Andrew Benintendi Needs More Development Before MLB Consideration

By: Forrest Mulheron

The best Red Sox prospect since Dustin Pedroia? Let's not get ahead of ourselves. 

Despite being the third quickest Red Sox prospect behind Pedroia and Jackie Bradley Jr. to earn his Double-A promotion, any talk of Andrew Benintendi reaching the big leagues this season is premature. 

Benintendi was promoted to Double-A Portland last week, the fourth level of professional baseball he has reached since being drafted by Boston seventh overall not even a full year ago. While fans have every reason to be excited after he hit .316/.406/.543 with 12 home runs and 65 RBIs through his first 92 professional games, Double-A is where many players begin to face their first adversity and Benintendi should be no different. 

The 21-year old Cincinnati-native has gone hitless in three of his first four Double-A contests after failing to collect a base knock in only six of 34 games with Salem. In fact, his 2-for-15 slump since joining the Sea Dogs is the worst of his young career since going 0-for-15 over five games with the Lowell Spinners shortly after being drafted last July.

That is no reason for Red Sox fans to panic, however.

It is no secret that baseball is a game of adjustments and this will serve as the perfect opportunity for Benintendi to demonstrate that he can make the changes needed to become a success Major League ball player. It makes far more sense for Benintendi to work through this struggles at the Minor League level rather than under the bright lights of Fenway Park where young players can easily have their confidence shattered (see Cla Meredith in 2005.)

It would be one thing if the Red Sox were playing poorly or riddled with injuries. However, even with Brock Holt on the 7-day disabled list due to concussion symptoms, Boston still has plenty of options such as Blake Swihart, Chris Young, Rusney Castillo or even Bryce Brentz. They might not be the best outfield options in the game, but with the Red Sox leading or near the top in every offensive category in the American League there is absolutely no need to rush any sort of roster move. 

Expect Benintendi to heat up as spring turns to summer and the weather warms up. He has already shown that the leap from college to professional baseball was no issue for him (noting that the change from metal to wooden bats was his biggest challenge) and with a little time the leap from Single-A to Double-A should be no different. 

But with the Red Sox playing well and having plenty of outfield depth to hold them over this season, there is no reason to rush Benintendi to the majors - let the young man finish his development and fine tune the skills that will hopefully make him a Major League superstar for years to come. 

When Can We Start Worrying About David Price?

After allowing six runs in back-to-back starts against the New York Yankees, many Red Sox fans are left asking the same question - when can we start worrying about David Price? 

Historically, Price has been a slow starter as evidenced by his 4.08 ERA in the months of March and April versus a 2.99 ERA for all other months combined. What has been most alarming for Sox fans, however, is an overall lack of command and velocity.

Price's fastball barely touched 93 MPH on Saturday, a big difference from the 95-96 MPH fans were expecting when the Red Sox inked the southpaw to a $217 million contract. The dip in velocity has allowed opponents to take better advantage of his mistakes leading to an increase in hard contact as well as walks. Price's 2.9 BB/9 ratio is his highest since 2010 and his 1.379 WHIP is the highest of his career.

“I feel like the more velocity that you have, the more mistakes you get away with,” Price stated after the game. “Right now, I’m not getting away with mistakes or good pitches, for that matter. That’s part of it. They hit some good pitches today.”

Although both Price and Red Sox manager John Farrell have said that physically there is nothing wrong, one can't help but wonder what is causing such a drastic change. Sure it is early in the season, but according to RedSoxStats.com his hardest thrown fastball of 93.54 MPH yesterday was the lowest in a game in his entire career. 

Pitching coach Carl Willis hinted that perhaps the velocity will return, as it is common for power pitchers to get better as the year goes on and the weather warms up. Price's average game-time temperature has been 55.14 degrees, which isn't exactly ideal but doesn't explain such a huge loss in velocity, either.

“[The difference] is something I’ve got to figure out," Price explained. "That’s something I definitely take pride in and feel like I’ve done extremely well throughout my career - being able to make adjustments on the fly, whether it’s pitch-to-pitch or game-to-game or day-to-day."

