Rookie Development Program Returns; 11 invited

[RedSoxtober]

The Red Sox scrapped their annual rookie development program last year, in large part because of all the turnover going on within the organization following the departures of Theo Epstein and Terry Francona.

But it returned this year and will take place this week in Boston.

The idea if to bring the organization's top prospects to town to get better acclimated to the city, the organization and Fenway Park. In addition to getting some workouts in, the players will take part in seminars and hear presentations from a variety of people. Previous speakers have included Celtics coach Doc Rivers.

This was something the Cleveland Indians started years ago and other teams have copied. The players involved are either major league ready or close to it. There are 11 players participating this year:

Pitchers: Drake Britton, Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster, Stephen Wright.

Infielders: Xander Bogaerts, Brock Holt

Outfielders: Jackie Bradley Jr., Bryce Brentz, Alex Hassan

Catchers: Dan Butler, Christian Vazquez

What's interesting about this group in particular is that four of the players — De La Rosa, Webster, Wright and Holt — were acquired by trade within the last six months.

Boston Globe

[Nomar]

Looks like the FO expects Bogaerts to be ready before 2 years too RST.

[-Lavigne43-]

Mid 2014 is a fine, ideal projection. I highly doubt they think he will be the starting SS out of Spring Training 2014

[Nomar]

Lots of people expect that. A lot of prominent figures such as Law and Sickels think he could get a cup of coffee in September, and if that's the case then I would think he could break ST with the Red Sox next year.

His SP expected arrival date is just 2014. Right away to mid season seems like the likely window he will slide into. We'll see.

[-Lavigne43-]

He would have to have a perfect season to do that. I think it's unrealistic to expect him to breeze through AA and AAA in one season without having any sort of extended struggle. I would be surprised if he didn't struggle early next season when it's cold.

[Nomar]

Yeah I could see that. Cold weather or maybe the jump to AAA, more likely the former. Usually the move to AA is the biggest adjustment in the minors, and as good as he was he didn't walk at all which isn't good news.

[RedSoxtober]

Looks like the FO expects Bogaerts to be ready before 2 years too RST.

You're finishing. I'd guess you're not really familiar with the process or the program. Here's a brief review.

2009 Invitees
Daniel Bard
Felix Doubront
Kris Johnson
Richie Lentz
Adam Mills
Dustin Richardson
Mark Wagner
Lars Anderson
Argenis Diaz
Zach Daeges
Josh Reddick
Dewon Day
Wes Littleton

How many of these guys have you even heard of? Not many.

• Johnson moved up to AA then spent a season at AAA before leaving the Sox system for the indies.
• Lentz was out of baseball after a season at AA.
• Mills went to AA, earned his way to AAA and eventually was released in 2010.
• Wagner bounced around the Sox' farm for three years and then got cut after 2011.
• Anderson's value peaked after 2008. He went to AA for the following season (slow start, poor overall numbers) then got promoted to AAA partway through 2010 after a fast start. He a few callup PA from 2010 onward during injuries though it was rumored to be a showcase.
• Diaz went from hot to not as he refused to concentrate on routine plays; dealt before 2009 was out.
• Daeges played a few terrible games at AAA in 2009, I think got hurt, and was basically done. A short trip to SS Lowell in 2011 and he was gone.
• Reddick got some token fill-in time in 2009 and 2010 due to injuries but did not have any significant role until 2011.

2010 Invitees
Casey Kelly
Randor Bierd
Kyle Weiland
Junichi Tazawa
Ryne Miller
Felix Doubront
Luis Exposito
Jose Iglesias
Yamiaco Navarro
Che-Hsuan Lin
Ryan Kalish

• Casey Kelly went to AA Portland after the program and then spent an additional year in AA with SDP before eventually getting a Sept call up this past season.
• Bierd pitched his last season in pro ball after attending.
• Ryne Miller pitched half a season in AA after attending, got cut, and has been toiling in indie leagues since.
• Doubront got an emergency start and some RP reps but had no real impact on the club for two more years (when he was out of options).
• Lin played two full years in the minors before getting some token time in MLB in 2012.
• Weiland spent almost two complete seasons in the minors before getting emergency work in the 9/11 collapse when every SP seemed to be injured.

2011 Invitees
Roberto Coello
Stephen Fife
Stolmy Pimentel
Jason Rice
Alex Wilson
Tim Federowicz
Ryan Lavarnway
Will Middlebrooks
Oscar Tejeda
Juan Carlos Linares
Clevelan Santeliz

• Fife and Federowicz spent most of a season in AA before being dealt to LAD.
• Pimentel lost his $%^&*( in AA, spent a second year bouncing around the system before ultimately being dealt for Hanrahan.
• Rice spent a season at AA then a season at AAA and then got cut; picked up by ATL and pitched at AAA in 2012.
• Tejeda spent 1.5yrs at AA before being DFA.
• Linares started at AAA, got hurt, and missed most of 2011; he restarted at AA in 2012 and worked back to AAA after half a season.

