Tag: prospects

What does Red Sox prospect Justin Gonzales have in store for 2025?

After a strong debut season in the Dominican Summer League last year, what does power-hitting Red Sox prospect Justin Gonzales have in store for 2025?

Hailing from the Dominican Republic himself, Gonzales entered the professional ranks at just 17 by signing with the Red Sox for $250,000 as an international free agent last January. He received the sixth-largest bonus in Boston’s 2024 signing class but was undoubtedly the top offensive performer between the club’s two DSL affiliates.

In 47 games for DSL Red Sox Blue and Red, Gonzales batted a stout .320/.391/.517 (140 wRC+) with 11 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 29 RBIs, 29 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 19 walks, and 20 strikeouts over 192 plate appearances. The right-handed hitting slugger was named a DSL All-Star as he helped DSL Red Sox Red secure the organization’s first Dominican Summer League title since 2016. He was also recognized as Boston’s 2024 Latin Program Position Player of the Year.

“He’s a big, strong kid already who has a good feel to hit, a good feel for contact,” said Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero, who described Gonzales as “a big, strong animal” when speaking with MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith earlier this week. “So we just need to make a couple of minor adjustments on his launch angles and things like that. And those really low line drives, we can start getting him to elevate it a little bit more and more and find some gaps.”

Gonzales, who turned 18 in December, arrived in Fort Myers for his first spring training in the United States early last month. The towering first baseman/outfielder has taken well to instruction and already looks larger than his listed height and weight of 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds. He was a late addition to Boston’s Spring Breakout roster on March 13, as he took the place of Allan Castro. Though he struck out in his lone at-bat against the Rays in Port Charlotte that night, he showed flashes of his power potential in the following afternoon’s “Futures at Fenway South” showcase against the Twins at JetBlue Park.

As highlighted by SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting, Ian Cundall, Gonzales pinch-hit and took over for starting right fielder Miguel Bleis midway through the exhibition. He then grounded out to short in his first at-bat, ripped a single through the left side of the infield in his second at-bat, and crushed a no-doubt solo home run over the faux Green Monster in his third and final at-bat.

Gonzales is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 19 prospect in Boston’s farm system. MLB Pipeline has him four spots higher at No. 15, while Baseball America does not yet have him ranked. He is in extended spring training right now and is expected to play in the rookie-level Florida Complex League once that season gets underway next month. MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis, and Sam Dykstra recently predicted that Gonzales will lead the FCL in home runs this year with 12 in 54 games.

“His combination of raw power and swing decisions will make him one of the best first-base prospects in baseball,” they wrote of Gonzales, who also figures to see playing time in the outfield moving forward after making 14 starts in right and two starts in center last season. He does, after all, possess “plus-plus” arm strength that MLB Pipeline grades as a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale.

“He’s really intriguing overall,” Romero said. “I know that we’ve played him some in center field throughout the spring, and we’ll do that in extended some and kinda go from there. But give him every chance. If not, he can definitely profile in a corner.”

(Picture of Justin Gonzales: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Former Red Sox catching prospect Kyle Teel (part of Garrett Crochet trade) named International League Player of the Week

Former Red Sox catching prospect Kyle Teel has been named the International League Player of the Week for the week of March 28-30, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

One of four prospects traded to the White Sox for ace left-hander Garrett Crochet in December, Teel has gotten his 2025 season off to a tremendous start. Appearing in all three of Triple-A Charlotte’s games against Gwinnett over the weekend, the left-handed hitter went 6-for-12 (.500) with one double, two home runs, nine RBIs, four runs scored, two walks, and two strikeouts as the Knights swept the Stripers.

Teel batted cleanup in all three contests for the Knights at Charlotte’s Truist Field, making two starts at DH and one start at catcher. The 23-year-old belted his first homer of the season on Friday, finished a triple shy of the cycle while driving in a career-high six runs on Saturday, and reached base twice on Sunday.

Originally selected with the 14th overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Virginia, Teel is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in Chicago’s farm system and the No. 51 prospect in the sport. After slashing .288/.386/.433 with 23 doubles, 13 home runs, 78 RBIs, 88 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 68 walks, and 116 strikeouts in 112 games (505 plate appearances) between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester last season, the New Jersey native was traded by the Red Sox to the White Sox for Crochet on December 11 alongside fellow prospects Braden Montgomery, Chase Meidroth, and Wikelman Gonzalez.

