Gordon Edes - Red Sox Notebook: Kelly signs, volunteers to play two positions

The Sox signed their No. 1 draft pick, Casey Kelly, a two-sport star at Sarasota (Fla.) High School who had signed a letter of intent to play quarterback for Tennessee but whose baseball pedigree - his father, Pat, is a former big league catcher and current minor league manager - pointed to his coming to terms with Boston.

His signing was further complicated by a divided perspective on how Kelly can best serve the Sox. He played shortstop at Sarasota and wants to be an everyday player. The Sox project him as a pitcher, though general manager Theo Epstein said yesterday there was some difference of opinion internally on whether he had a better future as a shortstop or pitcher.

In the end, the Sox decided to give him an opportunity to try both, though playing shortstop, initially at least, will clearly take precedence.

Kelly, who already was in Fort Myers, Fla., working out on his own, will report to the Sox' Gulf Coast League entry there today, and will play shortstop.

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The Sox also signed another shortstop, second-rounder Derrik Gibson, the high school player of the year in Delaware. He, too, will report to the GCL Sox, and scouting director Jason McLeod said that with Kelly in line to get most of the repetitions at short, Gibson may be moved to another position.

The Sox have signed their first five picks and 11 of their first 14. They did not announce Kelly's signing bonus, and as of last evening, his agent, John Courtright, had not responded to a telephone call. Gibson signed for $600,000, according to Baseball America. Three early-round picks have yet to sign - New Jersey high school outfielder Pete Hissey, Portmouth (R.I.) high school star Ryan Westmoreland, and Yale third baseman Ryan Lavarnway. Epstein said negotiations are ongoing.

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Bullpen help ranks as the No. 1 priority, and with Justin Masterson being groomed to help out and Michael Bowden another possibility to help as a starter or reliever, the Sox are inclined to take their chances with what they have rather than overpaying for what might be available on the trade market . . .



Amalie Benjamin - Minor League Notebook: It's a system full of riches; Hottest prospects reflect the depth

With Theo Epstein as general manager, the Red Sox have built one of the best farm systems in baseball. They have pitching prospects in the upper minors in Michael Bowden, Daniel Bard, and Kris Johnson, and positional depth moving up the ranks in Lars Anderson and Josh Reddick.

It's a good situation to be in, whether the Sox need trading chips for major league-ready players for a playoff push or whether young players will contribute to the big league club, as Justin Masterson, Brandon Moss, and Jed Lowrie have done this season.

Though they won't get to play a 15-inning All-Star Game, here's one All-Star team from the Sox' farm system, based not on promise, but on results this season.

Jeff Horrigan - The Minors: Sox prospects not half bad

The Red Sox [team stats] utilized the Major League, Triple-A and Double-A All-Star breaks to shuffle minor league personnel, promoting several top prospects following strong first halves to their seasons. Scouts say the organization is more stocked with talent than ever before, and it is not difficult to see why. Every level finds prospects who should be contributing at Fenway Park [map] in the near future.

Here is a look at each level’s top performers prior to the break



Rob Bradford - Red Sox Notebook: Casey Kelly signs just in time


“It wasn’t the easiest negotiation,” said Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein, “‘but in the end, I think both sides are happy that a deal got done.”

Since Epstein began as the Red Sox general manager prior to the 2003 season, the team has signed every first-round pick. The Sox now have 21 of their 2008 draft picks under contract.

Besides the pull of football, Kelly also had to discover what position the Sox wanted him to play. While the son of Reds minor league coach Pat Kelly hit .473 with five homers and 31 RBI, he also acquitted himself well on the mound.

As a pitcher, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound righty went 8-1 with two saves and a 1.16 ERA, fanning 77 in 66 innings.

While the Red Sox will begin Kelly’s career at shortstop, they also plan to allow him some time as a pitcher, perhaps in instructional league over the winter.

“We had scouts who liked Casey better as a pitcher, and scouts who liked Casey better as a shortstop,” Epstein said. “Both parties worked together to come up with a plan where he would go out as a shortstop. Pitching is something we’re going to expose Casey to at the right time in the right place and the right environment.”

The Providence Journal

Joe McDonald - PawSox 15, Mud Hens 6: Kottaras and Bailey help Papi power PawSox

HIGHLIGHTS: David Ortiz made his PawSox debut and wowed the standing-room-only crowd of 11,460. The Red Sox slugger went 1-for-3, the hit being a solo home run, and a walk. Not to be outdone by Ortiz, PawSox starter Edgar Martinez improved to 4-1 with a solid 6 1/3 innings outing. He allowed three runs on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts. … PawSox starter-turned-reliever Justin Masterson worked 1 1/3 innings and surrendered two runs on two hits.