Red Sox fans can only hope Price can make those adjustments and get back to the dominance he built his reputation on. After back-to-back losses to the Yankees and some glaring red flags from a physical stand point, fans have every right to be worried.

Hernandez Solid in Major League Debut

Marco Hernandez arrived at the ballpark on Sunday afternoon like any normal day except one noticeable difference - his name was in a Major League lineup for the first time in his career.

Ranked the Red Sox' #9 prospect by New England Diamond Digest, the 23-year old Hernandez made the most of that opportunity by putting up a highly impressive performance on a day in which Toronto Blue Jay's starter, Aaron Sanchez, was absolutely dealing.

After drawing a walk in his first at-bat, Hernandez was able to break up Sanchez's no-hit bid in the fifth with a broken-bat single for his first Major League hit. After following that with his first career steal, Mookie Betts drove him in with an RBI single for his first career run scored.

That run would be the only Red Sox offense until a Travis Shaw home run in the bottom of the ninth inning cut Toronto's lead to 5-3. Hernandez was in the on-deck circle as Ryan Hanigan lined out to third base to end the contest.

Despite the fact Hernandez hit .579/.577/.792/1.369 with six doubles and seven RBIs in 14 games during Spring Training, he was still surprised to get the call to the show so early in the season.

"I expected [the call] middle of July when they play against the National League to pinch-hit for the pitcher," Hernandez told reporters after the game.

Nonetheless, his performance on Sunday was enough to impress even the battle-tested veterans in the Red Sox' lineup.

"He did an excellent job for us," advised Xander Bogaerts. "He looked solid offensively, defensively, [he] ran the bases well [and] created a run for us."

Hernandez was largely unnoticed by fans after the Red Sox acquired him as the player-to-be-named-later in the Felix Doubront deal with the Chicago Cubs, but began to pop up on many people's radar screens after an impressive start to the 2015 season with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs where he hit .326/.349/.482 with  five home runs, four triples and 21 doubles in 68 games.

That was good enough to earn Hernandez Eastern League All-Star honors, in which he was voted "Top Star" of the 2015 EL All-Star Classic at Hadlock Field.

Immediately after the All-Star game Hernandez was promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket where he cooled off slightly, but was still impressive considering his age and fast climb through the Minor League ranks. In 46 games for the PawSox last season, Hernandez hit .271/.300/.409 with four homers and 22 RBIs.

He began this season with Pawtucket hitting .286/.375/.429 in six games before earning his promotion to Boston.

Although it may be too early to call Hernandez a superstar in the making, he does possess the tools necessary to become an effective Major League player. With speed on the base paths and the versatility to play multiple infield positions, Red Sox fans may be hearing a lot more of his name in the future.

Vazquez Called to Majors, Swihart Optioned to Triple-A

According to Jon Morosi, the Boston Red Sox have promoted Christian Vazquez to the Major League club while optioning Blake Swihart to Triple-A Pawtucket.

It has been widely speculated that this move would be made as soon as Vazquez was healthy to return, large in part due to Swihart's struggles defensively so far this season.

Many forget that the catching job was Vazquez's to lose last season until undergoing season ending Tommy John surgery. Although he does not posses the same offensive skills as Swihart (Vazquez hit only .240/.308/.309 in 55 games for the Red Sox in 2014), Vazquez has been heralded as a great game caller and has one of the strongest arms in the league (caught 52% of attempted base stealers in 2014). The Red Sox hope the move will help add some stability to a starting rotation that has struggled to go deep into games.

Swihart has showed promise with the bat hitting .275/.324/.386 over his first 90 Major League games, but at this point it is evident the 24 year old needs more seasoning in Pawtucket before managing a big league rotation.

Christian Vazquez Ready for the Show

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What was once his job could easily become his job once again relatively soon.

Tommy John Surgery may have set Christian Vazquez back. But it appears as though he is ready to catch in the majors once again.

The Red Sox optioned Cuban outfielder Rusney Castillo to Triple-A Pawtucket and calling up Vazquez appears to be the corresponding move.

In cold Pawtucket weather over the weekend, Vazquez gave the impression that he feels as though he is healthy and ready to go.

