Plenty to watch in 2nd half
PawSox could welcome reinforcements very soon
PAWTUCKET — Please forgive us for not providing you, the loyal reader, with “Five Items to Watch” at the onset of the 2018 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 – feels like only yesterday that Pawtucket was revving up the engine against Lehigh Valley only to see the season opener get snowed out – it’s probably a good thing we avoided taking the crystal ball for a spin. The smart money was on Jeremy Barfield producing an adequate number of home runs after bashing 27 for Double-A Portland last year. Instead, Barfield hit just two homers and was batting .132 upon getting released on May 14. Pawtucket’s current co-leader in home runs (Mike Olt, 10) began the season in Portland. The player with the second-most round trippers is Adam Lind with seven. He didn’t join the PawSox until June 2. Thank goodness for in-season reinforcements. No one could have predicted Ryan Brasier’s rise to closing stardom and the road it ultimately led him down. The 30-year-old seemed an afterthought in a Pawtucket bullpen that was bursting at the seams with 40-man roster candidates. Very quietly, Brasier climbed the ladder and emerged as a premier ninth-inning stopper.
Instead of bringing his 13 saves in 14 chances to Columbus, Ohio for this week’s Triple-A All-Star Game, the steely-eyed Brasier earned a well-deserved call-up to Boston. No one, not even the Red Sox, had to see Brasier’s performance coming. Those are just a taste of the newsworthy events that added a little extra zest to a first half that despite omnipresent roster changes, along with a slew of rehabbers passing through, saw Pawtucket pull into the All-Star break with more losses (46) than wins (41). We know that a successful Triple-A season isn’t defined by what the record says after 149 games, but rather fulfilling the primary mission which is to supply the parent club with adequate reinforcements. Expounding on that last point, the PawSox have done an okay job. Brasier on Sunday became the 10th different player promoted from Pawtucket to Boston. Of the 10, Brandon Workman has easily been the best callup, posting a better ERA with the parent club (1.80 through 16 appearances) than he did while biding his time in Triple-A (4.18 in 15 games). 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 unofficial second half – 63 percent of the season is safely in the books – kicks off Thursday night with Syracuse serving as the opposition at McCoy Stadium. As usual, the promise of intrigue and discovery remain alive and well.
1). McCoy ahoy this season or next?
Had Michael Chavis not been suspended for 80 days because of a positive test for a performance-enhancing drug, it’s likely the 22-year-old would be in Pawtucket right now. Alas, Chavis only recently returned to game action and is off to a .208 start at the plate through seven games. With Portland also enjoying the All-Star break, the Red Sox elected to send Chavis to Single-A Lowell on Monday in an effort to get more at-bats. A 2014 first-round pick of Boston, Chavis did hit 31 homers last year. We can debate whether those numbers were chemically enhanced or 100-percent natural another time. The here-and-now pertains to the PawSox and the 52 games they have left before the curtain is lowered on the season come Labor Day. Will Chavis be able to shake off the rust in time 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). Time to catch on
The news that the Red Sox will be without Christian Vazquez for the next 6-8 weeks following surgery on his right pinky finger opens the door for regular reps for Blake Swihart. Playing devil’s advocate, what happens in the event Swihart struggles behind the plate and Vazquez’s recovery period proves more on the eight-week side than six weeks? Remember the name Oscar Hernandez, owner of 17 games of MLB experience who has earned rave reviews for his defensive abilities since joining the PawSox on May 31. Whether it’s blocking, receiving, or stymieing the running game – to date he’s thrown out 10-of-18 would-be base stealers – Hernandez, 25, could emerge as an internal solution should the Red Sox be in the market for a defensive-first catcher.
3). Butter with that bread, please
With a fastball that’s been clocked at 100 miles per hour on several occasions, PawSox reliever Ty Buttrey has earned rave reviews for his ability to bring the heat. Internally, Pawtucket is pleased that he continues to show signs of becoming more of a pitcher who understands the importance of secondary pitches that are needed to compliment the fastball as opposed to being strictly a thrower, i.e. trying to out-muscle hitters with good ole No. 1. There are still areas where Buttrey must improve, most notably not slowing down his delivery with runners on base. Still, there’s no denying the ability – 54 of his last 105 outs recorded have been strikeouts. A September callup seems definite, though don’t be surprised if Buttrey gets a look before rosters can expand.
4). Onward and upward
Thanks to reinvesting in a swing that’s worked well for him in the past, Sam Travis has looked much better at the plate lately. For a player of his prospect status, it was alarming to see his batting average dip as low as .194 on June 19. Thanks to his numbers thus far in July (.300 average, two homers), Travis enters the second half with a .227 average. The launch angle revolution that’s become the toast of baseball doesn’t work for everybody. When Travis is performing well, he’s a line-drive machine that stems from the bat traveling much quicker through the strike zone. By going back to the basics, Travis appears poised for a promising second half. Had he been able to come out of his funk much sooner, perhaps the Red Sox wouldn’t have swung a deal for a right-handed first baseman (Steve Pearce) to compliment the left-handed (and American League All-Star) Mitch Moreland. With Boston seemingly set at first base, now seems a good time for Travis to get regular reps in left field. He’s looked good when going back to track balls, but he still needs work when moving side to side. Arm-wise, he’s yet to be truly tested.
5). More outside reinforcements?
When veteran second baseman Brandon Phillips joins the PawSox, possibly as early as this weekend, he’ll become the latest someone-thinks-Ican-still-do-this 30-something to stroll down the 18th fairway with Boston handling the caddy duties. By taking a low-risk flyer on Phillips, the Red Sox are signaling that they are arming themselves in case two-time World Series winner Dustin Pedroia is unable to come back this season. Could another Phillips-type bang on the door of the PawSox clubhouse? Chances are he’s out there. The question is whether something happens at the big-league level that results in a ripple effect. Going a step further, will Boston management comb the waiver wire or look inward for help?