The program is only meant to familiarize players with what it's like to play in MLB -- the "soft side" of things like getting autographs and having the focus of an MLB fan base on you, not actually playing the games. It IS given to players whom they project to the MLB roster but means NOTHING interms of when they expect players to hit MLB. Nothing at all.

The most discernible pattern, if any exists, is that players who are considered to have MLB potential are invited in the season they are promoted to AA. That's the MO for almost all the players on the list. The second most frequent occurrence is a AA/AAA player received from another organization in a trade gets invited (the case for half the players this year). Most likely these guys came from organizations that don't have a comparable program.

[Boston-Born]

You're finishing. I'd guess you're not really familiar with the process or the program. Here's a brief review.

2009 Invitees
Daniel Bard
Felix Doubront
Kris Johnson
Richie Lentz
Adam Mills
Dustin Richardson
Mark Wagner
Lars Anderson
Argenis Diaz
Zach Daeges
Josh Reddick
Dewon Day
Wes Littleton

How many of these guys have you even heard of? Not many.

• Johnson moved up to AA then spent a season at AAA before leaving the Sox system for the indies.
• Lentz was out of baseball after a season at AA.
• Mills went to AA, earned his way to AAA and eventually was released in 2010.
• Wagner bounced around the Sox' farm for three years and then got cut after 2011.
• Anderson's value peaked after 2008. He went to AA for the following season (slow start, poor overall numbers) then got promoted to AAA partway through 2010 after a fast start. He a few callup PA from 2010 onward during injuries though it was rumored to be a showcase.
• Diaz went from hot to not as he refused to concentrate on routine plays; dealt before 2009 was out.
• Daeges played a few terrible games at AAA in 2009, I think got hurt, and was basically done. A short trip to SS Lowell in 2011 and he was gone.
• Reddick got some token fill-in time in 2009 and 2010 due to injuries but did not have any significant role until 2011.

2010 Invitees
Casey Kelly
Randor Bierd
Kyle Weiland
Junichi Tazawa
Ryne Miller
Felix Doubront
Luis Exposito
Jose Iglesias
Yamiaco Navarro
Che-Hsuan Lin
Ryan Kalish

• Casey Kelly went to AA Portland after the program and then spent an additional year in AA with SDP before eventually getting a Sept call up this past season.
• Bierd pitched his last season in pro ball after attending.
• Ryne Miller pitched half a season in AA after attending, got cut, and has been toiling in indie leagues since.
• Doubront got an emergency start and some RP reps but had no real impact on the club for two more years (when he was out of options).
• Lin played two full years in the minors before getting some token time in MLB in 2012.
• Weiland spent almost two complete seasons in the minors before getting emergency work in the 9/11 collapse when every SP seemed to be injured.

2011 Invitees
Roberto Coello
Stephen Fife
Stolmy Pimentel
Jason Rice
Alex Wilson
Tim Federowicz
Ryan Lavarnway
Will Middlebrooks
Oscar Tejeda
Juan Carlos Linares
Clevelan Santeliz

• Fife and Federowicz spent most of a season in AA before being dealt to LAD.
• Pimentel lost his $%^&*( in AA, spent a second year bouncing around the system before ultimately being dealt for Hanrahan.
• Rice spent a season at AA then a season at AAA and then got cut; picked up by ATL and pitched at AAA in 2012.
• Tejeda spent 1.5yrs at AA before being DFA.
• Linares started at AAA, got hurt, and missed most of 2011; he restarted at AA in 2012 and worked back to AAA after half a season.

The program is only meant to familiarize players with what it's like to play in MLB -- the "soft side" of things like getting autographs and having the focus of an MLB fan base on you, not actually playing the games. It IS given to players whom they project to the MLB roster but means NOTHING interms of when they expect players to hit MLB. Nothing at all.

The most discernible pattern, if any exists, is that players who are considered to have MLB potential are invited in the season they are promoted to AA. That's the MO for almost all the players on the list. The second most frequent occurrence is a AA/AAA player received from another organization in a trade gets invited (the case for half the players this year). Most likely these guys came from organizations that don't have a comparable program.

This is actually a really great post. Puts things in perspective.

[Nomar]

You're finishing. I'd guess you're not really familiar with the process or the program. Here's a brief review.