“I’m feeling good man.” he said. “I’m feeling great, on time and I’m seeing the ball well. I’m having some good swings.”

At the plate, the defensive-minded catcher said he was not trying to do too much other than make sure his timing is down. And with a new high leg kick, Vazquez has strung together quality plate appearances. He posted a .650 on-base percentage in five Triple-A games, drawing seven walks in 20 plate appearances. It could be a sign that he has improved at the plate, keeping in mind he posted just a .617 OPS in 55 MLB games in 2014.

It may be a positive sign for him to be hitting pro pitching and drawing walks in a small sample size, but he is a catcher and hitting is secondary for catchers.

Vazquez probably is not going to see the workload the Red Sox gave Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the summer months of 2013, especially with the catching depth they possess. But Vazquez said his body feels great. He also appeared slimmer and mentioned losing about 25 pounds in the offseason.

In Pawtucket, Vazquez took full advantage of working in a low pressure environment.

“I’m working on everything,” he said. “My catching, my arm, my hitting stuff. Overall, I’m working on everything.”

With Ryan Hanigan and Blake Swihart already on the big league roster, a position battle between Vazquez and Swihart will surely ensue. The Red Sox are 29-24 in Hanigan’s starts since the start of 2015 and Swihart has struggled to command the pitching staff.

Regardless of what comes of it, the Red Sox have an opportunity right now to keep all of their catchers fresh.

Is it Time to Fire John Farrell?

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John Farrell has made several questionable decisions in his time as Red Sox' manager (from starting an injured Shane Victorino over Rusney Castillo last season to bringing Franklin Morales and his 27.00 postseason ERA into a crucial spot in the sixth game of the 2013 ALCS) but few have been more puzzling than today's.

Many Sox fans were confused to see Chris Young's name in the lineup today against the right handed Marco Estrada (Young hit .182 against righties last year and only .224 for his career) while the hot-hitting Brock Holt and $11 million man Rusney Castillo were left on the bench.

It has been rumored that Holt was given the day off to recover from a foul ball he hit off his ankle in a previous game, but that doesn't explain why Castillo, who had two hits including a double in his season debut, was left on the bench.

It was announced earlier in the year that Young would get the majority of his cuts against left handed pitching, which considering his career average against lefties is 40 points higher then righties (still not that impressive at .264) seemed to make sense.

Yet here we are in the fifth game of the season and Young is out there looking foolish against Estrada while Castillo can't seem to catch a break with the Sox no matter how well he plays. Without any playing time, let alone consistent playing time, how can anyone expect Castillo to become a dependable Major League player?

Some have reasoned that because the Red Sox have faced a slug of right handed pitching that Farrell needed to get Young some game action. Is getting the fourth outfielder some game action really worth putting out a sub-par lineup against a division rival and the team most people think will win the American League East? I hardly think so.

It may be early in the season, but it is time to take a long hard look at Farrell and his future with the organization before we become mired in third straight last place season. Outside of 2013 (and let's be honest, anyone could have managed that team to a World Series championship) Farrell has done little to impress anyone during his time as Boston's manager.

It's not like he accomplished much in Toronto, either, posting a 154-170 record (.475 winning percentage) in his time there and missed the playoffs both seasons.

After it was announced last season that Farrell would be taking a leave of absence due to a cancer diagnosis, bench coach Torey Lovullo stepped up in an interim basis and led the team to a 28-21 record over their final 49 games. Lovullo's impressive performance earned him numerous offers to leave Boston over the offseason, but he remained loyal to the team and returned as the bench coach for this season.

I do respect Farrell, what he accomplished in 2013 and what he has done to return from cancer - but it is time to start holding him accountable for his poor decision making on the field. One more questionable decision like today's and the Sox really ought to consider promoting Lovullo back to the managerial position before it's too late.

Why Starting David Price at Home on Monday is the Right Decision

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There has been plenty of debate surrounding the decision to bump David Price's second start of the season from Sunday against the Blue Jays to the home opener on Monday against the Orioles - but rest assured, the Red Sox did their homework and have made the right decision. 

