inning of the annual showcase.

Mayer, batting second and starting at shortstop for the AL, played only one inning but made the most of his opportunity. After throwing out the speedy Jackson Chourio to retire the side in the top of the first, the left-handed hitting 20-year-old ripped a one-out groundball single in the bottom half of the frame for the game’s first hit.

According to Baseball Savant, the ball left Mayer’s bat at 100.3 mph as it raced through the right side of the infield. Moments after reaching, Mayer took off and successfully stole second base with a feet-first slide. He was, however, stranded at second and was then replaced at shortstop by Orioles top prospect Jackson Holliday in the second inning.

Yorke, batting ninth and starting at second base, played all seven innings. At the plate, the right-handed hitting 21-year-old went 1-for-3 with a double and a strikeout. After grounding out to end the second inning, he led off the bottom of the fifth by by squaring up a 1-1, 89.6 mph cutter from Braves prospect Spencer Schwellenbach and ripping a 102.6 mph double off the base of the left-center field fence.

With a distance of 388 feet, Yorke’s double was the furthest-hit ball of the day for either side. Like Mayer, however, Yorke was stranded at second base in the fifth. He had a chance to come through with two outs and the bases loaded in the following inning, but instead struck out on a foul tip to extinguish the threat.

Defensively, Yorke had just one ball hit his way at second. With two outs in the top of the third, he made a nifty shovel pass with his glove to rob Nationals prospect James Wood of an inning-extending infield single. He also recorded a force out.

Guerrero, who replaced left-hander Shane Drohan (calf cramp) on the American League roster last week, faced one batter in the top of the seventh. The hard-throwing righty took over for Yankees prospect Clayton Beeter and was matched up against Rockies prospect Yanquiel Fernandez.

After falling behind in a 2-1 count, Guerrero got Fernandez to swing-and-miss at a 91.4 mph cutter on the outer half of the plate. The 22-year-old hurler then dialed it back and got Fernandez to whiff at a 99.7 mph four-seam fastball that was well outside.

In total, Guerrero needed just five pitches (three strikes) to retire the lone hitter he faced. He induced three swings-and-misses while mixing in two four-seamers, two cutters, and a changeup.

All three of Mayer, Yorke, and Guerrero are currently with Double-A Portland. Mayer is ranked by Baseball America as the top prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 5 prospect in the game. Yorke comes in at No. 3 organizationally and No. 83 on the publication’s top 100. Guerrero, on the other hand, is rated as Boston’s No. 30 prospect, which ranks 10th among pitchers in the organization.

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Alex Binelas homers in third straight game for Double-A Portland

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Alex Binelas homered for the third straight game in Double-A Portland’s 7-3 win over the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at Hadlock Field on Tuesday night.

Batting seventh and starting at third base for the Sea Dogs, Binelas put together his first three-hit game of the season, going 3-for-4 with a double, a two-run home run, and two runs scored.

The homer came off Rumble Ponies starter Christian Scott in the bottom of the third inning. With two outs and a runner on first base following a Matthew Lugo single, Binelas took Scott way deep to right field for his third big fly of July and his 10th of the season overall.

With three more hits on Tuesday, Binelas has now recorded multiple hits in his last three games for the first-place Sea Dogs. Dating back to June 22, the left-handed hitting slugger has batted a respectable .300/.317/.825 with three doubles, six home runs, 12 RBIs, nine runs scored, and three stolen bases in his last 10 games.

On the 2023 campaign as a whole, Binelas has slashed .229/.277/.480 with 12 doubles, one triple, 10 homers, 32 RBIs, 24 runs scored, five stolen bases, 12 walks, and 74 strikeouts across 46 games (188 plate appearances) with Portland. Among Eastern League hitters who have made at least 180 trips to the plate to this point in the season, the 23-year-old currently ranks 13th in isolated power (.251) and 17th in slugging percentage, per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Binelas made his 17th start of the season at third base on Tuesday night. The burly 6-foot-1, 225-pound infielder has logged 153 innings at the hot corner as well as 125 1/3 innings at first base. Between the two positions, he has committed just two errors in 157 total chances.

