The Lowell Spinners are sticking around.
The Spinners and Red Sox last week extended their player development contract for an additional two years, meaning the Single-A club will remain part of the Boston organization through the 2016 season. The two have had a fruitful relationship to this point, so there was no reason for the Red Sox to pull the plug.
The Red Sox’s 2014 struggles obviously are well-documented. The Spinners, meanwhile, finished one game under .500 (37-38), though it was a productive season from a player development standpoint.
Lowell’s 2014 season
— Record: 37-38 (third in New York-Penn League Stedler Division, 10 1/2 games back)
— Offense: .267 average (second out of 14), .319 on-base percentage (seventh), 32 homers (sixth), 337 runs scored (fourth)
— Pitching: 4.20 ERA (last), 1.37 WHIP (13th), 523 strikeouts (10th)
Most Valuable Player: Sam Travis, 1B (40 games, .333/.364/.448, four homers, 30 RBIs)
Travis, a second-round draft pick in 2014, earned a promotion to Greenville through his early season success with Lowell. The 21-year-old flashed power and solidified himself as Boston’s most intriguing first base prospect — good news considering the lack of organizational depth at the position before this season.
Travis hit .290 with three homers and 14 RBIs in 27 games with Greenville upon being promoted. Mike Napoli is under contract for 2015, but Travis could be Boston’s first baseman of the future. He’s currently ranked the Red Sox’s No. 17 prospect, according to SoxProspects.com.
Most Valuable Pitcher: Aaron Wilkerson (eight starts, 50 innings, 5-1, 1.62 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 54 strikeouts)
Wilkerson, a former independent league pitcher, was straight-up dominant at times. The 25-year-old right-hander signed with the Red Sox in July and thrived upon joining the organization. He recorded 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings and showed a knack for inducing ground ball outs. Wilkerson allowed only one earned run in 28 innings over his final four starts, during which he struck out 27.
Three Highs
— Nick Longhi excelled before a season-ending injury.
The 19-year-old outfielder/first baseman was placed on the disabled list July 24 after undergoing thumb surgery. He was one of the league’s most productive hitters before going down.
Longhi hit .330 with a .388 on-base percentage in 30 games. The lifelong Red Sox fan was considered one of the purest hitters in the 2013 draft class, and his first full year in the organization backed up that distinction.
— Mauricio Dubon’s aggressive approach worked.
Dubon’s ceiling is undefined. Defensively gifted shortstops also capable of producing offensively are rare, though, so there’s reason to be optimistic about Dubon, who hit .320 despite walking just nine times in 66 games.
Dubon led the team with 82 hits. The next highest total was Jordan Betts’ 65.
— Jordan Betts has pop.
The organization’s other Betts, an 18th-round pick in 2014, showed impressive power in his first year in the system. The third baseman, who turned 23 on Monday, blasted 10 home runs in 64 games, displaying maturity that could be a product of having played all four years at Duke.
Three Lows
— Heri Quevedo was unable to achieve consistency.
The 24-year-old right-hander was worth monitoring entering the season because of his big frame and strikeout ability. He delivered an underwhelming performance at Lowell before joining Salem, though, posting a 7.17 ERA in 11 appearances (nine starts).
Quevedo finished the year on a positive note with Salem, but the right-hander remains a wild card. He signed with the organization as a free agent last year and failed to build on a decent 2013 season.
— Edwar Garcia was victimized by control problems.
Garcia issued 18 walks in 27 innings over 16 relief appearances. His 1.81 WHIP was the worst mark of any pitcher on the team with at least 20 innings pitched.
— Bryan Hudson failed to make any noise.
Hudson has wheels. The 19-year-old outfielder wasn’t able to use them much, though, as he hit .237 with a .327 on-base percentage in 52 games.
It wasn’t a disastrous season, but the Red Sox surely would have liked to have seen more from Hudson, who hit .304 with a .406 on-base percentage in 43 games with the Gulf Coast Red Sox in 2013.
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Photo via Facebook/Lowell Spinners