The decision was made last Thursday after that night's game against the Cleveland Indians was postponed due to inclement weather, and it didn't take long for people to start questioning the Red Sox' thought process.

There were many valid reasons to question the decision to bump Price up a day - the fact many people believe that Toronto is the best team in the division, Price's 11-1 record and 3.34 ERA at Rogers Center, or simply the fact the Red Sox stated at the beginning of the season they would attempt to keep the lefty pitching every fifth day even when an off day allows for extra rest.

However, a quick crunching of some numbers shows the Red Sox' decision makes a lot of sense.

Baltimore may not be everyone's favorite pick to win the division, but they are hardly a team to overlook with a lineup that includes Manny Machado, Chris Davis, Mark Trumbo and Matt Wieters. They are also just a single season removed from a division title and have historically always played the Red Sox tough (Boston is 24-33 against Baltimore since the start of 2013).

Add to that the fact that the Red Sox actually won the season series against the AL East Champion Blue Jays last season (10 games to 9) with one of the worst pitching staffs in all of baseball - starting Price at home seems to be the smarter decision.

After going just 43-38 at home last season, there is also plenty of reason that the Red Sox would want to get out to a quick start in Boston. In the three years since 2004 that the Red Sox have won the World Series, they have never posted less than 51 wins at home (55-26 in 2004, 51-30 in 2007 and 53-28 in 2013).

Starting Price on Monday also lines the lefty up favorably for the remainder of April and the month of May if the Red Sox choose to stick with their plan to start him every fifth day as opposed to every fifth game (barring any unforeseen circumstances).

On the every fifth day rotation, Price would be lined up to make his first start after the home opener next Saturday against the Blue Jays. He would then face the Tampa Bay Rays on April 21, the Atlanta Braves on April 26th before making back-to-back starts against the rival New York Yankees on May 1st and 6th. It would also line him up to pitch against the defending World Series Champion Royals in Kansas City on May 16th.

Despite the fact there were many valid reasons to start Price in Toronto this afternoon, a quick bit of research shows that the Red Sox absolutely made the correct decision. Now that the Red Sox have already won the series against the Blue Jays by taking the first two games, Red Sox fans can sit back and celebrate the first home start with their newly acquired ace pitcher.

Anderson Espinoza Impresses in Season Debut

(Photo Source: MiLB.com)

The Red Sox top pitching prospect, Anderson Espinoza, may only be 18-years old - but he is already showing everyone that he will be ready for the majors sooner rather than later.

There was a lot of hype leading up to the young pitchers debut after he posted a 1.23 ERA and 0.94 WHIP while striking out 65 batters over 58.1 innings between the Gulf Coast League Red Sox and the Single-A Greenville Drive last season - and he did not disappoint.

In just his second start at the Single-A level, Espinoza fired five shutout innings allowing just two hits and no walks while striking out four. He allowed a lead off single before retiring the next seven batters in order. 

It was just the first time in the young Venezuelan's career that he hit the five inning mark in the minor leagues. Greenville's manager, Darren Fenster, advised that they will be keeping a close eye on his innings as he moves forward in his development. 

"We're going to manage his innings," Fenster told Michael Leboff of MiLB.com. "It's his first full year in pro ball, so we're going to be conservative." 

Considered 'untouchable' in offseason trade talks, the Red Sox have not been shy about the faith they have in the young righty. If Espinoza can continue to dominate the Minor Leagues at such a young age, it may not be long before he joins David Price and the big league staff. 

Former Yard Goat Trevor Story Making History in the Majors

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With two swings of the bat on Friday night, Colorado Rockies' shortstop and former member of the Hartford Yard Goats (then New Britain Rock Cats) Trevor Story continues to rewrite the history books. 

After last night's two home run gem in his first game at Coors field, Story becomes the first person in the last 100 years to homer in his first four major league starts and only the fifth player to accomplish the feat in his teams first four games.

 “Special,” Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez told CBS Denver. “Never seen anything like this before. Every day, a new record. It’s nice to see a teammate of yours play the way he [has played]. Hopefully, that’s just the beginning.”

