First up is 25 year old left handed pitcher Skyler Arias. He was drafted at 19 by the Cleveland Indians in 2016 before being released in 2022. He spent last year in the Chicago White Sox system going 2-1 for their Single A team with a 3.91 ERA. This year so far he's 1-0 with a 2.16 ERA and this is clearly a reclamation project. I don't know why Chaim Bloom looks at castoffs and say "I can fix that guy" but hey, least Skyler has a paying job.
Next up was one of the 2020 trades made by Bloom, 24 year old right handed pitcher Zach Bryant. He was the player to be named in the Josh Osich trade and he had a solid year out of the bullpen for the 2021 Greenville Drive. Unfortunately he flopped last year in Portland going 1-4 with a 7.64 ERA before landing on the long-term injury list. The sad part was Bloom made a ton of trades for prospects in 2020 and only Bryant and Christian Koss remain from those trades.
Up next is one of the last Dave Dombrowski picks, 24 year old left handed pitcher Brendan Cellucci. Drafted in the 12th round back in 2019, Cellucci was straight batting practice for the Lowell Spinners and Greenville Drive in 2019 and 2021 before being mediocre last year for the Drive. This year he's posted an 8.59 ERA and its unlikely he progresses any further. With the glut of pitching drafted by Bloom in 2021 and 2022, Cellucci is running out of time to make an impact.
Up next is the guy they got in the Frank German trade in February, 26 year old right handed pitcher Theo Denlinger. Denlinger was chosen by the Chicago White Sox in the seventh round of the 2021 draft 19 picks after the Sox took Wyatt Olds. He had a mediocre 2022 season for the Birmingham Barons before going to the Sox in the German trade. Sox GM Chaim Bloom has traded for several 2021 draft picks and the hope is Denlinger uses his 96 mph fastball to get guys out in Portland. He's currently 1-2 with a 1.23 ERA so we'll see how this goes. He played 5 years of college ball and wasn't that good so if the Sox get anything out of him, it will be a great underdog story.
Up next is unquestionably the team's ace, 24 year old left handed pitcher Shane Drohan. The current number 12 ranked prospect in the system, Drohan was the fifth and final draft pick of the 2020 draft and he's been a solid starter for Salem & Greenville the last two years. So far this season he's 4-0 with a 0.78 ERA and looks to be headed to Worcester sooner rather than later. With the production line of aging veterans Worcester currently has like Matt Dermody and Ryan Sheriff, a fresh face like Drohan would be a welcome addition if he keeps pitching well.
Up next is also one of the last of the Dombrowski boys, 24 year old right handed pitcher Ryan Fernandez. He was drafted in the 23rd round back in 2018 and dominated both Lowell in 2019 and Salem in 2021. Unfortunately he hit a wall in Greenville in 2021 and struggled last year in both Greenville & Portland. This year he hasn't allowed a run in 4 innings so hopefully last year was just a hiccup for Fernandez.
Up next is a sad story, 27 year old right handed pitcher Michael Gettys. Gettys was originally a highly touted outfield prospect drafted in the second round by the San Diego Padres in 2014. After flaming out as an outfielder, the Boston Red Sox signed him following the 2020 season and converted him to a pitcher. After proving himself in Greenville in 2022 he became Portland's Mariano Rivera, going 2-0 with a 0.48 and 7 saves to end the season. Unfortunately its unlikely he pitches this season as he just underwent back surgery to repair a herniated disc that's been bothering him for seven years now. The Sox may bring him back next year, but who knows.
Up next is the team's elder statesman, 28 year old left handed pitcher Rio Gomez. Gomez was drafted by Dombrowski in the 36th round back in 2017 and spent the next three years as one of the better pitchers in the lower levels. He looked solid in 2021 but flopped in 2022 going 2-1 with a 6.55 ERA. This year he's currently 1-0 with a 4.32 ERA so it doesn't look good. Still, considering he was drafted in the 36th round, getting this far is an accomplishment onto itself.
Up next is the team's underdog, 22 year old right handed pitcher Luis Guerrero. The current number 25 ranked prospect in the system, Guerrero was drafted in the 17th round back in 2021 out of Junior College and was solid for the Florida Complex, Salem & Greenville last year. This year he has an ERA of 2.57 in 7 games so he's definitely showing some promise. Amazing how first round pick back in 2013 Trey Ball couldn't make it out of AA but a 17th round pick like Guerrero appears headed to Worcester at some point. Good luck Guerrero.