KEY OF THE GAME: Pawtucket erupted for seven runs in the fourth inning off Toledo starter Virgil Vasquez. Ortiz led off with a solo home run, while teammates Jeff Bailey and George Kottaras belted a pair of two-run homers for Pawtucket. PawSox’ Gil Velazquez contributed a two-run single. Pawtucket batted around that inning and Ortiz made the third out with a soft liner to first during his second at-bat of the inning.

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It’s that time of the season during which the PawSox’ roster begins to change due to call-ups from Double-A. Pawtucket yesterday added Eastern League All-Star outfielder Jeff Corsaletti from Portland. The 25-year-old was batting .311 with 20 doubles, 4 triples, 12 homers and 7 stolen bases. The 6-foot, 190-pounder was selected by the Red Sox with their sixth-round pick (198th overall) in the 2005 draft. … Also joining the PawSox was first baseman/DH Sandy Madera.

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Red Sox pitching prospect Michael Bowden also joined the PawSox and is expected to be activated for a start on Monday at Columbus. The 21-year-old right-hander was 9-4 with a 2.33 ERA in 19 starts for Portland. He was a sandwich pick between the first and second round (47th overall) in the 2005 draft.


Joe McDonald - Red Sox reel in top draft pick Casey Kelly


Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein made the announcement via a conference call, along with director of amateur scouting, Jason McLeod. During the call, the GM spoke about how difficult the negotiations were due to the fact that Kelly wants to play both shortstop and pitch. In addition, he had a football scholarship waiting for him at the University of Tennessee.

Kelly received a five-year deal worth $600,000 a year. For major-league baseball purposes, however, it has a present-day value of $2.5 million. It is not uncommon for a two-sport athlete to sign such a deal. Because he has that offer from Tennessee to play football, the contract has been structured to provide Kelly with incentives to stick with baseball rather than returning to football.

Papi just homered again down here in Pawtucket. Took an outside pitch over the wall in left-center. Somebody better get this man to California tomorrow morning on the red-eye flight. Why waste him down on the farm?

Brendan McGair - Ortiz homers during rehab stint at McCoy Stadium

Apparently playing in the All-Star Game in Louisville the night prior didn’t take its toll on Chris Carter, Jonathan Van Every and Jeff Bailey. The trio all hit home runs with Koattaras also joining in the home run parade. Gil Velazquez, who likely will see more time now that Jed Lowrie is stationed with the parent club, had two runs, two hits and three RBI.

Edgar Martinez took a two-hit shutout into the seventh before tiring some. He worked 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits en route to his fourth win. Martinez struck out five and walked two.
Justin Masterson, who replaced Martinez, was touched for two runs on two hits in 1 1/3 innings.




Brendan McGair - Madera has supporter in Big Papi

PAWTUCKET -- Perhaps David Ortiz was getting a head start on his post-career occupation when he suggested the Red Sox take a flyer on Sandy Madera.

Talent evaluator aside, Ortiz professed his fondness for Madera after his batting practice session on Thursday, saying, “he’s like a son.”

Such a powerful endorsement from Big Papi brought a smile to Madera’s face. The connection stretches from their childhood days in the Dominican Republic, where Madera, back for his second go-around with Pawtucket, said he would often show his face around the Ortiz household.

“He takes care of me and is always worrying about me,” said the 27-year-old Madera, who was kicking around with the New Jersey Jackals of the Can-Am League before his contract was purchased by Boston on April 8. “I appreciate everything he’s done for me.

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The Red Sox believed Madera needed to play regularly and Portland would be the best place to keep him sharp.

Asked if he was a victim of the numbers’ game, Madera responded, “They want me in the lineup regularly. They didn’t want me sitting (in Pawtucket).”

Madera completed his two-stint stay in Portland with a .292 average and seven homers and 28 RBI in 43 games. “He’s a nice addition and has a powerful bat,” said PawSox manager Ron Johnson, who mentioned Madera could catch in a pinch.

Kevin Thomas - Where is Papi? Dogs lose 8-1; League-leading Trenton pounds the Sea Dogs, who could use some David Ortiz-style thunder.

Trenton, unlike its parent club, is cruising along in first. The Thunder increased the lead in the Eastern League Northern Division, beating Portland 8-1 Thursday night before a sold-out Hadlock Field crowd of 7,368.

Trenton (60-37) extended its lead over Portland (53-43) by 61/2 games. The top two teams in each division reach the playoffs, and the Sea Dogs are three games ahead of third-place Binghamton.

On Thursday, Trenton got to Portland pitching for 14 hits, 12 in the last four innings.

"They're a pesky team and they put hits together," Portland Manager Arnie Beyeler said.

Portland starter Dustin Richardson (6-6) cruised along with a two-hit shutout for five innings with a 1-0 lead. But the Thunder broke out for five runs in the sixth (four off Richardson, and one of reliever Daniel Bard).

Trenton then tagged reliever Chad Rhoades for three runs in the eighth.

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The Hadlock crowd got its first look at the touted fielding prowess of shortstop Argenis Diaz, just promoted from advanced Class A Lancaster.