Story spent the first 69 games of last season with the Colorado Rockies' Double-A affiliate the New Britain Rock Goats, who have relocated to Hartford and changed their name to the Yard Goats for the 2016 season. While he looked impressive in New Britain hitting .281/.373/.523 with 10 home runs and 40 RBIs - it hardly forecast his historic MLB start.

In fact, Story was not even slated to become the Rockies' starting shortstop until it was announced that Jose Reyes would serve an indefinite suspension for his involvement in domestic abuse allegations. Nonetheless, Story has taken his opportunity and ran with it.

“I’m just excited to get there and get out on the field and get familiar with and play in front of the Rockies fans,” explained Story.

As far as the home runs go, it's not something he is worried about.

"I've said it before, I'm not trying to hit home runs, sometimes it kind of happens," Story said.

Story will have a chance to continue his historic streak tonight when the Rockies take on the San Diego Padres in the second game of the three-game series at Coors Field. Unfortunately for him, the Padres will send lefty Drew Pomeranz to the mound. In 71 at-bats against left-handed pitching last season, Story hit just .197/.284/.338 with a single home run and eight RBIs.

It seems as though if any pitcher is going to cool down Story's white hot bat, it will be a southpaw.

Aaron Wilkerson Shines in Sea Dogs' Season Debut

(Photo Source: Portland Sea Dogs)

If you saw Portland Sea Dogs starter Aaron Wilkerson pitch last night, it would be tough to believe he was an undrafted free agent, who was traded four times in independent league baseball.

Earning the Opening Day nod for the Red Sox Double-A affiliate, Wilkerson fanned a career-high 11 men as he helped the Sea Dogs top the Reading Fightin’ Phils in Reading, 3-1.

Statistically speaking, it was the sharpest outing of his career in the Red Sox organization as he allowed just three base runners in 5.2 innings (two hits and a walk). And, as previously mentioned, he struck out just about two hitters per inning.

At 26, Wilkerson is not topping out any Red Sox prospect lists. But last season, he started the year in the back end of the Low-A Greenville Drive’s bullpen. And he finished it off going 4-1 with a 2.66 ERA in seven starts for the Sea Dogs.

With strong numbers in Portland, like he had at the end of last season, Wilkerson could be in line for a promotion to Pawtucket by mid-season where he would join fellow undrafted free agents Robby Scott and Dan Butler. Butler made his MLB debut with Boston in 2014.

Moncada, Benintendi Explode in Salem's Season Opener

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Two of the Red Sox top four prospects began their season in high-A Salem last night and proceeded to show everyone just exactly what all the hype is about. 

Red Sox number one prospect Yoan Moncada, alongside number four prospect Andrew Benintendi, combined to go 6-for-9 with four RBIs and four runs scored in Salem's 13-4 victory over Carolina in their season opener. 

Moncada led off the game with one of four straight singles before coming around to score on a Benintendi RBI single in the bottom of the first. Salem would bat around in that first inning scoring five runs on seven hits. 

Benintendi stepped in the box for his second at bat in the bottom of the second inning and promptly drilled an RBI triple to right field scoring shortstop Mauricio Dubon. 

The Cuban phenom Moncada followed suit with his second hit of the contest the following inning, an RBI single that scored left fielder Mike Meyers, before Benintendi drove him in with his third hit in as many innings - an RBI double. 

Benintendi came to bat in the bottom of the fifth inning needing only a home run to complete the cycle, but would single to centerfield and fly out in his next two at-bats. Had the bottom of the ninth been needed for Salem, the 2015 first-round draft pick would have had one more chance to complete the cycle on Opening Day. 

Daniel McGrath got the start for Salem and earned his first victory of the season, tossing six innings of three-run ball on four hits and a walk. 

Salem will take on Carolina once again tonight from Lewisgale Field at 7:05pm. 

 

What Should the Red Sox do with David Murphy?

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By: Forrest Mulheron

The Boston Red Sox will have some serious questions to answer before this Sunday when David Murphy's opt-out date arrives. 