This marks Binelas’ second full season as a member of the Red Sox organization. The Oak Creek, Wis. native was originally selected by his hometown Brewers in the third round of the 2021 amateur draft out of Louisville and was then dealt to Boston alongside speedy infielder David Hamilton that December as part of the Hunter Renfroe/Jackie Bradley Jr. trade.

Known primarily for his power and propensity to hit the ball hard, Binelas has not had the easiest of times transitioning to competition at the Double-A level. Since making the jump from High-A Greenville last June, Binelas has hit just .194/.264/.425 with 21 home runs and 67 RBIs in 101 games with Portland. In that time, he has struck out in more than 35 percent of his plate appearances while only taking ball four at an 8.6 percent clip.

Taking those peripherals into consideration, Binelas is no longer considered by publications such as Baseball America, FanGraphs, MLB Pipeline, or SoxProspects.com as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system.

Time, however, is still on Binelas’ side. He does not turn 24 until next May and will not become Rule 5 eligible until after the 2024 season. In the more immediate future, Binelas will likely be gunning for a promotion to Triple-A Worcester before the 2023 campaign comes to a close.

(Picture of Alex Binelas: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox infield prospect Cutter Coffey finding stride with Low-A Salem

Red Sox infield prospect Cutter Coffey ended the first half of his first full professional season on a strong note.

In his last 10 games for Low-A Salem leading up to this week’s brief two-day hiatus, Coffey went 12-for-39 (.308) with two doubles, one triple, two home runs, six RBIs, eight runs scored, one stolen base, six walks, and 11 strikeouts.

After a slow start at the plate, Coffey has begun to pick up the pace offensively. The right-handed hitter is now batting .222/.351/.343 (106 wRC+) on the season with 11 doubles, two triples, three homers, 23 runs driven in, 31 runs scored, 12 stolen bases (in 16 attempts), 38 walks, and 56 strikeouts across 56 games (239 plate appearances) with Salem.

Among 71 qualified hitters in the Carolina League, Coffey ranks 11th in walk rate (15.7 percent), 29th in strikeout rate (23.4 percent), 27th in on-base percentage, 30th in isolated power (.121), 25th in speed score (6.6), fourth in line-drive rate (28.1 percent), 15th in swinging-strike rate (8.6 percent), and 30th in wRC+ (106), per FanGraphs.

That Coffey has shown a propensity to hit the ball hard is certainly encouraging. Defensively, the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder has logged 252 innings at shortstop and 185 innings at third base. He has also made one start at second base and has committed 11 total errors in 166 defensive chances between the three positions.

Coffey, 19, was selected by the Red Sox in the second round (41st overall pick) of last year’s amateur draft out of Liberty High School (Bakersfield, Calif). Boston obtained the 41st selection in the 2022 draft after failing to sign Florida outfielder Jud Fabian in 2021. The club swayed Coffey away from his commitment to Texas by signing him for $1.85 million.

Like fellow early-round picks Mikey Romero and Roman Anthony, Coffey took batting practice and officially put pen to paper at Fenway Park last July. He then struggled in the rookie-level Florida Complex League (.456 OPS in 11 games) and — according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier — had to play his way into a full-season roster spot this spring.

Coffey was, of course, able to accomplish that by breaking camp with Salem. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 28 prospect in Boston’s farm system. As was recently the case with Anthony, one has to wonder if Coffey could soon be on the verge of a promotion to High-A Greenville. That may be something worth monitoring on the other side of the All-Star break next month.

(Picture of Cutter Coffey: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Top prospects Marcelo Mayer, Nick Yorke, and Shane Drohan to represent Red Sox in All-Star Futures Game

Top prospects Marcelo Mayer, Nick Yorke, and Shane Drohan will represent the Red Sox in next month’s All-Star Futures Game in Seattle, Major League Baseball announced on Monday.