Up next is 24 year old right handed pitcher Cjih-Jung Liu. Three days before the Sox hired Chaim Bloom as GM back in 2019, the Sox signed Taiwanese free agent Liu to a contract. He was straight batting practice for Salem in 2021 and both Greenville & Portland in 2022. This year he's currently 2-1 with a 5.09 RTA and he's just one of many guys that was hampered by having no season in 2020. Still, if he doesn't do a better job, he's had it. There's plenty of pitchers in Salem and Greenville that can take his place.
Up next is injured 26 year old left handed pitcher Dominic LoBrutto. LoBrutto was drafted in the 18th round back in 2017 and looked to have hit a wall in Portland in both 2019 and 2021. Turns out he had an elbow injury and underwent Tommy John surgery last year. He won't be back until at least August this year so we'll see how he performs when the time comes. Get well soon.
Moving right along to another reclamation project, 27 year old right handed pitcher Ryan Miller. Miller was drafted back in 2018 by the Arizona Diamondbacks and bounced around, ending up in the New York Yankees system last year as a terrible reliever for the Hudson Valley Renegades. So far this year he's posted an ERA of 1.13 in 8 innings so not all hope is lost. If the Sea Dogs can get anything out of him, that's a bonus.
Up next is another underdog story, 27 year old left handed pitcher Brendan Nail. Nail wasn't even drafted back in 2017, he was a rookie free agent who only pitched in 31 games between 2017 and 2019. He's been solid out of the bullpen for Greenville and Portland the last two seasons but at 27 years old, being in Double A isn't a good look. He better start dominating batters this year or he's had it, but even then, just making it this far after not even being drafted is remarkable. Good news is he hasn't allowed a run in 7 innings so far.
Up next is one of the biggest head scratchers in Chaim Bloom's tenure as GM, 23 year old right handed pitcher Wyatt Olds. Olds was drafted in the 7th round back in 2021 after having a lousy senior year at Oklahoma University. He was terrible in Greenville last year going 4-9 with a 6.01 ERA and so far he's 0-1 with a 7.04 ERA this season. Its one thing for a highly touted prospect like the beforementioned Ball flame out, but when you draft a bum and he performs like a bum, what was Bloom expecting? Still, the season is young and he has time to turn things around....I hope.
Up next is another long term injured pitcher, 25 year old right handed pitcher Yusniel Padron-Artiles. Artiles. He was a 22nd round pick back in 2018 and has been batting practice at every level after dominating Lowell in 2019. Unfortunately he was hurt in the 2023 Caribbean Series in February and is expected to miss the entire 2023 season. So much for him.
Up next is struggling 26 year old right handed pitcher Cody Scroggins. Scroggins was drafted in the 9th round back in 2019 and apart from a 19 game stretch in Salem in 2021, he's been hammered at every level he's pitched in. He posted a 5.12 ERA last year between Greenville and Portland and this year he's allowed 5 runs in just 1 1/3 innings. Guys like this aren't expected to do anything because usually a new GM either trades the best prospects from, or cleans out, the previous regime. Scroggins may need a change of scenery at this point.
Next up is the only pitcher on the roster with Major League experience, 27 year old right handed pitcher Sterling Sharp. He was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 22nd round back in 2016 and made his ML Debut in 2020 with the Miami Marlins, getting hammered for 7 runs in 5 innings. He was batting practice for the Rochester Red Wings in 2021 and 2022 before finding new life with the Portland Sea Dogs at the end of last year. Maybe he's not good enough to make the big leagues again but he can be a good mentor to some of the guys like Drohan and Jacob Webb who are Worcester bound sooner or later. If he can pitch well in a few games, even better. He's currently 1-0 with a 1.00 ERA.
Up next is 25 year old right handed pitcher Dylan Spacke. He was drafted in the 21st round back in 2019 and had a solid year with the Greenville Drive in 2021. He was hammered in Portland last year though, but this year he's allowed 1 run in 5 2/3 innings. Sometimes a guy needs a year to figure things out and hopefully this is the year Spacke takes the next step. Like I said earlier, there's plenty of pitchers in Greenville and Salem more than happy to take his place if he falters.