Boston inked Murphy to a minor league deal in late-February that included an opt-out date of March 27th. Murphy stated earlier in the week he would likely retire over taking a minor league assignment at this point in his career, so now the Red Sox must decide if they have room on the 25-man roster for the veteran outfielder or are they willing to let the former 2003 first-round draft choice walk. 

Although Murphy has looked good this spring, his .276 on-base percentage and .633 on-base plus slugging percentage leave a lot to be desired. At 34 years old, it is hard to imagine the Red Sox trading away one of their young star outfielders to make room for Murphy - but that doesn't mean they are completely out of options. 

Rusney Castillo has minor league options that could be taken advantage of, giving Murphy the chance to start the season on the big league roster while Castillo continues his seasoning in Triple-A. 

The big downside to this option would be the $11.2 million Castillo is owed this season (not to mention the $12 million the Red Sox have already paid him) and the fact he has only played in 85 major league games over the last two seasons. Boston made a big investment when they went out and got Castillo and at some point are going to have to give him a chance to prove he can compete in the major leagues - unless they are willing to eat a major part of his salary and trade the unproven outfielder.

The Cleveland Indians have recently been rumored to have shown interest in the Red Sox young outfielders - specifically Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr. Although it would be impossible to picture Boston trading Betts and almost nearly as impossible to picture them trading the gold-glove caliber Bradley Jr - this could be Boston's chance to unload Castillo's largely disappointing contract if they were willing and give Murphy a spot on the team. 

Although he has shown some promise this spring and the Red Sox have potential moves they could make to put him on the big league roster, it appears most likely that Murphy will retire after the Red Sox offer him a minor league assignment on Sunday. Murphy hasn't started a game in nearly a week and hasn't exactly turned many heads while in the lineup. As good of a story as it would have made, the Red Sox will be smarter to see what they have in Castillo and Bradley Jr. 

Pablo Sandoval: Comeback Player of the Year?

(Photo Credit: Forrest Mulheron/New England Baseball Media)

 By: Tom Joyce

Put the bat down Pablo. This is a faint sense of optimism.

Last year, Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval was paid more than ever at $19 million per year in his new contract. He was also the least productive he had ever been, hitting .245 with a .658 OPS. He also posted a .948 fielding percentage but was murdered by sabermetrics for his lack of mobility.

It was a down year for Sandoval, a guy, who in the past, had been in the running for MVP. With the amount of heat he has received in Boston, it seems clear that everyone thinks he is a talented and capable player. No one was on Lars Anderson's case when he struggled in the bigs.

Sandoval's season is not off on the right track with him coming into spring training in poor shape. He has been analyzed and scrutinized more than anyone and his frustrations are understandable. It makes sense that he would be mad that FanGraphs said that he should have made plays that he shouldn't and decided that he was "the second worst third baseman" in the game.

Expectations can't be too high for Sandoval so say for a second that he really does feel great like he has said, then maybe, just maybe he puts up a season like he has in the past. If he does that, then he could definitely be an American League Comeback Player of the Year candidate.

There is not much of an indication that he is better based off of his spring stats. But say Pablo is actually right. Say he actually did something this offseason that fixed his game. He really could win the award. He is eligible. He had a down year last year. He has to be on the preseason watch list.

It’s up to him to produce though. WIll he hit .330 ever again? Probably not. But that does not mean his career is over either. He will have to do his talking on the field because at the same time, Travis Shaw is coming for his job at third.

Is it Already Time to Panic for the Red Sox?

(Photo Source: Forrest Mulheron/New England Baseball Media)

By: Tom Joyce

Winning the Grapefruit League title and the Mayor's Cup do not necessarily guarantee anything for the regular season. And more often than not, the Red Sox are not a great Spring Training team because they tend to play their regulars sparingly. Even so, they have dropped seven straight, so it time to panic? 

So far, at 5-10 through 15 games, the Red Sox are in 13th place among the 15 Grapefruit League teams. To put it in perspective, only the Atlanta Braves, who were far and away the worst hitting team against right-handed pitching last season and the Baltimore Orioles, who have arguably the worst pitching rotation in the American League, are behind Boston. 