Mayer, Yorke, and Drohan will all suit up for the American League at T-Mobile Park on July 8. The Red Sox are the only team from the AL with three representatives lined up to play in the annual showcase that pits the top prospects from all 30 clubs against one another.

Mayer, 20, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the top prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 6 prospect in the sport. The left-handed hitting shortstop was recently promoted to Double-A Portland and has batted .177/.258/.418 with four doubles, five home runs, 13 RBIs, 11 runs scored, three stolen bases, 10 walks, and 19 strikeouts in his first 21 games (94 plate appearances) with the Sea Dogs.

Prior to making the jump to Portland, though, Mayer had gotten his 2023 season off to a strong start, slashing .290/.366/.524 with 11 doubles, one triple, seven homers, 34 RBIs, 23 runs scored, five stolen bases, 17 walks, and 37 strikeouts in 35 games (164 plate appearances) with High-A Greenville. All told, he has hit .250/.327/.487 between the two levels thus far.

Yorke, 21, is ranked by Baseball America as Boston’s No. 3 prospect and the No. 86 prospect in the game. The right-handed hitting second baseman spent the entire first half of the 2023 campaign with Portland, hitting a stout .286/.377/.475 with 12 doubles, three triples, nine home runs, 33 RBIs, 47 runs scored, six stolen bases, 32 walks, and 64 strikeouts in 60 games spanning 276 trips to the plate.

Both Mayer and Yorke were selected by the Red Sox in the first rounds of the 2020 and 2021 amateur drafts, respectively. Drohan, on the other hand, was taken in the fifth and final round of the COVID-shortened 2020 draft out of Florida State.

Drohan began the season in Portland and dazzled to the tune of a 1.32 ERA with 36 strikeouts to nine walks in his first six starts (34 innings) with the Sea Dogs. That string of performances resulted in the 24-year-old left-hander earning a promotion to Triple-A Worcester last month, but he has since struggled to a 5.03 ERA with 33 strikeouts to 27 walks in eight starts (39 1/3 innings) for the WooSox.

Rated by Baseball America as the top pitching prospect (No. 7 overall) in Boston’s farm system, Drohan was forced to leave his start on Sunday with a calf cramp. After tossing four scoreless innings against Lehigh Valley out of the gate, the lefty experienced discomfort while warming up for the top of the fifth and ultimately left the field with a trainer.

According to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, the plan as of now is for Drohan to make his next scheduled start in Buffalo later this week. The Red Sox, of course, will be sure to exercise caution if any pain lingers.

As always, this year’s installment of the Futures Game will consist of seven innings. The contest will be broadcasted exclusively on Peacock beginning at 7 p.m. eastern time.

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox power-hitting prospect Blaze Jordan homers, drives in 4 runs to extend hitting streak with High-A Greenville

Red Sox infield prospect Blaze Jordan enjoyed a productive night at the plate in High-A Greenville’s extra-inning 6-5 loss to the Greensboro Grasshoppers at Fluor Field on Thursday.

Batting third and starting at first base for the Drive, Jordan went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run, four RBIs, a run scored, and a strikeout. The right-handed hitter crushed his eighth homer of the season to open the scoring in the first inning and drove in pair with a two-run double in the third. He then plated his fourth and final run of the night with an RBI groundout in the bottom of the fifth.

With two outs and a runner at third base representing the potential tying run in the 10th inning, Jordan had a chance to pull Greenville back even with Greensboro. But he struck out swinging on four pitches as the Drive fell to 33-27 on the season.

By recording two hits on Thursday, Jordan extended his hitting streak to six games. He is now batting .333/.429/.563 in the month of June. On the 2023 campaign as a whole, the 20-year-old slugger has slashed a stout .315/.368/.516 with 18 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 42 RBIs, 33 runs scored, one stolen base, 18 walks, and 36 strikeouts in 55 games (242 plate appearances) for the Drive.

