With Boston Red Sox President Dave Dombrowski in office for less than two seasons, it’s hard to figure out his timing for moving up prospects. The Theo Epstein/Ben Cherington regime had been fairly predictable.
That said, Rafael Devers’ days in Portland seem numbered – if not already up.
The Sea Dogs begin a homestand Tuesday night. Who will be at third base? Devers? Veteran Mike Olt? Rising prospect Michael Chavis?
Devers, 20, who signed with Boston less than four years ago, out of the Dominican Republic, is the No. 1 prospect in the Red Sox system. Because of his age, and only 49 games at the Double-A level, the Red Sox could play it safe and let him build his confidence in Portland.
But there are plenty of reasons to bump him up to Triple-A Pawtucket. Here are five:
n Devers is batting .308 with a .371 on-base percentage and .544 slugging average (for a .915 OPS). He shows power (10 home runs), patience (19 walks) and ability to make contact (only 39 strikeouts in 182 at-bats).
Compare that to two other recent, young prospects from the Caribbean:
Yoan Moncada had just turned 21 when he came to Portland last June. In 45 games (177 at-bats), Moncada batted .277/.910 OPS with 11 home runs and 64 strikeouts. He was playing with Boston by September.
Xander Bogaerts began the 2013 season in Portland at the age of 20 (he also played 23 games with the Sea Dogs in 2012). In 2013, Bogaerts batted .311/.909 in 219 at-bats, with six home runs and 51 strikeouts. He was promoted to Pawtucket and reached Boston by August.
• Devers has demonstrated an ability to adapt. Every player has adversity. Can he bounce back? Devers began 2016 in a slump in Salem and worked his way out of it. This year, his average dropped 42 points over 17 days in May. Since then, he’s 10 for 19 with a double, triple and two home runs.
• There is no one keeping Devers from Triple-A. Journeyman Matt Dominguez (.210/.576) is Pawtucket’s current third baseman.
• Seeing if Devers hits Triple-A pitching will give Boston an indication if he could help the big-league team later this year. Third base has been a sore spot all season.
• Moving Devers up would make room for Chavis, who is tearing up the Carolina League, batting .337/1.091, with 14 home runs. Chavis, recovering from a sprained thumb, is playing third base nearly every day now.
If there is a concern about Devers, it is his fielding.
He began showing improvement last year, and has looked solid enough in Portland, although with seven errors in 42 games at third.
The glove is good enough. There is some pop in the bat. Time for Devers to move on.
IN PAWTUCKET, Bryce Brentz continues his comeback from oblivion. On May 19, he was batting .162 with four home runs. Since, Brentz is batting .349 (15 for 43) with five home runs … Left-handed starter Jalen Beeks, just promoted from Portland, had a rough debut Sunday. He gave up four runs in the first three innings, but settled down to allow only one hit and no runs over the next three innings. … Ty Buttrey, also just promoted, relieved Beeks. He gave up a single and, after a stolen base and a wild pitch, gave up an RBI single. Buttrey then induced a 4-6-3 double play and retired his final four batters.
IN PORTLAND, free-agent outfielder Jeremy Barfield is fitting in well, with a .318 average/.970 OPS and four home runs in his first 11 games.
IN SALEM, right-handed starter Michael Shawaryn (fifth-round draft pick last year), made his Carolina League debut Sunday. He gave up seven hits and two runs over five innings, with six strikeouts and one walk. … First baseman Josh Ockimey is batting .313/.923 with seven home runs.
IN GREENVILLE, shortstop C.J. Chatham (second-round pick last year) remains on the disabled list with a pulled hamstring. He strained it in spring training, came back for one game May 19 and injured it again. … Right-handed starter Bryan Mata, who turned 18 last month, is the youngest player in the South Atlantic League, having been called up May 26. In two starts, Mata has allowed seven hits and two runs over nine innings, with 10 strikeouts and four walks.
ELSEWHERE, the Red Sox made the lopsided trade for reliever Tyler Thornburg look even worse on Monday, naming shortstop Yeison Coca as “the player to be named later” in the deal. Boston already sent Travis Shaw, Mauricio Dubon and Chad Pennington to Milwaukee for Thornburg, who has yet to pitch this year because of a sore shoulder. Coca, who turned 18 two weeks ago, was one of Boston’s top-rated middle-infield prospects (batting .308 in the Dominican Summer League last year).
Kevin Thomas can be reached at 791-6411 or:
kthomas@pressherald.com
Twitter: @ClearTheBases
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