All four were in major league camp with the White Sox this spring at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz. Teel, in particular, impressed offensively by going 6-for-19 (.316) with one double, two home runs, six RBIs, five runs scored, four walks, and four strikeouts in 14 Cactus League games. On the other side of the ball, the athletic 6-foot, 210-pound backstop logged 34 2/3 error-less innings behind the plate but did not have much of a chance to show off his arm strength as he only (unsuccessfully) dealt with one base stealer.

As things stand in Charlotte, Teel is slated to split catching duties with another top 100 prospect in Edgar Quero. The plan out of the gate, as highlighted by Jeff Cohen of FutureSox.com, is for Teel and Quero to both be in the Knights’ lineup on a nightly basis, with the former serving as the DH when the latter is behind the plate and vice-versa.

While the case can be made that Teel and Quero are competing to be the backstop of the future for the White Sox, they are both currently behind Korey Lee and Matt Thaiss on Chicago’s catching depth chart. Still, the expectation is that, at the very least, Teel will make his big league debut at some point before the 2025 campaign ends. He could speed that timeline up if he continues to punish International League pitching the way he has been early on.

(Picture of Kyle Teel: Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Red Sox OF prospect Enddy Azocar ‘has caught some attention’ this spring

The Red Sox have several young minor leaguers who are slated to make the jump from the Dominican Summer League to the Florida Complex League this upcoming season.

Enddy Azocar, an 18-year-old outfielder from Venezuela, is among them.

Azocar, who turned 18 last month, originally signed with Boston for $40,000 as an international free agent in January 2024. The Puerto La Cruz native made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League five months later.

In 31 regular-season games for DSL Red Sox Red, Azocar batted .266/.397/.309 (107 wRC+)with two doubles, one triple, 11 RBIs, 17 runs scored, two stolen bases, 18 walks, and 15 strikeouts over 116 plate appearances. The right-handed hitter then went 2-for-7 (.286) in a pair of playoff contests as DSL Red Sox Red claimed the organization’s first Dominican Summer League title since 2016 and second overall.

On the other side of the ball, Azocar saw the vast majority of his playing time last year come in left field. The 6-foot-2, 168-pounder (listed weight) logged a team-high 219 innings in left for DSL Red Sox Red without recording an error or assist in 60 defensive chances. Elsewhere, he committed one error in four chances across 14 innings in right field.

As part of his first spring training in Fort Myers, Azocar has gotten some positive exposure. In addition to what he has shown on the backfields, he was featured in last Friday’s “Futures at Fenway South” showcase against prospects from the Twins organization at JetBlue Park. Though he went hitless in the game itself, the overall body of work this spring has nonetheless been encouraging.

“Enddy has had a great spring so far and has caught some attention,” Red Sox assistant general manager Eddie Romero said via email. “His frame will allow for plenty of strength and he’s already 6-foot-2 at 18 years old. He did a great job in the offseason of getting stronger and he’s only starting to fill that frame out. Enddy showed a polished approach in the DSL with more walks than strikeouts.

“So far this spring, we’re seeing a lot of hard contact with multiple 100+ [mph exit velocities],” Romero continued. “Will be very interesting to see him develop this year.”

Azocar is not currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as one of the premier prospects in Boston’s farm system, though it would not be surprising if he cracked the back end of their top-60 rankings at some point this summer after the 2025 Florida Complex League season begins in early May.

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

Kleyver Salazar among 7 unranked prospects to make Red Sox ‘Spring Breakout’ roster

On Thursday, the Red Sox unveiled their roster for their upcoming ‘Spring Breakout’ matchup against the Rays next week.

While Boston will be sending a plethora of top talents from a loaded farm system to Port Charlotte for the second annual prospects showcase next Thursday, several unheralded Red Sox minor-leaguers will be making the trip from Fort Myers as well.