Diaz, 21, reached a bad-hop bouncer up the middle in the first inning, spun around and threw out Chris Malec.

In the second inning, Diaz slid to his right to stop a grounder, popping up to make the throw in time to first. "He made a couple of real nice plays out there; real athletic out in the field," Beyeler said.

Diaz also scored Portland's only run in the fifth. He hustled for a double when Trenton center fielder Austin Jackson got a late break on Diaz's short fly. He scored on an Iggy Suarez single to left.

Willie T. Smith III - Di Benedetto delivers winner in 10th inning of Drive debut

For nine innings Greenville Drive third baseman Thomas Di Benedetto had an inauspicious performance in his first game with the team.

That changed in the 10th inning, however, when he coaxed a grounder through a drawn-in infield to knock in second baseman Kristopher Negron and give the Drive a 6-5 victory over the Lake City Captains.

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Reliever Kyle Foster (3-0) picked up the win after shutting the Captains out on three hits and two walks in the final two innings. He struck out one.

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Greenville held on to its tenuous lead until the seventh when a Martinez single to center scored catcher Adam Davis from second to tie the score at 5-5.

The Lowell Sun

Lynn Worthy - Snyder leaves early, Spinners falter late

That point got driven home for the Lowell Spinners in a 5-3 loss to the Mahoning Valley Scrappers last night at LeLacheur Park as Red Sox right-hander Kyle Snyder's rehab outing was cut short, and the Spinners' early offensive success was likewise curtailed.

Snyder, Lowell's starting pitcher, left the game with one out in the third inning. Lowell pitching coach Walter Miranda and trainer Brandon Henry came out to talk to Snyder after a misplayed grounder to shortstop put two runners on base.

Snyder left the game almost immediately after little discussion on the mound. A reoccurring groin injury landed him on the disabled list June 3 while he was in Pawtucket.

He apparently felt some "discomfort" last night.

"After talking to him after he came out, not so much the fatigue of the muscle but he was having to use his legs a lot more as the game went on and I think he felt a little bit of a twinge," Spinners manager Gary DiSarcina said. "And he's into the third inning and that's when he can hurt something else. If he starts favoring his leg, that's when he can hurt his shoulder or his arm. That's why he came out."

The plan had been for Snyder to pitch approximately four innings or 45-50 pitches. He'd thrown 34 pitches (20 strikes) and ended up getting charged with two runs (one earned).

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The Spinners held onto that 3-2 lead until they gave up a pair of unearned runs in the seventh. A throwing error by Pimentel with a runner on first base gave the Scrappers runners on the corners with no outs. Two batters later Lonnie Chisenhall's two-out single put Mahoning Valley up 4-3.

The Scrappers added an insurance run in the top of the ninth.

Meanwhile, the Spinners recorded five hits in the first five innings and just one hit the rest of the game.

The lone hit was an infield single by Luis Sumoza in the seventh.

David Willis - The Hawaiian Glove Man: Honolulu native brings golden mitt to Lowell


LOWELL — Now a month into the season, bus rides to ballparks in New York and Vermont have taken their toll on many of the Lowell Spinners. But they have yet to faze Jonathan Hee.

"Traveling from Hawaii to the mainland is five hours at least," said Hee, who delivered the walk-off single in Lowell's 4-3 victory over Mahoning last night. "So this travel isn't bothering me yet."

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Hee had been selected by the Red Sox with the 23rd pick in the 21st round of the draft, 652nd overall. That meant he would start his career far from home.

"I was definitely excited to have the opportunity to play with this organization," he said. "But I am still a little nervous. I had only been to the mainland for away conference games and a little summer ball. So this is still a very new experience for me. I was exhausted for the first week."

The 6-foot, 180-pounder is working to find his way at the plate with the Spinners. He is hitting .220 with two doubles and seven runs. A switch hitter, he is much stronger from the left side, hitting .313. As the leadoff hitter last night, he had two hits, including the game-winner.

Hee has also been as stellar as ever with the glove. In 11 games at second base and four at shortstop, he has committed just one error in 60 chances, including a stellar backhand from deep shortstop last night. He has a combined .983 fielding percentage. But it hasn't stopped him from sweating the one mishap.

Chad Brockhoff - Ex-Sailor Kelly signs with Red Sox

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Kelly, who was selected by Boston 30th overall in last month's First-Year Player Draft, signed a contract with the organization Thursday. He is expected to report to Fort Myers today, where he will play shortstop for Boston's Gulf Coast League affiliate.

However, Red Sox Executive Vice President/General Manager Theo Epstein said there are plans to give Kelly an introductory course in pitching at the professional level.

"We had scouts that liked Casey better as a pitcher and we had scouts that liked Casey better as a shortstop," Epstein said during a conference call. "I think that's a testament to Casey's athletic ability. He's so talented at both positions.