Wednesday, June 19, 2013
With Adrian Gonzalez signed through 2018, the Red Sox don't have an immediate need to develop a first baseman, except in an emergency situation.
Still, it's interesting to note today's minor league transaction as low Class A Greenville and advanced Class A Salem switched first basemen.
Miles Head, 20, got the promotion. He was hitting .338 in Greenville with 15 home runs and a 1.022 OPS. Head was a 26th-round draft pick in 2009 out of a Georgia high school. He had a scholarship to the University of Georgia, so the Red Sox offered a $335,000 bonus to sign him.
Michael Almanzar, 20, received the demotion. He was batting .182 in Salem, in another disappointing season for the prospect. Almanzar was signed out of the Dominican Republic when he was 16, for an eye-opening $1.5-million. He played third base, then was moved to first. Nothing has seemed to work.
With Anthony Rizzo traded and Aaron Bates released in spring training, the Red Sox emergency back-up in Pawtucket is Lars Anderson. Anderson, 23, is struggling with a .244 average/.730 OPS.
Portland has two first basemen. Jorge Padron, 24, is batting .251/.659 OPS. Recently-promoted Reynaldo Rodriguez, 25, is at .245/.731 after 13 games.
Only Head seems to be generating any box, and that at the low Class A level. Who knows how well Head will do as he moves up. But, with Gonzalez in Boston, the Red Sox are in no hurry.
The Sea Dogs play a home doubleheader tonight at 6. Pitching has been a problem for Portland, but the Dogs have two of their better prospects on the mound in Alex Wilson and Chris Balcom-Miller.
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Kevin Thomas covers baseball and basketball for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. He wisely moved to Maine in 1994 after working for the St. Petersburg Times. He is married to Nancy and they have nine children.
Follow his thoughts on the Boston Red Sox and Portland Sea Dogs on Clearing the Bases
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