Of the 27 players on the Red Sox ‘Spring Breakout’ roster, seven are not currently ranked among the organization’s top 30 prospects by MLB Pipeline. Of those seven, 18-year-old catcher Kleyver Salazar stands out as someone who has yet to suit up for a full-season affiliate.

Salazar, who turns 19 in May, is the younger brother of former Red Sox (and current Cardinals minor-leaguer) Johnfrank Salazar. The native Venezuelan originally signed with Boston for $175,000 as an international free agent in January 2023 and made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League before moving up to the Florida Complex League in 2024.

In 49 games (183 plate appearances) for the FCL Red Sox, Salazar batted .226/.333/.374 with seven doubles, two triples, four home runs, 31 RBIs, 22 runs scored, two stolen bases, 25 walks and 40 strikeouts. The right-handed hitter ended his season on a particularly high note by slashing .313/.389/.500 with three home runs and 15 RBIs over 20 games (72 plate appearances) in July.

Though a .708 OPS (95 wRC+) on the year is far from eye-popping, Salazar did rank 21st in isolated power (.148) and 32nd in walk rate (13.7 percent) among 71 qualified FCL hitters, per FanGraphs. He also led the way in fly-ball rate (55.7 percent), which suggests that he may have gotten under the ball quite a bit.

Defensively, Salazar split his playing time on the field between catcher and first base last year. The 6-foot-1, 187-pound backstop logged a team-high 168 2/3 innings behind the plate for the FCL Red Sox, allowing eight passed balls and throwing out 14 of 49 possible base stealers. In 16 starts as a first baseman, he committed just two errors in 98 chances.

Salazar joins Brooks Brannon and Ronald Rosario to make up the catching contingent on Boston’s ‘Spring Breakout’ roster. He is currently projected by SoxProspects.com to return to the FCL for the start of the 2025 season, though his assignment could change to Low-A Salem if fellow backstop Johanfran Garcia (who underwent season-ending ACL surgery last May) is not fully ready to go when camp breaks next month.

(Picture of Kleyver Salazar: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox prospect Mikey Romero catching eye of Alex Cora in spring training

Before Wednesday afternoon’s Grapefruit League contest against the Rays at JetBlue Park, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was asked about which prospects outside of The Big Three of Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Marcelo Mayer have caught his eye so far this spring.

“Mikey Romero, the last three, four days,” Cora quickly responded. “He’s a good player, a really good player. Good at-bats, good defender. Mikey Romero is a good player. We just got to get him healthy. He did everything this offseason to put himself in good shape. He’s a lot stronger now. This is the first time I’ve had a look consistently and I like him as a player. … Good instincts, really good instincts.”

Romero, who turned 21 in January, is not in major-league camp with the Red Sox in Fort Myers but has appeared in three Grapefruit League games thus far. The left-handed hitting infielder has gone 2-for-3 with one RBI, one run scored, and one walk while seeing playing time at second base and shortstop.

Originally selected by the Red Sox with the 24th overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Orange Lutheran High School (Calif.), Romero has already endured plenty on and off the field to this point in his professional career. The San Diego forwent his commitment to Louisiana State by signing with Boston for an under-slot $2.3 million and made a positive first impression in his brief pro debut between the rookie-level Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem.

Romero’s first full season in the professional ranks was not nearly as memorable. He opened the 2023 campaign on the injured list due to a stress reaction in his lower back that he suffered during spring training and did not return to action until late June. He then spent the better part of the next two months rehabbing with the FCL Red Sox and Salem before being promoted to High-A Greenville in mid-August. Just three games into his first stint with the Drive, however, Romero sustained a stress fracture that cost him the remainder of the year.

Altogether, Romero struggled to a .214/.294/.286 slash line with five doubles, two triples, 13 RBIs, 15 runs scored, two stolen bases, 14 walks, and 25 strikeouts over 34 total games (144 plate appearances) across three levels in 2023. He dropped from No. 6 to No. 16 in Baseball America’s Red Sox prospects rankings heading into 2024, though more pressing issues were at hand for Romero on a personal level.

On Valentine’s Day last year, Romero’s father — Mike Romero — passed away following a lengthy battle with tongue cancer. Mikey Romero then reported to Fort Myers for camp but was sidelined by back spasms and missed roughly the first month of the 2024 season as a result. He completed a three-game rehab assignment in the FCL before re-joining Greenville on May 15. From that point forward, he looked like a different hitter.