Up next is 26 year old right handed pitcher Brian Van Belle. He was one of the casualties of Covid wiping out the 2020 as he signed as a rookie free agent after going undrafted that season. He was a mediocre starter in Greenville in 2021 before getting hammered in Greenville and Portland last year. Still, like Spacke, it may take a year to get it right and so far Van Belle has an ERA of 0.53 in 3 starts this year. If he can turn it around, Portland could be a playoff contender like they were last year. If not, say hello to the waiver wire.
Up next is 24 year old right handed pitcher Jacob Webb. Webb was drafted in the 14th round of the 2021 draft out of Miami Ohio University and looked impressive to end that season. Last year he went through Salem, Greenville and Portland as a solid reliever. It looks like Webb and Drohan are on the fast track to Worcester, so let's see if Webb can keep the momentum going. So far he's 1-1 with a 1.74 ERA this season and could be the first Bloom draft pick to make Worcester full time depending how he or Drohan pitch. Good luck Webb.
Last up from the pitcher side is 25 year old right handed pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn. Quite frankly, the 2019 third round pick has mostly stunk since he's been drafted. He allowed 12 runs in 22 innings for Lowell in 2019 before posting a 6.91 ERA for Salem in 2021. He was batting practice in Greenville last year before suddenly getting a call up to Portland and pitching well. He allowed just 1 run in 10 innings to end last season and is currently injured. He hasn't made his season debut yet but hopefully he pitches as well as he did at the end of last year, let's see how this turns out.
Moving on to offense, we begin with 23 year old catcher Matt Donlan. Donlan was a rookie free agent out of UConn signed after last year's draft and he had 4 hits in 8 games to end the year in Salem. This year he's on the Development List after just one at-bat this year. Still, to go from undrafted to Double A in under a year is an accomplishment no matter what he's hitting so far. Keep fighting Matt.
Next up is 25 year old switch hitting catcher Elih Marrero. Marrero was an 8th round pick back in 2018 and his best season was hitting .287 in Greenville in 2021. Last year he hit just .207 in Portland and this year he's hitting .125 so far. The Sox are going to need more output from the catcher position so Marrero needs to step it up this season.
Next up is 25 year old outfielder turned catcher Stephen Scott. After being drafted in the 10th round back in 2019, Scott was an average outfielder since. He hit .338 in Greenville at the end of 2021 but hit just .238 last year with 7 home runs. This year they converted him to catcher with Marrero and Donlan big question marks, the hope is one of those three can be a consistent hitter. Either that or they're just holding the fort until Nathan Hickey is ready. He's hitting .289 so far on the season.
Now for the infielder, first is 22 year old third basemen Alex Binelas. Binelas came over in the trade for Hunter Renfroe before last season an hit a paltry .206 between Greenville and Portland. The good news was he hit 25 home runs between the two levels and that is what the Sea Dogs will be looking for this season. So far he's hitting .191 with one home run so he may not be able to hit for average, but the more balls he hits out of the yard, the better.
Next up is up is 27 year old utility infielder Edwin Diaz....no, not the New York Mets pitcher. Diaz has hit a paltry .215 after TEN years in the minors and so far this year he's hitting .143 with 2 homers. I have absolutely no idea why he's on the roster, ask Chaim Bloom what he saw in Diaz that the rest of the league didn't.
Up next is the one of the team's best players, 24 year old first baseman Niko Kavadas. The current number 20 ranked prospect in the system, Kavadas was drafted in the 10th round back in 2021 and blew threw every level he was at until making it to Portland last season. He hit just .222 with 2 home runs in Portland to end 2022 and is currently hitting just .184. If he shows the power and average he showed in Greenville and Salem, he could be on the fast track to Worcester before the year is over.
Kavadas could be a good one
Next up is 25 year old shortstop "Boss" Christian Koss. Koss came over prior to the 2021 season in a trade with Colorado for Yoan Aybar and was solid for Greenville and Portland since. The current 28 ranked prospect is hitting just .148 this year and, like Zach Bryant, is one of the lone 2020 prospects Bloom traded for remaining. He may not make Boston but he might see Worcester this year if he picks up the pace.
