Hot Red Sox Prospects May Bolster Trade Deadline Efforts

As we approach the trade deadline we await word on prospects being moved in deals with other teams. If and when any of those on this list go, they will be taking with them a hot streak. Several of the top prospects are playing their best ball of the season. Here is a look at recent developments on the farm.

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  Last week: No. 1
  

  Casey Kelly, RHP

  Much has been made lately of Kelly’s somewhat lackluster numbers not telling the whole tale. His stuff remains top-notch and a bad break or two has seen certain stats soar.

  It doesn’t hurt to have a nice-looking line from time to time, though.

  That’s what Kelly picked up Wednesday by taming the Eastern League’s highest-scoring offense with six superb innings in a win over New Hampshire. The 20-year-old surrendered just one run on a solo homer to rehabbing major leaguer Travis Snider, striking out eight and walking one.

  Snider came up in a big moment later in the game and Kelly got him swinging on a changeup. It seems the youngster is beginning to relish such moments.

  "I wanted to face him again," Kelly said. "I saw he was coming up, kind of like a mano-a-mano thing. I got him on a good change-up down in the zone."

  Kelly is now 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA over his last three starts, lowering his once-hefty ERA to 4.85 for the season and serving notice he may be settling into his role. There may have been some inquiries, but the Sox will not be moving him at the deadline.

  What do you think?  Leave a comment.

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  Last week: No. 2
  

  Ryan Kalish, OF

  With Jeremy Hermida now healthy, Mike Cameron able to play more often and Jacoby Ellsbury eyeing potential minor league rehab games in the next week or so, the Red Sox outfield is beginning to find a degree of health. This means the promotion of Kalish, a scenario some had hoped to see as he continued to tear apart Triple-A pitching, will not be taking place anytime soon.

  As long as he continues to get quality playing time, that’s just fine with the organization. Kalish has cooled off just a tad but did smack his third home run since joining Pawtucket on Wednesday at home and then stole his 11th base with the PawSox the next night. It’s that power-speed blend that has the big club drooling — the 22-year-old has 11 home runs and 24 steals (in 26 attempts) between Portland and Pawtucket.

  We may have to wait until September to see him, but based on his performance at the minor league level he is ready to contribute in Boston.

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  Last week: No. 3
  

  Lars Anderson, 1B

  He had an 11-game hitting streak (.409) snapped Wednesday but has had a hit and an RBI in both games since, and Anderson is hitting .333 overall in July. The power many hope to someday see has not come in the form of high home run totals — he has not homered in 26 games — but Anderson has ripped 22 doubles in just 73 games at Pawtucket. That total leads the team, and among the 13 International League players with more two-baggers, only one has played in fewer games than Anderson, who had four doubles and two triples in a span of four games wrapping around last weekend.

  Extra-base hits should translate to home runs down the road for the 22-year-old. In addition, a guy who was at one time 2-for-42 (with 18 strikeouts!) against let-handers at the Triple-A level has begun to hammer southpaws. He is 10-for-28 (.357) and has whiffed just five times since that bottoming out early in the month.

  Safe to say Anderson has turned one corner and may soon turn another.

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  Last week: No. 4
  

  Anthony Rizzo, 1B

  Rizzo’s power binge continued into the week when he clubbed his fourth home run in 17 games in July on Sunday. He has gone homerless since, but went 11-for-29 (.379) in a nice eight-game stretch entering the weekend.

  Still only 20, Rizzo continues to hold his own against older competition. He is one of just two Sea Dogs with double-digit home runs, despite playing in fewer games at the Double-A level than most of his mates.

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  Last week: No. 5
  

  Felix Doubront, LHP

  Doubront will pitch Saturday night at Columbus, his first start since rejoining the PawSox. The 23-year-old was 1-2 with a 4.11 ERA in his three starts for the Red Sox. He returns with a cutter to add to an already solid fastball and an improving breaking ball. With the Red Sox’ rotation returning to health this week, there likely won’t be a spot start for Doubront anytime soon. Expect him to continue to progress at Triple-A and factor into the bullpen mix come September.

