The Red Sox made a minor acquisition on Friday, purchasing the contract of Reynaldo Rodriguez from the Yuma Scorpions of the independent Golden Baseball League, WEEI.com reports.
Rodriguez was named top GBL prospect by Baseball America as well as the 2009 GBL Rookie of the Year after hitting .335 with a .380 on-base percentage and .486 slugging mark while tallying six homers, 48 RBIs and 18 steals in 74 games.
The Columbia native will be 23 in January, but because of his strengths and physical build, the Red Sox have yet to determine what position they would like the young talent to play.
"He’s not a prototypical first baseman," Yuma president Mike Marshall told WEEI.com. "He’s kind of lean and wiry. He’s just not a big, burly power-hitting first baseman. He’s a guy that hits for average. Everywhere he goes, he hits .330, .340. He’s a gap hitter [with] a lot of power to right and right center. He uses the whole field and has occasional power, but he’s more of a hitter. You think of a power-hitting first baseman – he’s not that. He’s an average, RBI, stolen bases, gap hitter with occasional power. He really handles the bat well. Doesn’t strike out much. He looks kind of like [current Dodgers first baseman James] Loney from the right side."
Boston scouts will keep tabs on Rodriguez during his winter league season in Columbia. The former Yankees' catching prospect will be invited to spring training for a tryout and to determine whether the club will sign him for the 2010 season.