Romero consistently lined the ball in the air in the process of batting .271/.312/.509 with 20 doubles, four triples, 10 home runs, 40 RBIs, 40 runs scored, one stolen base, 16 walks, and 58 strikeouts over 59 games (276 plate appearances) for Greenville. He was named the South Atlantic League Player of the Month for July and subsequently received a promotion to Double-A Portland in late August. He then closed out the season by slashing .243/.257/.543 with three doubles, six home runs, 12 RBIs, 11 runs scored, two walks, and 25 strikeouts in 16 games (74 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs.

Between the FCL, Greenville, and Portland in 2024, Romero batted .271/.312/.509 with 24 doubles, four triples, 16 home runs, 53 RBIs, 54 runs scored, one stolen base, 18 walks, and 84 strikeouts over 78 games (362 plate appearances). Among the 31 Red Sox minor-leaguers who made at least 360 trips to the plate last year, Romero most notably ranked second in isolated power (.238), fourth in slugging percentage, ninth in OPS (.821) and wRC+ (127), and 11th in batting average and wOBA (.366), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Romero saw most of his playing time last season come at either second base or shortstop. With Portland in particular, he made 14 starts at shortstop and just one at second base, committing two errors in 52 total defensive chances. He is listed at 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds but currently weighs in at around 205-207 pounds as he continues to add muscle to his athletic frame.

In addition to shedding light on his strength gains, Romero looked back on a season that netted him 2024 SoxProspects.com Comeback Player of the Year honors when speaking with Rob Bradford on Audacy’s ‘Baseball Isn’t Boring’ Podcast earlier Wednesday.

“Last year was a really good year for me, finishing at Double-A,” Romero said. “You can look at the stats and see that it was a great year. I think just being healthy, and playing — towards the end of the season — every day, it was great. To get to play for [Iggy Suarez at High-A and Chad Epperson at Double-A], I learned so much. Being with the older guys once I got to Double-A was pretty cool, to just pick their brains and see how they go about their business.”

Romero enters 2025 ranked by Baseball America as the No. 18 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He is projected to break camp with Portland next month and is aiming to carry over the momentum he gained last year into the upcoming season. Simultaneously, he is looking to take advantage of the opportunity he is getting by playing in big-league spring training games for the first time and sharing a dugout with established veterans like Alex Bregman.

“It’s pretty awesome,” said Romero. “Whether I’m starting or whether I’m backing up, coming in in the sixth inning. It’s just cool to be in the same dugout as a lot of these guys. Bregman, just a bunch of these guys. It’s really cool. Getting to see how they go about their business, not only for me playing but also just to be around the caliber of players we have in this clubhouse. It’s pretty cool. I’m taking advantage of it and I’m excited.”

Though the past year has undoubtedly been tough for Romero, he has been able to maintain a positive mindset thanks in part to his faith and the implementation of routines that he expects will keep him healthy. He also got married in November and is looking forward to what lies ahead in both his life and playing career.

“Starting off the year with my dad passing was, obviously, tough on my family, on me,” Romero said. “But I think the Lord was gracious to me. I got to play a full year healthy, I had a pretty damn good year, and to get to the cherry on top I got to marry my now-wife. Going into 2025, there’s no better feeling to have her here with me as well as to be healthy and to be getting spring training reps and just to be around the guys.”

(Picture of Mikey Romero: Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

Red Sox to sign former Angels two-way prospect to minor-league deal

The Red Sox have signed free agent left-hander Erik Rivera to a minor-league contract, as was first reported by Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster. Rivera himself appears to have confirmed the signing on his Instagram account.

Rivera is a former 2019 fourth-round draft pick of the Angels out of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy. The 23-year-old Caguas native was taken 121st overall and forewent his commitment to Florida International by signing with Los Angeles for $597,500.

A two-way player coming out of high school, Rivera signed with the Angels as an outfielder and batted .208/.313/.264 with four doubles, nine RBIs, eight runs scored, nine walks, and 31 strikeouts over 21 games (83 plate appearances) in the 2019 rookie-level Arizona League. His first full professional season was wiped out due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and he emerged as a full-time pitcher beginning in 2021.