Among the top hitters in the South Atlantic League, Jordan ranks second in total bases (113), third in extra-base hits (27), fourth in batting average, 19th in on-base percentage, eighth in slugging percentage, ninth in OPS (.884), 16th in isolated power (.201), and third in strikeout rate (14.9 percent), per MiLB.com’s leaderboards.

On the other side of the ball, Jordan made his 30th start of the season at first base on Thursday night. The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder has also made 23 starts at third base. Between the two infield corners, he has committed three errors (all at third) in 257 total defensive chances.

Originally selected by the Red Sox in the third round (89th overall pick) in the 2020 amateur draft out of DeSoto Central High School (Miss.), Jordan is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 16 prospect in the organization. Despite being in his third full professional season, the Southaven native is still among the youngest position players to swing a bat at the High-A level this year. That is understandable since he reclassified back in 2019 in order to graduate from high school a year early.

Given how well he has performed lately, Jordan — who does not turn 23 until December — could soon be nearing a promotion to Double-A Portland. That may be contingent on things that are out of his control, but if Jordan continues to produce, the Red Sox will find a way to make it happen.

(Picture of Blaze Jordan: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)

Red Sox prospect Ceddanne Rafaela tallies 3 hits, steals 3 bases in latest strong showing for Double-A Portland

Versatile Red Sox prospect Ceddanne Rafaela recorded his fourth three-hit game of the season in Double-A Portland’s 6-2 win over the Akron RubberDucks on Tuesday night.

Leading off and starting in center field for the Sea Dogs to kick off a six-game series at Hadlock Field, Rafaela went 3-for-4 with three singles and one run scored. The speedy 22-year-old extended his hitting streak to 11 games and also stole three bases.

Following Tuesday’s performance, Rafaela is now batting .284/.322/.411 with 12 doubles, four home runs, 31 RBIs, 32 runs scored, an Eastern League-leading 25 stolen bases (in 31 attempts), 11 walks, and 40 strikeouts in 46 games (205 plate appearances) with Portland so far this season.

Rafaela came into the year with high expectations after a breakout 2022 campaign that netted him a spot on the Red Sox’ 40-man roster last November. But the right-handed hitter got off to an underwhelming start to begin his first full season with the Sea Dogs.

After going 0-for-5 with two strikeouts in a 4-3 loss to the Hartford Yard Goats on May 18, Rafaela found himself slashing .262/.309/.346 through 31 games (139 plate appearances). He has since registered at least one hit in 14 of his last 15 games and is hitting .333 (20-for-60) over that stretch. Since the calendar flipped from May to June, he has gone 10-for-22 (.455) at the plate with two doubles, one homer, five runs driven in, five runs scored, five stolen bases, zero walks, and just one strikeout.

On the other side of the ball, Rafaela has split time between shortstop and center field this season. The 5-foot-9, 152-pounder has logged 66 innings at the former and 286 1/3 innings at the latter after making his 33rd start of the year there on Tuesday.

Originally signed for just $10,000 as an international free agent coming out of Curacao in July 2017, Rafaela has risen through the ranks and is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 3 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 70 prospect in the sport.

Considering how well he has been performing as of late, one has to wonder if Rafaela could soon be on the verge of a promotion to Triple-A Worcester. The Willemstad native does not turn 23 until September, but he has played nearly a full season’s worth of games at the Double-A level after first making the jump from High-A Greenville last June.

With plus speed and solid instincts in the field, Rafaela has the ability to play two key defensive positions at a high level. The fact that he was named the Red Sox’ Defensive Player of the Year in each of the last two seasons reflects as much.

Though there is still room for improvement as far as pitch selection and plate discipline are concerned, it may be best for Rafaela to continue developing in Worcester so that he can face new challenges at a more advanced level moving forward.

