Enmanuel Valdez will move around the infield this spring, will start at second base on Friday
Red Sox infield prospect Enmanuel Valdez will start for the team on Friday when the club plays Northeastern.
Valdez is hoping to make an impact this spring with his bat and his glove. Manager Alex Cora spoke highly of his bat during Thursday’s press conference at the end of team workouts.
“He can hit,” said Cora.
“This kid, he can hit. He controls the strike zone. He can hit. So we’ll try to help him defensively. More comfortable at second than other places. Both of them, Abreu and Valdez, they control the strike zone. They do damage in the strike zone. I’m excited to see them. They’re both going to start in West Palm next week.”
The 24-year-old will also move around the infield, showcasing his versatility with the hopes of cracking the Opening Day roster.
“He can (play outfield) but I think here, we’ll move him around in the infield,” Cora said. When asked if Valdez will play shortstop, Cora replied, “we’ll see, we’ll see.”
“A lot of athleticism, a lot of versatility,” Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham said to MassLive.com. “Kind of played all over the diamond. Saw some time in the outfield. Some time in the middle (of the infield). A guy who really impacts the baseball when he makes solid contact with it. I think similar to Wilyer, getting balls in the zone that he can really connect with and make impact with is going to be really valuable.
“Aggressiveness is part of that,” Abraham added. “But I think it’s also understanding the opposing pitchers, understanding the strike zone, understanding the matchup is a part of that. We saw a guy who has power to all fields, can really change the game in a lot of different ways. And doing it consistently will be a big piece of that.”
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