Nick Sogard, Ryan Fitzgerald among several WooSox players deserving of MLB look
Nick Sogard, Ryan Fitzgerald among several WooSox players deserving of MLB look
The WooSox have had a bit of a revolving door to their clubhouse over the past couple of months. With eight guys on the Triple-A IL at the moment, they have needed to call up a few from Portland. Add that to the injuries occurred on the big league club, the WooSox have sent many up to fill in the spots.
Worcester has gotten off to a 15-11 start to the second half of the Triple-A season, which is good for a tie for third in the International League. That is in part to guys like Nick Sogard and Ryan Fitzgerald who have been a consistent threat in the WooSox lineup. Those two and a few other main stays in the lineup have proved to be deserving of a look at the MLB level.
The 40-man roster guys
It’s rather easy to assume that guys currently on the 40-man roster could find their way at Fenway at some point throughout the season. We have seen Brandon Walter, Bobby Dalbec, Enmanuel Valdez, and David Hamilton all make their way to Boston this year. All those listed are currently back on the Triple-A roster, but all have the chance of getting another call back up.
Dalbec is in a bit of a different category. He currently leads all of Triple-A in home runs and is near the top at almost every single offensive category. All of this production and still is not getting another chance at the MLB roster.
Valdez and Hamilton both saw some time during the Red Sox middle infield injury fiasco that is just about wrapped up with the return of Trevor Story this week. Valdez has struggled to stay healthy since being sent back down to Worcester, as he has had two separate stints on the IL over the past month. Hamilton has cooled off since his hot start to the Triple-A season. Red Sox fans saw his elite speed during his time up, but also saw him struggle at the plate and on the defensive side of things.
Walter had a successful stint out of the Boston bullpen in a unique role. He was in line to start his first game in Worcester since June 17th on Saturday until Mother Nature had other plans. Walter was only able to pitch the first two innings until rain forced it to be postponed. The lefty was good in his first stint in the majors as he carried a 3.07 ERA over six games.
Wilyer Abreu would be the only 40-man option who could see success at the major league level is called upon this season. Abreu has great plate discipline, has a cannon of an arm, and has been praised regularly this season by WooSox manager Chad Tracy.
The non-roster guys
We have really only seen one non-roster guy stick on longer than a week this season and that would be Joe Jacques. Jacques is more than ready to stick on in an MLB bullpen. With the recent addition of pitchers, the lefty has found himself recently optioned to Triple-A. His time will not be long in Worcester.
This is where guys like Sogard and Fitzgerald come into play.
Sogard and Fitzgerald have both played just about every position on the diamond. They have both been the definition of consistency at the plate too. Sogard is slashing .291/.391/.408, while Fitzgerald is slashing .293/.352/.541. Fitzgerald is 29 years old and is Rule 5 Draft eligible this Winter. Sogard is also Rule 5 Draft eligible this Winter and would be an easy selection for a team looking for a versatile bench bat.
The only other hitter who has been making a case for big league time is Ronaldo Hernández. The catcher is set to become a free agent this offseason and has yet to make his major league debut. Hernández has been in Worcester and has come on fire at the plate over the last couple of months.
Two non-roster pitchers on the current WooSox roster are making cases for themselves too. Kyle Barraclough has started six games for Worcester since signing, and he has won all six games. The veteran right-hander has had plenty of major league success in his career and would not shock anyone to receive a call-up.
AJ Politi has done everything you can ask for from your Triple-A closer. The right-hander performed so well last season; he was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the Rule 5 Draft. He is eligible for the draft once again this offseason and will be selected by a team if not added to the major league roster. Politi has a 3.83 ERA and 10 saves serving as the team’s primary closer this season.
Follow Andrew on Twitter @ByAndrewParker
For additional Red Sox and Major League Baseball content, follow Beyond the Monster: Boston Red Sox on Twitter @BeyondtheMnstr
Join our new Facebook group for all of our latest content, click the link here.