Rivera entered the 2021 season ranked by Baseball America as the No. 14 prospect in Los Angeles’ farm system. The lefty made his professional pitching debut at Low-A Inland Empire that May but then suffered a sprained UCL in his left elbow that ultimately required surgery. As a result, he missed the remainder of the 2021 campaign and all of 2022 before making his way back to the mound in August 2023. He closed out the year by forging a 4.09 ERA (5.90 FIP) with 16 strikeouts to 15 walks in seven total outings (11 innings) between the Arizona Complex League and High-A Tri-City.

Rivera returned to Tri-City for the start of the 2024 season and posted a 3.31 ERA (4.94 FIP) with 39 strikeouts to 20 walks over 10 appearances (eight starts) spanning 35 1/3 innings in which opposing hitters batted .213 against him. The southpaw was released by the Angels in late July and spent the remainder of the year in free agency. Most recently, he enjoyed a productive offseason back on his home island by pitching to a 1.04 ERA (0.86 WHIP) with 21 strikeouts to 10 walks in 16 relief appearances (17 1/3 innings) for the Leones de Ponce of the Puerto Rican Winter League.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Rivera has been described as having a smooth and athletic delivery. In the past, he has reached 95 mph with his fastball which typically sits in the lower-90s. He has also featured an upper-70s curveball that resembled a slider and a lower-80s changeup with fade, per his July 2021 Baseball America scouting report.

Rivera, who turns 24 in April, should provide the Red Sox with additional pitching depth from the left side in the lower minors to open the 2025 season. It remains to be seen what affiliate he will break camp with later this spring, though Low-A Salem or High-A Greenville would appear to be the most likely destinations.

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

Who is Yosander Asencio? Switch-hitting Red Sox OF prospect posted .834 OPS in 2024 Florida Complex League

When searching for under-the-radar Red Sox prospects who could break out to some degree in 2025, infielder-turned-outfielder Yosander Asencio is one name that may be worth monitoring.

Not to be confused with Vladimir Asencio, Boston’s top international signing last winter, Yosander originally signed with the Red Sox for $85,000 as an international free agent coming out of the Dominican Republic in January 2022. The Bajos de Haina native spent the first two seasons of his professional career in the Dominican Summer League, where he slashed .295/.458/.415 over 78 total games (308 plate appearances), before making his stateside debut in 2024.

Asencio, who turned 20 in November, enjoyed a solid season offensively in the Florida Complex League. The switch-hitter batted .271/.393/.441 with seven doubles, two triples, three home runs (the first three of his pro career), 27 RBIs, 23 runs scored, six stolen bases, 25 walks, and 48 strikeouts in 43 games (145 plate appearances) for the FCL Red Sox. That includes a .255/.377/.434 line from the left side of the plate and a .417/.533/.500 line from the right side.

Among the 82 FCL hitters who made at least 140 trips to the plate last year, Asencio ranked 14th in isolated power (.169), 17th in walk rate (17.2 percent), 20th in slugging percentage, 21st in OPS (.834), 22nd in wOBA (.403) and wRC+ (128), 25th in speed score (7.5), 28th in on-base percentage, and 33rd in batting average. Conversely, he posted the fifth-highest swinging-strike rate (21.8 percent) and ninth-highest strikeout rate (33.1 percent), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Asencio saw playing time at all three outfield positions with Boston’s FCL affiliate. The 5-foot-11, 160-pounder (listed height and weight) logged a team-leading 116 2/3 innings in left, 90 1/3 innings in right, and 35 innings in center. He recorded three outfield assists without committing a single error in 53 total chances.

Asencio is not currently regarded by publications such as Baseball America or MLB Pipeline as one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system. However, SoxProspects.com projects him to open the 2025 season at Low-A Salem, which would represent an opportunity for him to get his name out there more if he continues to produce the way he has been.

(Picture of Yosander Asencio: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox two-way prospect identified as potential 2025 breakout candidate

The Red Sox have several prospects who could break out in 2025, including those who have yet to make their professional debuts.