(Picture of Ceddanne Rafaela: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox promote infield prospect Christian Koss to Triple-A Worcester

To accommodate the addition of shortstop Marcelo Mayer to Double-A Portland’s roster, the Red Sox have promoted fellow infield prospect Christian Koss to Triple-A Worcester, per the club’s minor-league transactions log.

Koss, 25, batted .224/.283/.336 with seven doubles, one triple, two home runs, 10 RBIs, 18 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 10 walks, and 33 strikeouts in 38 games (147 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs this season.

Considering how much better he did in Portland last year (.739 OPS in 125 games), those numbers may seem underwhelming on a broader scope. Still, Koss has been more productive at the plate as of late. Dating back to May 21, for instance, the right-handed hitter has gone 7-for-23 (.304) with two doubles, one homer, three RBIs, five runs scored, two stolen bases, zero walks, and seven strikeouts over his last seven games. That homer came as part of a two-hit effort in Sunday’s 10-8 loss to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats at Hadlock Field.

On the other side of the ball, Koss has seen the majority of his playing time this season come at shortstop, where he has committed just one error in 281 1/3 innings. The versatile 6-foot-1, 182-pounder has also made two starts at second base, one start at third base, and one start in left field.

“He loves to play the game,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Koss back in March. “He’s made some great plays at shortstop, very athletic, versatile. He’s a good one.”

A former 12th-round draft selection of the Rockies coming out of UC Irvine in 2019, Koss was dealt to the Red Sox for left-hander Yoan Aybar in December 2020. The Riverside, Calif. native is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 34 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

With the WooSox, Koss is slated to join a crowded infield mix that already includes Bobby Dalbec, Ryan Fitzgerald, Niko Goodrum, David Hamilton, and Nick Sogard. It is worth mentioning that he can once again become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter if he is not added to the Sox’ 40-man roster by the protection deadline in November.

(Picture of Christian Koss: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox take Stanford infielder Tommy Troy with top pick in Keith Law’s first 2023 mock draft

In his first mock draft of the year for The Athletic, Keith Law has the Red Sox taking Stanford shortstop Tommy Troy with the 14th overall pick in the 2023 amateur draft.

“I think this is pretty open, with any of the guys I have just ahead of Boston’s pick also possibilities, as well as [Matt] Shaw,” Law wrote on Wednesday. “I could see the Red Sox being in on Kevin McGonigle given their predilection for high school hitters with potential plus hit tools with their first picks in 2020 (Nick Yorke) and 2022 (Mikey Romero).”

Troy came in as the No. 16 draft-eligible prospect in Law’s latest rankings, which were released earlier this month. Baseball America also has the 21-year-old infielder at No. 16 in its rankings while MLB Pipeline places him 20th on its most updated list.

A right-handed hitting junior, Troy batted a stout .404/.485/.720 with 14 doubles, four triples, 13 home runs, 43 RBIs, 61 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 26 walks, and 29 strikeouts in 45 games (227 plate appearances) for Stanford this season. On the heels of such a productive campaign, the Los Gatos, Calif. native was named the Pac-12 batting champion on Tuesday.

Defensively, Troy has proven to be quite versatile over the course of his amateur career. With the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League last summer, for instance, the 5-foot-10, 197-pounder saw playing time at both shortstop and second base. He also has past experience in the outfield, though he did play a lot of third base for the Cardinal this spring.

“He’s a plus runner who has played all three skill positions on the infield, but I think someone has to send him out as a shortstop and let him prove he can’t stay there,” Law wrote of Troy’s defensive capabilities. “If he’s not a shortstop, he has a harder path to everyday play, so giving him that chance is key to creating some upside.”

Per his MLB Pipeline scouting report, “Troy’s standout tool is his ability to make consistent, hard contact from the right side of the plate. He has impressive bat-to-ball skills and rarely strikes out or chases out of the zone, showing excellent pitch recognition, though there are some moving parts of his swing. There’s enough extra-base pop in there for there not to be concerns about impact at the next level and he could have average power in the future. He’s answered some concerns about his approach and lack of walks by being more selective in 2023.”