Wins and losses aren't huge in the spring. But teams are looking for their teams to play clean games. If a pitcher isn't bringing the heat and surrenders a few hits, that is not an issue. But when a pitcher can't throw strikes and guys aren't making routine plays in the field, there might be an issue. 

Yesterday's Red Sox game wasn't so clean as Clay Buchholz was not on his game. None of the pitchers except Carlos Marmol and Anthony Varvaro, who each recorded just one out, had a particularly sharp outing last night. 

Mookie Betts went deep and Hanley Ramirez had some clean play at first base. A few regulars had a base hit, but nothing too special. 

There were positives to to take out of the 9-4 loss. But it is hard not to question a team when they are not playing clean ball games. There is losing a hard fought game and then there is giving games away. And the Red Sox have done the latter on several occasions this spring. 

There are still so many question marks on this team that will be echoed until they are answered: Pablo Sandoval, Hanley Ramirez, Rusney Castillo, Jackie Bradley Jr., everybody in the rotation whose name isn't David Price and John Farrell. Sure, the Red Sox look deep on the mound -- especially in the bullpen. But the bullpen can't win a team games, they can just not lose them. 

It does not help the Red Sox case either seeing that they are in a tough division. There might not be a standout team, but there aren't any slouches because even the O's have a strong lineup. Certainly, it will he interesting to see how the managerial situation unfolds with Farrell's replacement sitting right next to him in the dugout.

Sam Travis Better Than Travis Shaw?

(Photo Source: Forrest Mulheron/New England Baseball Media)

Travis Shaw has undoubtedly been one of the hottest topics so far this spring, slashing .480/.519/.800 with two home runs, nine RBIs and five runs scored - some have even discussed the potential for starting him over struggling third baseman, Pablo Sandoval.

Despite Travis Shaw's impressive performance so far this month, perhaps Red Sox fans are forgetting there may be an even better Travis on the roster, first baseman Sam Travis.

The 22-year old Sam Travis has quietly been even hotter than Shaw with the bat so far, hitting .579/.500/.842 with a home run, nine RBIs and three runs scored.

Travis is coming off a 2015 campaign which saw him hit .307/.381/.452 with nine home runs, 78 RBIs and 70 runs scored between the Single-A Salem Red Sox and Double-A Portland Sea Dogs. Those numbers were good enough to earn him a spot on the mid-season All-Star squad while with Salem and be named the Portland Sea Dog's Most Valuable Player award.

The 2014 second round pick continued to heat up when he arrived in the Arizona Fall League, hitting .344/.394/.505 with 14 RBIs and a walk-off home run in 23 games. Travis' team, the Scottsdale Scorpions, eventually defeated the Surprise Saguaros to claim the 2015 AFL Championship.

Although he is most likely at least a year away from seeing any MLB action, it is fair to argue that Travis has a higher ceiling then Shaw (.310 minor league average compared to .261) and should be the a serious candidate for the Red Sox first base job in the future. Travis also hits right-handed, which makes would bode well with the Green Monster and short left field porch.

One option after this season could be to slide Ramirez from first base into the designated hitter, allowing Shaw and Travis to platoon at first base. Depending on what happens with Sandoval moving forward, another option could be to start Shaw at third and Travis at first.

Regardless of the option the Red Sox choose, we could be looking at an even better version of Travis Shaw in young Sam Travis. Keep an eye on him in Pawtucket this season, or even when the Red Sox make their September call-ups.

Former Red Sox Pitcher Bronson Arroyo's Career Likely Over

(Photo Source: Chris Trotman/Getty Images North America)

After being scratched from his start versus the Miami Marlins yesterday, Peter Gammons reported that Bronson Arroyo has suffered an 80 percent tear of the labrum in his right should which will likely end his career.

Arroyo had never made a trip to the DL in his major league career before 2014 when he missed the second half of the season and all of 2015 after having Tommy John surgery. The Nationals gave Arroyo one more chance to make a major league roster, inking him in January to a minor league deal.

A part of the 2004 group of 'idiots' that reversed and 86 year old curse and won the World Series, Arroyo joined David Ortiz as the only players still active from that team going into this season.

Arroyo may have only spent parts of three seasons with the Red Sox, but provided many memorable moments.