New Portland Sea Dogs Manager Carlos Febles was in Boston for the Red Sox organizational meetings this week. When the meetings ended, Febles accepted an invitation to visit Hadlock Field for the first time.

“Drove up this morning,” Febles said Friday.

Febles drove?

“No, no,” Febles quickly clarified. “I won’t drive in the snow.”

The Sea Dogs provided a ride for Febles, who noted that it was 84 degrees in his native Dominican Republic.

“It’s snowing and it’s cold, but I’m happy to be here,” Febles said.

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Febles, 39, continued to say all the right things in his official introduction to Portland. Everything he has heard about the city is positive, and “hopefully, we’ll have a championship season.”

A championship season may be a stretch, considering that the Sea Dogs are coming off a last-place finish, and the team that feeds into Double-A Portland – Class A Salem, which Febles managed last year – was a last-place club in the Carolina League.

“Another year of experience, I think they’ll be good,” Febles said, keeping the glass half full.

This Portland team could eventually get a boost if Boston’s top prospects – second baseman Yoan Moncada, third baseman Rafael Devers and outfielder Andrew Benintendi – reach Double-A this summer. They are expected to begin the season in Salem.

Another prospect who could be on his way is pitcher Trey Ball, a first-round draft pick in 2013. Ball, 21, was 9-13 with a 4.73 ERA in Salem last year.

“He’s a young kid, and a talented kid. He’s got a great arm,” Febles said. “He has to work on his secondary stuff. He’s inconsistent with command.

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“At some point, if he’s not up (to Portland) right away, you’ll see him in the second half.”

Another player Febles managed last year was first baseman Sam Travis, who was the Red Sox minor league offensive player of the year after batting .313 with an .845 OPS in Salem in the first half, then .300 with an .821 OPS in Portland in the second half.

“Besides his tools, he’s a great human being, he’s a gamer and he hates to lose,” Febles said.

Febles said he has no idea if Travis will be back in Portland or will move on to Triple-A Pawtucket.

After a six-year major league playing career with Kansas City, Febles spent one minor league season with the Red Sox organization in Pawtucket. He eventually rejoined the Red Sox as a minor league coach, and has been a manager since 2011, working his way up from short-season Lowell, to low Class A Greenville, and then to Salem the past two seasons.

Febles is replacing Billy McMillon, who managed the Sea Dogs for two seasons before becoming a roving minor league outfield and base-running instructor for the Red Sox.

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This will be Febles’ first time experiencing the cold spring months of New England baseball since his Pawtucket days in 2004.

“As a former player, I kind of have an idea about cold weather,” Febles said. “I already told one of the coaches that I played in Pawtucket. He said that was nothing compared to Portland.”

The Sea Dogs begin their season April 7 in Reading, Pennsylvania, and open at home April 14.

 


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