Red Sox to release minor league catcher Stephen Scott (source)
The Red Sox are releasing minor league catcher Stephen Scott, a source tells Beyond the Monster.
The club currently has Tyler Heineman, Mark Kolozsvary, and Nathan Hickey at Triple-A, with Roberto Perez in camp in Florida style. He is getting reps and working his way back to regular playing time.
Scott was initially expected to start the season with the WooSox, but with the new catching depth at the upper levels and playing time for these players, it squeezed the Vanderbilt product out of the mix.
With the lack of opportunity to play, Scott and the Red Sox will mutually part ways.
Scott made his Triple-A debut last season; he split time between catcher and first base.
“They worked with me a lot and gave me a crash course,” Scott said to Beyond the Monster this offseason. “Chad Tracy called me when I was on the drive from Portland to Worcester and asked me if I could play first for them. He knew it had been a bit since I played the position. To say there weren’t a few nerves before that game, I would be lying.”
Hickey and Scott are similar players, offering similar skill sets. Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham said that Hickey will play first base as well this coming season.
When the Red Sox drafted Scott, he was taken as an outfielder. Scott caught some in college, and while the Red Sox were scouting him, they liked his toughness and wanted to build upon his skills behind the dish.
"Personally, I had a lot of development at Vanderbilt,” Scott said. “I started as an outfielder, and it was the beginning of becoming a catcher. A lot of development as a person and as a baseball player. It made the transition pretty easy here. Versatility has been a big part of my career, and I look forward to developing as a catcher.”
Scott played in 100 games last season split between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester. The right-handed hitter posted a .235 batting average with 80 hits, 16 doubles, 19 homers, 66 RBIs with a .812 OPS.