Conrad Cason, the club’s eighth-round selection in last summer’s draft, is one such name to watch. MLB.com’s Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo, and Sam Dykstra recently identified the two-way talent as a potential breakout candidate within Boston’s farm system this year.

Cason, 18, was taken with the 237th overall pick in the 2024 draft out of Greater Atlanta Christian School. The Georgia native forwent his commitment to Mississippi State by signing with the Red Sox for a well over-slot $1.25 million. However, he did not play for one of Boston’s minor-league affiliates after putting pen to paper at Fenway Park on July 29.

To cap off his high school career at Greater Atlanta Christian, Cason shined as both a pitcher and a shortstop en route to earning Gatorade Player of the Year honors in Georgia last spring. On the mound, the right-hander posted a 0.48 ERA with 99 strikeouts over 43 2/3 innings. At the plate, the right-handed hitter batted .364/.519/.545 with three home runs, 28 RBIs, 32 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases.

As a senior, Cason flashed a three-pitch mix that consisted of a 93-95 mph fastball that reached 97-98 mph, a low-80s split-grip changeup, and a tight slider with similar velocity, per his MLB.com scouting report. The athletic 6-foot-1, 190-pounder also possesses solid speed and power potential, which he put on display while showcasing his abilities as a shortstop at the MLB Draft Combine.

Though most teams preferred him as a pitcher during the pre-draft process, the Red Sox will provide Cason with an avenue to develop on both sides of the ball at the outset of his pro career. Devin Pearson, Boston’s director of amateur scouting, made that much clear when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) shortly after Cason was drafted.

“Our group was actually a little bit split on it. We had some guys that liked him better as a pitcher and other guys that liked him better as a hitter,” Pearson said. “On both sides, you have an elite athlete who can throw 100 mph and hit balls very far. We will take that bet and see where he best fits but we’re going to develop him as a two-way player.”

Cason, who does not turn 19 until August, comes into the new year ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 15 prospect in Boston’s farm system. He is currently projected by SoxProspects.com (which has him ranked 16th) to open the 2025 minor-league season at Low-A Salem. How his workload is managed will presumably come into focus closer to Opening Day.

(Picture of Conrad Cason via his Instagram)

Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer provides update on lower back injury that cut his 2024 season short

After missing the final two months of the 2024 season with a lumbar strain in his lower back, top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer provided an update on his health in a recent conversation with MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam.

“I’m really good,” Mayer told McAdam. “Lower back’s great. I’ve been cleared for a while now, so I’ve been progressing swinging-wise, doing my stuff and working hard in the weight room, doing whatever I can to get my body in the best position for this upcoming season.”

As noted by McAdam, Mayer has not done much in terms of hitting so far this winter, though that will likely change soon.

“I’m still ramping up,” Mayer said. “But as far as that goes, my swing feels phenomenal right now. It feels like I haven’t missed a beat, which is weird because usually when I take a week off, I feel extremely rusty. But I took like two months off and I feel great right now. I’ll be ready to (be a full-go for the start of spring training).”

Mayer, the No. 10 prospect in Baseball America’s top 100 rankings, saw his season cut short by injury for a second straight year over the summer. The recently-turned 22-year-old was limited to 78 games between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland in 2023 due to a lingering left shoulder impingement that ultimately shut him down that August.

Mayer broke camp with Portland this past spring and was putting together a stellar season at the plate through late July. The left-handed hitter netted 2024 Eastern League Post-Season All-Star honors by batting .307/.370/.480 with 28 doubles, eight home runs, 38 RBIs, 60 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 30 walks, and 66 strikeouts in 77 games (335 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs.

On the other side of the ball, Mayer drew encouraging reviews for his defensive ability at shortstop, where he started 65 games and committed 10 errors in 212 chances with Portland this year. The 6-foot-3, 188-pound infielder also made exactly one start at third base for the second season in a row.

In the weeks following his second straight trip to the All-Star Futures Game, Mayer hit a snag. He was placed on Portland’s injured list on August 1, two days after leaving a game early with what was initially described as lower back and upper glute muscle soreness. Since the issue was deemed minor, the Red Sox proceeded to activate and then promote Mayer to Triple-A Worcester on August 12 with the expectation that he would quickly find his way into the lineup.

