No real surprises will greet Hadlock Field fans at 6 p.m. Thursday when the Portland Sea Dogs open the 2015 season.

The Boston Red Sox announced the rosters for their minor league teams on Tuesday and the Double-A Sea Dogs have the bunch they pretty much expected.

Almost all the players who figured to move on to Triple-A have. And all the prospects in Class A are still there.

Four of Portland’s 26 players are listed among Baseball America’s top 30 Red Sox prospects – infielder Carlos Asuaje (No. 25), pitcher Justin Haley (28), outfielder Henry Ramos (29) and pitcher Pat Light (30).

Ramos and Haley are back for a second season with the Sea Dogs. Ramos batted .326 in 48 games before breaking his leg. Haley was a late promotion from advanced Class A Salem, recording a 1.19 ERA in six starts.

Asuaje, 23, was an 11th-round draft pick in 2013 out of Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He had a breakout season last year, moving from Class A Greenville to Salem, batting .310, with a .927 OPS. He can play second or third base, as well as left field.

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Light, 24, was the 37th overall pick in the 2012 draft, out of Monmouth University. He was 6-6 with a 4.93 ERA at Salem last year.

Among the other returning Sea Dogs are three in the starting rotation: Mike Augliera (8-10, 4.56 ERA and a team-leading 148 innings), Luis Diaz (3-4, 3.72) and Mike McCarthy (10-4, 4.82).

Lefty reliever Robby Scott (8-2, 1.96) returns for a second season with the Sea Dogs – although he will be ripe for promotion if he keeps putting up impressive numbers. The same might be said for Dayan Dian (2-1, 2.76).

Catcher Michael Brenly and outfielder Keury De La Cruz both return for a second season at Hadlock.

First-baseman Dave Chester, infielder Mike Miller, utility player Jonathan Roof and outfielder Kevin Heller are all back in Portland after having received promotions from Salem during last season.

Two longtime Sea Dogs will begin in Pawtucket – catcher Matt Spring and pitcher Keith Couch. Both were also in the major league spring training camp this year.

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Manager Billy McMillon returns for a second season. Dave Joppie comes back to Portland as hitting coach after two seasons with Pawtucket. Kevin Walker is the new pitching coach, moving up from Salem. Joe Thurston is also a new coach.

Last year’s Sea Dogs team finished with a franchise-record 88 wins. But that team featured several top prospects – Mookie Betts, Blake Swihart, Deven Marrero, Travis Shaw, Henry Owens, Brian Johnson and Eduardo Rodriguez among them. They are all in Triple-A, except for Betts, who is Boston’s starting center fielder.

Among the top prospects in Salem are outfielder Manuel Margot (the No. 7 prospect, according to Baseball America), first baseman Sam Travis (No. 12) and pitcher Trey Ball (No. 15).

 


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