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  Last week: No. 6
  

  Jose Iglesias, SS

  This has become a weekly update on Iglesias’ broken right hand as he remains out since the end of May. He is wearing a brace on the hand that allows him to swing off a tee, but little else. There is no timetable for his return but many are eager to see how he adjusts to his first real trying time as a pro.

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  Last week: No. 7
  

  Luis Exposito, C

  Two more hits and three more RBIs in Friday’s game with Harrisburg kept Exposito trending upward at the plate. He has three multi-hit games in his last four overall and is hitting .286 in July after a difficult June. It’s tempting to imagine Exposito as a cure to the Red Sox’ catching ills, especially when you consider this statistic: the three catchers who have filled in for the injured Victor Martinez and Jason Varitek (Kevin Cash, Dusty Brown, Gustavo Molina) have yet to drive in a run in a collective 25 games and 59 at-bats, while Exposito has 65 RBIs in just 89 games, good for fourth in the Eastern League.

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  Last week: No. 8
  

  Stolmy Pimentel, RHP

  Another 20-year-old hurler who has really settled in the past couple of weeks, Pimentel has pitched seven innings in each of his last two starts. He has allowed only three runs on six hits in that span while striking out 13. In a win over Lynchburg on Thursday, Pimentel’s first victory in six starts, he allowed an early solo homer but rebounded to retire 18 of 20, including 14 straight at one point.

  All this after a scoreless appearance in the Futures Game in Anaheim during the All-Star break. It’s been quite a stretch for Single-A Salem’s best young pitcher.

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  Last week: No. 9
  

  Josh Reddick, OF

  Since the All-Star break, Reddick has hit .333 (9-for-27) with a home run and three doubles. We know what he can do when he gets hot, so keep an eye on Reddick, who remains an intriguing bat despite his dismal first half. Reddick is still only 23, but because he has been up and down with the Red Sox so many times the past two years, it seems as if he’s been on the radar for a long time.

  Unless he reverts to the difficult times he had in April and May, Reddick will remain on that radar, even if others in the system (Kalish, Daniel Nava) may get the call first.

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  Last week: No. 10
  

  Kolbrin Vitek, 2B/3B

  The team’s top pick in the June draft is enduring his first slump as a pro. He is 2-for-20 with six strikeouts in his last five games. Also, after whiffing 13 times and drawing 11 walks in June, he has struck out 24 times and earned just seven free passes in July. Time for Vitek to show he can make adjustments against professional pitching.

Six others knocking on the door:

Reymond Fuentes, OF, Greenville: The 2009 top pick has slumped at the plate in July but still has 28 steals in 30 attempts. He won’t turn 20 until next February.

Michael Bowden, RHP, Pawtucket: Although his call-up was brief this week, Bowden appears firmly entrenched in the Red Sox’ future plans for their bullpen. Additionally, he has embraced the role with a ton of enthusiasm. Look for him to shine as a reliever with the PawSox and return to the majors soon.

Ryan Lavarnway, C/DH, Portland: The 6-foot-4 Yale product earned a recent promotion to Double-A Portland after a blistering pace at Salem (.298, 14 HRs, 63 RBIs in 82 games). He has been on fire ever since, batting .433 (13-for-30) with an astounding 14 RBIs in just eight games with the Sea Dogs. Lavarnway drove in 12 in a remarkable four-game stretch earlier in the week.

Will Middlebrooks, 3B, Salem: A member of our top 10 earlier in the year, Middlebrooks has garnered some attention of late with a .352 average in July.

Oscar Tejeda, 2B, Salem: Middlebrooks’ teammate has hit better than .370 in two different months already this season and enters Saturday fourth in the Carolina League in hitting at .322.

Kyle Weiland, RHP, Portland: After a rocky start to the season, Weiland has rebounded to go 5-3 with a 3.19 ERA over the span of 14 starts, striking out 70 in 73 1/3 innings.