Troy, who does not turn 22 until next January, still has some baseball left to play before preparing for the draft. Stanford, which earned the top seed in its conference, opened Pac-12 tournament play against California on Wednesday night. DraftKings Sportsbook currently has the Cardinal with the fifth-best odds to win the 2023 College World Series at +1500.

The Red Sox landed the 14th overall pick in this year’s draft in the first-ever MLB Draft Lottery back in December. Boston has not used a first-round selection on a college position player since taking Andrew Benintendi out of Arkansas in 2015.

Back then, the 14th overall pick came with an attached slot value of $2,482,400. This year, the pick is valued at $4,663,100, which represents approximately 45.3 percent of the Red Sox’ $10,295,100 bonus pool.

The 2023 MLB Draft gets underway in Seattle on July 9, or six weeks from this coming Sunday. It will consist of 20 rounds and run through the final day of All-Star festivities at T-Mobile Park.

(Picture of Tommy Troy: AP Photo/John Hefti)

Red Sox promote prospects Nathan Hickey, Chase Meidroth to Double-A Portland

The Red Sox have promoted catching prospect Nathan Hickey and infield prospect Chase Meidroth from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, per the club’s minor-league transactions log.

Hickey, 23, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 15 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks first among catchers in the organization. The Red Sox originally selected the Florida product in the fifth round of the 2021 amateur draft and signed him for exactly $1 million.

After closing out his first full professional season with the Drive, Hickey returned to Greenville for the start of the 2023 campaign. Leading up to Monday’s promotion, the left-handed hitter was batting a stout .294/.402/.588 with six doubles, one triple, four home runs, nine RBIs, 13 runs scored, 12 walks, and 20 strikeouts in his first 18 games (82 plate appearances) of the year.

For as impressive as those numbers may be, Hickey has been struggling on the other side of the ball. Defensively, the 5-foot-11, 210-pound backstop logged 146 innings behind the plate for Greenville. He allowed three passed balls and was 0-for-37 when it came to throwing out base stealers, though that might not have been all on him.

To that end, as noted by SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield, Hickey could benefit from this promotion since Sea Dogs manager Chad Epperson previously served as Boston’s catching coordinator for 12 season. With Elih Marrero on the injured list and Matt Donlan on the development list, Hickey will form a catching tandem in Portland with fellow SEC product Stephen Scott for the time being.

Meidroth, meanwhile, is ranked by Baseball America as the No. 27 prospect in the Red Sox’ farm system. The 21-year-old was taken by Boston in the fourth round of last summer’s draft out of San Diego. He signed with the club for $272,500.

After showing signs of promise between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem in his pro debut, Meidroth broke camp with Greenville this spring. In 20 games with the Drive, the stocky right-handed hitter batted .338/.495/.459 with three doubles, two home runs, 14 RBIs, 19 runs scored, four stolen bases, 21 walks, and 20 strikeouts across 97 trips to the plate.

Defensively, Meidroth has seen the majority of his playing time come at either second or third base. While in Greenville, the 5-foot-9, 170 pounder logged 92 innings at second and 73 innings at third and committed a total of two errors in 51 chances.

Meidroth, who turns 22 in July, is now slated to join a Sea Dogs infield mix that includes Alex Binelas, Niko Kavadas, Christian Koss, Matthew Lugo, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Nick Yorke. It should be interesting to see how he adjusts to more advanced competition at the Double-A level.

Other moves:

In addition to promoting Hickey and Meidroth to Portland, the Red Sox made several other minor-league roster moves. Infielder Edwin Diaz was promoted from Portland to Triple-A Worcester and catcher Ronaldo Rosario was promoted from Salem to Greenville.

Furthermore, catcher Enderso Lira was added to Salem’s roster from extended spring training while right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn was activated from Portland’s injured list. Like Donlan, left-hander Sylar Arias was transferred to the Sea Dogs’ development list.

(Picture of Nathan Hickey: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)