The soreness in Mayer’s back, however, persisted. Further medical evaluation, including an MRI, led to the diagnosis of a lumbar strain. Rather than act aggressively, the Red Sox ended Mayer’s season before he could even notch his first Triple-A at-bat by placing him on Worcester’s injured list on August 20 and sending him to extended spring training in Fort Myers, Fla. so he could focus on his rehab.

“Extremely frustrating. As a player, of course you don’t want to get injured,” said Mayer. “I work extremely hard while I play to try to prevent injury. I think I’ve just been unlucky these past couple of years. I don’t think it’s something that happened because I didn’t do that or didn’t do this. I fell (resulting in the shoulder injury), something I can’t control. And the other one, I just had a little back problem.

“It’s obviously not ideal, but that’s the situation I’ve been put in and all I can do now is work my ass off (to rehab),” he continued. “I went down to Florida (in the fall) for a month, worked with the trainers there, did workouts, did some core stuff. They sent me home and I continued that training, and I’m pretty much a full-go right now. I’ll start hitting around the new year, which is more than enough time for me. You don’t need to be hitting all off-season.”

Originally selected by Boston with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Eastlake High School (Chula Vista, Calif.), Mayer — barring a trade or other surprise move — is expected to open the 2025 campaign at Worcester. If he can stay on the field and quell any concerns about his durability, he should be able to put himself in a position to make his major league debut before the season draws to a close.

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

Red Sox lose former top international signing to Phillies in minor-league phase of Rule 5 Draft

The Red Sox lost four players to other clubs in the minor-league phase of Wednesday’s Rule 5 Draft, including their top international signing six years ago.

Eduardo Lopez, a first baseman/outfielder from the Dominican Republic, was selected by the Phillies in the first round (27th overall) of the Triple-A phase on Wednesday. The 22-year-old has been assigned to Philadelphia’s Triple-A affiliate but will more than likely open the 2025 season at the High-A or Double-A level.

Lopez received the largest bonus ($1.15 million) of any international free agent the Red Sox brought in during the 2018-2019 international signing period. At that time, Dave Dombrowski — who now serves as the Phillies’ president of baseball operations — held that same title with Boston.

After officially putting pen to paper in July 2018, Lopez did not make his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League until the following June. The Tamboril native’s 2020 season was wiped out because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He was limited to just 11 games between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem in 2021 due to an unspecified injury. Injuries were again an issue in 2022 and 2023 to a certain extent.

Lopez returned to and spent the entirety of the 2024 season at High-A Greenville. Serving as bench depth, the switch-hitter batted .232/.343/.425 with 11 doubles, three triples, a career-high six home runs, 23 RBIs, 29 runs scored, four stolen bases, 30 walks, and 49 strikeouts in 56 games (213 plate appearances) for the Drive. That includes a .188/.325/.406 slash line from the right side of the plate and a .242/.347/.430 slash line from the left side.

Among the 131 hitters who made at least 210 trips to the plate in the South Atlantic League this year, Lopez ranked 21st in line-drive rate (25.6 percent), 22nd in walk rate (14.1 percent), 23rd in isolated power (.193), 34th in slugging percentage, 36th in wOBA (.355) and wRC+ (120), 38th in OPS (.768), 39th in speed score (6.9), 47th in on-base percentage, 52nd in strikeout rate (23 percent), and 59th in swinging-strike rate (12.3 percent), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Lopez saw the majority of his playing time with Greenville come at first base after only making one career start there prior to this past season. The 5-foot-11, 187-pounder logged 332 1/3 innings at first, committing two errors in 279 chances. He also started three games in left field (where he recorded three assists), five starts in right field (where he recorded one assist), and seven games at DH.

Despite the large signing bonus and flashes of potential he showed, Lopez never emerged as a premier prospect in his six-plus years with the Red Sox organization. He was left off the club’s 38-player Triple-A reserve list for the second straight year last month, which allowed the Phillies to purchase his contract and add him to their system on Wednesday.

Lopez, who turns 23 in May, is on track to become eligible for minor-league free agency for the first time at the end of the 2025 season.

(Picture of Eduardo Lopez: Gwinn Davis/Greenville Drive)