The Boston Red Sox farm system has undergone some significant change since chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom took over in 2019. Friday helped illustrate that change, as a number of players he acquired took a step towards their ultimate goal of reaching the major leagues.
According to Sox Prospects on Twitter, the Red Sox promoted infielder Alex Binelas and catcher Stephen Scott from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland, infielder Niko Kavadas and catcher Nathan Hickey from Low-A Salem to High-A Greenville and utility fielder Pedro Castellanos from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester.
The Worcester Red Sox, Portland Sea Dogs and Salem Red Sox confirmed the moves with tweets of their own.
Castellanos, in making the move to Triple-A, is now one step away from the major leagues. His arrival to Worcester marks a long time coming, as he signed his first professional contract with Boston back in 2015. He is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft in Dec. 2022.
Binelas, 22, was the highest rated prospect to be promoted Friday, placing 17th on SoxProspect’s official prospect rankings. He was acquired alongside Jackie Bradley Jr. in the Hunter Renfroe trade last winter, and has hit 14 home runs across 58 games with Greenville this season.
These moves follow the promotion of utility fielder Ceddanne Rafaela, who has become one of the hottest hitters in pro baseball this season