Boss Koss needs to pick it up
Up next is the current 13 ranked prospect, 21 year old infielder Matthew Lugo. Carlos Beltran's nephew was drafted in the second round back in 2019 and hit .288 with 18 home runs for Greenville last year. This year he's currently hitting .250 with 10 rbis and he could be a call up to Worcester if he hits like he did last year. Like Kavadas, the sky is the limit for Lugo.
Up next is the number 4 ranked prospect in the whole system, 22 year old third baseman Ceddanne Rafaela. Signed as a teenager in 2018, Rafaela had a breakout season in 2022, hitting .299 with 21 home runs, 28 stolen bases and 86 rbis between Greenville and Portland. This year he's currently hitting .303 with 10 rbis and its just a matter of time before he ends up in Worcester. The Sox have some exciting prospects coming up and Rafaela could be the best of them all.
Next up is injured 25 year old first baseman Tyreque Reed. Reed was picked up in the Rule 5 draft prior to the 2021 season from Texas and had a good season for Greenville and Portland, hitting 17 home runs with a .271 average. Last year he struggled with injuries, hitting just .198 with 6 home runs. When he gets off the injured list, we'll see if he can return to the form he showed in Greenville in 2021.
Up next is the chosen one, 21 year old second baseman Nick Yorke. The number 6 prospect in the system was the 1st round pick back in 2020. He was as good as advertised in 2021 hitting .325 with 14 homers between Salem and Greenville. Last year Yorke hit a cement wall, hitting just .231 with 11 home runs for Greenville. This year he's hitting .246 with 2 home runs although at only 21 years old, he's going to have every chance to climb through the ranks the next few years. With the Sox in desperate need for a second baseman, Yorke needs to tear up AA this year to be in consideration for next season.
Up next is 24 year old right fielder Tyler Dearden. He was a 29th round draft pick in 2017 and has yet to advance past Portland. He hit just .263 last year with 8 home runs so this year he needs to pick up the pace or he'll never see Worcester. Especially with some of the kids they got in Greenville and Salem chomping at the bit. So far he's hitting .310 on the season.
Up next is 24 year old outfielder Tyler McDonough. Tyler was the third round pick back in 2021 and was as good as advertised in 2021, hitting .296 to finish the year in Salem last year Tyler struggled in Greenville, hitting just .230 with 9 home runs. This year he's currently hitting .148 with w home run and it would be nice if he could improve to give Worcester some outfield depth by the end of the season.
Up next is 23 year old outfielder Corey Rosier. Rosier was chosen in the 12th round by the Seattle Mariners 8 picks after the Red Sox took Christopher Troye in the 2021 draft. He came over last year in the trade that sent Jay Groome to the San Diego Padres. He hit just .163 to end the year for Greenville and so far this year he's hitting .357 with 9 stolen bases. Bloom has an unusual attraction to the 2021 draft and it looks like he's stockpiling picks from that draft he had his eye on but weren't able to get. Hopefully Rosier rewards Bloom's faith by having a good season this year.
Last but certainly not least is another one of the team underdogs, 24 year old birthday boy outfielder Phillip Sikes. Sikes was chosen in the 18th round back in 2021 and showed some power by hitting 11 home runs last season between Greenville and Salem. This year he's hitting (insert) and it would be unfair to expect an 18th round pick to be any more than a depth player in Double A or Triple A, but the higher he climbs is a feather in his cap compared to other much higher drafted players that never made it that far.
So there you have the 2023 Portland Sea Dogs, They have some definite rising talent in Drohan, Webb, Kavadas, Rafaela and Lugo but it would be nice to see some surprises come out of them as well. As with anything, the main goal isn't to win every game in sight but groom the ones Major League worthy for the future. It would be nice if they could make the playoffs this year, especially compared to how they lost to the Somerset Patriots last year. So far this year the pitching has been amazing but the offense has been non-existent. Still, the team is 13-5 and looks good so far. If you want to see the dregs of Dombrowski's drafts and the beginning of the Bloom era combined, come to Hadlock Field and see the Sea Dogs this year.
The Red Sox are back in action tomorrow night at home against the Cleveland Guardians. Nick Pivetta (1-1, 4.58 ERA) gets the start for the Red Sox againt Shane Bieber of Cleveland. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
No comments:
Post a Comment