Plenty to watch in 2nd half
Devers arrival, Swihart’s situation things to look out for with PawSox
PAWTUCKET — Please forgive us for not providing you, the loyal reader, with “Five Items to Watch” at the onset of the 2017 season for the Pawtucket Red Sox. The feature was a staple that appeared in print and online over the past several campaigns – its premise to provide some insight on what to keep an eye on during the usual flurry of activity that in turn makes a Triple-A clubhouse such a unique environment.
Looking at how the first three-plus months have unfolded – it feels like only yesterday that Pawtucket was getting ready to open the season in Lehigh Valley – it’s probably a good thing we avoided taking the crystal ball for a whirl.
No one could have predicted the number of games that Sam Travis logged with the PawSox (44) nearly equaled the number of days he’s spent with the Red Sox (38). Ditto for Henry Owens getting sent back to Double-A Portland, or Boston’s decision to cut bait with Allen Craig despite owing him nearly $6 million for the balance of this season.
Those are just a taste of the newsworthy events that added a little extra zest to a first half that despite
constant roster changes along with a slew of rehabbers passing through, saw Pawtucket pull into the All-Star break with as many wins as losses (44). We know that a successful Triple-A season isn’t defined by what the record says after 142 games, but rather fulfilling the primary mission which is to supply the parent club with adequate reinforcements in a time of need.
Expounding on that last point, the PawSox have done an okay job. Brian Johnson’s complete-game shutout against Seattle is an obvious feather in Pawtucket’s developmental cap, yet one can’t help but think the promotion of Tzu-Wei Lin from Portland was a major indictment on the PawSox infielders.
Looking to right past wrongs, it’s time to dust off “Five Items to Watch” and apply it to the resumption of Pawtucket’s season. The second half kicks off in Syracuse Thursday night. As usual, the promise of intrigue and discovery remain alive and well.
1.) Top-flight talent on its way?
Rafael Devers, the 20-year-old wunderkind who has very little left to prove against Eastern League pitching following a sensational first half that saw him post a triple-slash line of .300/.369/.575 with 18 home runs, should be joining the PawSox in the not-so-distant future. After watching both Andrew Benintendi and Yoan Moncada bypass Triple-A last summer, you can’t help but look Boston president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski in the eye and say, “you owe us” as it relates to having a ballyhooed prospect experience a little minor-league seasoning, Pawtucket style.
If you’re looking for a timeframe as it relates to Devers’ ETA with the PawSox, let’s look at how this coming weekend plays out schedulewise.
Pawtucket will spend four days in Syracuse before returning home on Monday for the start of a seven-game homestand. Portland opens the second half with five games in four days in New Hampshire – also the site of last night’s Eastern League All-Star Game that featured Devers – before returning to Hadlock Field on Monday.
Considering traveling logistics, it makes little sense for the Red Sox to move Devers right now. Let him catch his breath over the weekend in New Hampshire, then reassess the situation sometime next week. Hopefully they’ll be a resolution to the Pablo Sandoval/Jhonny Peralta platoon so that the trigger can be pulled and a young and talented third baseman with tremendous upside can be delivered to Ben Mondor Way.
2.) Do you believe in 2nd chances?
You should if you’re Bryce Brentz, providing he keeps producing with the bat. Taken off Boston’s 40-man roster at the end of spring training, the 28-year-old outfielder has enjoyed a power-packed renaissance that features more home runs (18) than any current member on the Red Sox roster.
With just 92 home runs in 89 games, Boston ranks last in the American League. The idea of Brentz supplementing the current Red Sox starting outfield arrangement is pure folly, but what about the idea of swapping him out for the fourth outfield spot that belongs to Chris Young?
We started to warm up to the idea of a Brentz-for-Young switch last Sunday after watching Young pop up with the bases loaded and two down in the ninth inning against Tampa Bay. Crunching some numbers, Brentz is hitting .283 with a .567 slugging percentage against lefthanded pitching. Meanwhile, Young versus southpaws is batting .245 with a .344 slugging percentage.
Adding Brentz would give the Red Sox a pure home run threat off the bench, a dynamic that John Farrell doesn’t have in his late-game managerial arsenal. It’s something to think about if Young, once again, comes up small in a key spot.
3.) Time to catch on
Presumably, the Red Sox will add a third catcher when the rosters expand on September 1. Does Blake Swihart, currently on Pawtucket’s disabled list with left ankle inflammation, get an automatic summons just because he’s on the 40-man roster?
Swihart went into the season as Pawtucket’s primary catcher. His days moonlighting as a left fielder were so 2016, but neither the output behind the plate nor in the batter’s box have been encouraging. Already with two trips to the disabled list and several days missed after a frightening collision with Travis in foul territory, health may explain why Swihart is hitting just .213 with the PawSox.
PawSox manager Kevin Boles said earlier this week that Swihart was undergoing different treatments to help flexibility and remove the soreness from his ankle. He’s done some defensive work and taken some swings in the cage. With seven weeks to go until September, it’s imperative that Swihart gets back on the field sooner rather than later and produce at a clip that at one time made him one of the organization’s top up-and- comers.
4). Who in the ‘pen will be mightier?
Boles acknowledged that his relief corps has at times been a hit-or-miss group – “I don’t think it’s been smooth sailing,” he said a few days before the break.
The wave of hard-throwing righthanders who came up from Portland earlier in the season – Jamie Callahan, Austin Maddox and Ty Buttrey – was supposed to supplement a group that included 40-man roster members Noe Ramirez, Kyle Martin, and Brandon Workman.
Of the Sea Dog imports, Maddox has made the greatest impact, witnessed by his addition to Boston’s roster. Buttrey was hailed as a potential closer-in-waiting, but he’s struggled (9.20 ERA and 10 walks in 14.2 innings), though his final outing of the first half did see the 24-year-old snap a streak of four straight outings with giving up at least one run. Callahan does have three saves to go along with 25 strikeouts in 21.1 innings, yet he’s posted a 4.15 ERA that suggests he’s endured a few flairups along the way.
Martin (4.08 ERA in 22 games) has been a source of concern while Workman appears to be trending in the right direction – he lit up the McCoy Stadium radar gun with a 94mph pitch during his two-batter stint against Buffalo this past Sunday. Given the group’s overall shakiness, it’s not surprising to hear that Dombrowski is in the market for bullpen help as the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline approaches.
5). Race is on
Triple-A teams need pitchers like Edgar Olmos and Marcus Walden in order to get through the season – guys who can yo-yo from starting to relieving and back again. Both represent a major reason why the PawSox begin the second half with a .500 record. (Walden leads Pawtucket with seven wins followed by Olmos with six.)
Could one of them receive a September call-up? Absolutely. Right now, Olmos has to be viewed as the leading candidate due to the simple reason that he throws left-handed. Looking down the road, the Red Sox figure to add a third lefty who could find himself thrust into key spots down the stretch – a la Robby Scott last year.
Is there another PawSox mystery candidate who the Red Sox feel is worthy enough to receive a September nod? Guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Adding Brentz would give the Red Sox a pure home run threat off the bench, a dynamic that John Farrell doesn’t have in his late-game managerial arsenal. It’s something to think about if Young, once again, comes up small in a key spot.