2009 Invitees
Daniel Bard
Felix Doubront
Kris Johnson
Richie Lentz
Adam Mills
Dustin Richardson
Mark Wagner
Lars Anderson
Argenis Diaz
Zach Daeges
Josh Reddick
Dewon Day
Wes Littleton

How many of these guys have you even heard of? Not many.

• Johnson moved up to AA then spent a season at AAA before leaving the Sox system for the indies.
• Lentz was out of baseball after a season at AA.
• Mills went to AA, earned his way to AAA and eventually was released in 2010.
• Wagner bounced around the Sox' farm for three years and then got cut after 2011.
• Anderson's value peaked after 2008. He went to AA for the following season (slow start, poor overall numbers) then got promoted to AAA partway through 2010 after a fast start. He a few callup PA from 2010 onward during injuries though it was rumored to be a showcase.
• Diaz went from hot to not as he refused to concentrate on routine plays; dealt before 2009 was out.
• Daeges played a few terrible games at AAA in 2009, I think got hurt, and was basically done. A short trip to SS Lowell in 2011 and he was gone.
• Reddick got some token fill-in time in 2009 and 2010 due to injuries but did not have any significant role until 2011.

2010 Invitees
Casey Kelly
Randor Bierd
Kyle Weiland
Junichi Tazawa
Ryne Miller
Felix Doubront
Luis Exposito
Jose Iglesias
Yamiaco Navarro
Che-Hsuan Lin
Ryan Kalish

• Casey Kelly went to AA Portland after the program and then spent an additional year in AA with SDP before eventually getting a Sept call up this past season.
• Bierd pitched his last season in pro ball after attending.
• Ryne Miller pitched half a season in AA after attending, got cut, and has been toiling in indie leagues since.
• Doubront got an emergency start and some RP reps but had no real impact on the club for two more years (when he was out of options).
• Lin played two full years in the minors before getting some token time in MLB in 2012.
• Weiland spent almost two complete seasons in the minors before getting emergency work in the 9/11 collapse when every SP seemed to be injured.

2011 Invitees
Roberto Coello
Stephen Fife
Stolmy Pimentel
Jason Rice
Alex Wilson
Tim Federowicz
Ryan Lavarnway
Will Middlebrooks
Oscar Tejeda
Juan Carlos Linares
Clevelan Santeliz

• Fife and Federowicz spent most of a season in AA before being dealt to LAD.
• Pimentel lost his $%^&*( in AA, spent a second year bouncing around the system before ultimately being dealt for Hanrahan.
• Rice spent a season at AA then a season at AAA and then got cut; picked up by ATL and pitched at AAA in 2012.
• Tejeda spent 1.5yrs at AA before being DFA.
• Linares started at AAA, got hurt, and missed most of 2011; he restarted at AA in 2012 and worked back to AAA after half a season.

The program is only meant to familiarize players with what it's like to play in MLB -- the "soft side" of things like getting autographs and having the focus of an MLB fan base on you, not actually playing the games. It IS given to players whom they project to the MLB roster but means NOTHING interms of when they expect players to hit MLB. Nothing at all.

The most discernible pattern, if any exists, is that players who are considered to have MLB potential are invited in the season they are promoted to AA. That's the MO for almost all the players on the list. The second most frequent occurrence is a AA/AAA player received from another organization in a trade gets invited (the case for half the players this year). Most likely these guys came from organizations that don't have a comparable program.

Wow thanks man. The way the article was written had me confused.

[-Lavigne43-]

Every top 20ish prospect gets invited once they hit the AA level. Plus AAAA type players.

This is probably the most stacked list of prospects that they ever have invited together, unless Pedroia, Lester, Paps, Hanley did it together. If I lived near Boston I would go to the autograph thing.

[RedSoxtober]

I don't think that group was ever together. I remember when the program started; it's a relatively recent thing that Theo copied from Shapiro. The oldest reference that I can find to attendees right now is the 2007 edition:

Craig Hansen
David Pauley
Kason Gabbard
David Murphy
Jacoby Ellsbury
Clay Buchholz
Brandon Moss
George Kottaras
Nick DeBarr
Kyle Jackson
Edgar Martinez
Chad Spann

In 2007 the invited more players at the upper levels. The first four had already played a cameo part in the 2006 season. Ellsbury and Buchholz spent part of the next season in AA, raced through AAA, and spent some time in MLB the season following. Moss and Kottaras both started in AAA and had MLB time as well (Moss in 2007, Kottaras 2008).

When you consider the number of guys who played at the MLB level, that's probably the most successful group so far. They don't have the star potential of the current group but they at least broke through with various levels of success.

[mooz]

Does anyone know when the autograph signing is?

[Nomar]

@alexspeier
Matt Barnes now slated to join other top #redsox prospects at great Jimmy Fund event, New Stars for Young Stars