With the MLB Rule 5 Draft just around the corner, the Boston Red Sox have added six players to their 40-man roster. To make room, they designated for assignment five players.
The six players added to the 40-man roster are: C Daniel Butler, OF Alex Hassan, RHP Alex Wilson RHP Steven Wright and C Christian Vazquez and RHP Allen Webster.
The five players designated for assignment were INF Ivan De Jesus, 3B Danny Valencia, RHP David Carpenter, RHP Sandy Rosario and RHP Zach Stewart.
Here's the complete 40-man roster for the Red Sox:
PITCHERS (23): Alfredo Aceves, Scott Atchison, Andrew Bailey, Daniel Bard, Pedro Beato, Craig Breslow, Drake Britton, Clay Buchholz, Chris Carpenter, Rubby De La Rosa, Felix Doubront, Rich Hill, John Lackey, Jon Lester, Mark Melancon, Andrew Miller, Franklin Morales, Clayton Mortensen, Stolmy Pimentel, Junichi Tazawa, Allen Webster, Alex Wilson, Steven Wright.
CATCHERS (5): Dan Butler, Ryan Lavarnway, David Ross, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Christian Vazquez.
INFIELDERS (7): Pedro Ciriaco, Mauro Gomez, Jose Iglesias, Will Middlebrooks, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Jerry Sands.
OUTFIELDERS (5): Jacoby Ellsbury, Alex Hassan, Ryan Kalish, Daniel Nava, Ryan Sweeney
Stewart was the one remaining piece from the Kevin Youkilis trade so we basically traded Youk for nothing.
Now there is one thing to keep in mind folks.
Should the Red Sox sign any free agents, there will have to be changes to the 40-man roster.
To see the full release from the Red Sox, please click on the continue reading button below if you're on the home page.
BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox today added six players to the Major League roster. Catcher Daniel Butler, outfielder Alex Hassan, and right-handed pitchers Alex Wilson and Steven Wright were selected from Triple-A Pawtucket, and catcher Christian Vazquez and right-handed pitcher Allen Webster were selected from Double-A Portland. To make room on the 40-man roster, infielder Ivan De Jesus, third baseman Danny Valencia and right-handed pitchers David Carpenter, Sandy Rosario and Zach Stewart were designated for assignment. The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington.
Butler, 26, split 2012 between Portland and Pawtucket, hitting .247 (79-for-320) with 19 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 37 RBI, 37 runs and 40 walks in 95 games. Between the two stops, he threw out 38 of 114 attempted base stealers (33.3%). He played a career-high 22 games at the Triple-A level after a promotion on August 3, and also appeared in six postseason games for the PawSox, going 6-for-19 (.316) with a homer. In 330 games over parts of four seasons in the Red Sox system, the right-handed batter has hit .259 (288-for-1,114) with 77 doubles, six triples, 29 home runs and 166 RBI. He was named to minor league All-Star teams in 2010 (Single-A South Atlantic League) and 2011 (High-A Carolina League), his first two full professional campaigns after signing with Boston as a non-drafted free agent in July 2009. Currently, Butler is playing for Toros del Este of the Dominican Winter League.
A native of Milton, MA, Hassan spent the 2012 season with Pawtucket and played in 94 games, appearing in left field, right field and at designated hitter. He topped all PawSox with at least 125 plate appearances with a .377 on-base percentage and finished second on the team with 55 walks, the 12th-highest total in the International League. Following the season, he was ranked by Baseball America as having the best strike-zone judgment in the circuit. A right-handed batter, he hit at a .256 clip (80-for-312) with 13 doubles, seven home runs, 46 RBI and 39 runs this past season. Selected by the Red Sox in the 20th round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft out of Duke, Hassan has hit at a .284 clip (351-for-1,236) with 83 doubles, six triples, 30 home runs, 177 RBI, 180 runs and 198 walks in 361 career minor league games in the Boston system.
Vazquez, 22, played the majority of last season with High-A Salem, where he was a Carolina League Postseason All-Star. He was also tabbed by Baseball America as the best defensive catcher in the league after leading catching qualifiers with a 41.9% caught stealing percentage (44 of 105) and 110 assists. Vazquez ended the year with 20 games for Portland in his Double-A debut and batted .254 (93-for-366) with 21 doubles, seven homers, 46 RBI, 54 runs and 48 walks across the two levels, including a .291 clip (51-for-175) over his last 48 games. He threw out 49 of 122 base stealers (40.2%) overall, and following the season was named by Baseball America as the best defensive catcher in the Red Sox farm system for a second straight year. Selected in the ninth round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, the right-handed batter has hit .256 (304-for-1,187) with 67 doubles, three triples, 30 home runs and 183 RBI in 337 career games over five minor league campaigns. He began the offseason in the Arizona Fall League and is now playing in the Puerto Rican Winter League.
Webster was acquired by Boston in a nine-player deal with the Dodgers on August 25. Between Los Angeles’ Double-A Chattanooga affiliate and Portland in 2012, he posted a 6-9 record with a 3.86 ERA (56 ER/130.2 IP) and 129 strikeouts compared to 61 walks allowed in 29 appearances, including 24 starts. The 22-year-old right-hander was tied for fourth in the Southern League in strikeouts (117) and ranked seventh in the circuit in ERA (3.55) at the time of the trade. He surrendered just two home runs all season and beginning May 15 ranked fifth among Double-A qualifiers with a 2.60 ERA (28 ER/97.0 IP) and eighth with a .227 opponent average (81-for-357). Overall in 2012, he gave up three earned runs or less in all but four starts and held opponents to one earned run or less in a start 10 times. Following the season, he was named the No. 4 prospect (No. 2 pitcher) in the Red Sox system by Baseball America. Selected in the 18th round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, Webster is 34-25 with one save and a 3.43 ERA (188 ER/494.0 IP), 468 strikeouts, 469 hits allowed and 206 walks over five minor league seasons between the Boston and Los Angeles organizations.
Wilson, 26, spent the entire 2012 season with Triple-A Pawtucket. He appeared in 40 games (3 starts) for the PawSox, posting a 5-3 record with one save and a 3.72 ERA (30 ER/72.2 IP) and 78 strikeouts, including a 3.36 ERA (22 ER/59.0 IP) out of the bullpen in his first career relief experience. The right-hander, who led the PawSox in outings and relief innings, struck out five and did not allow a run in 4.2 innings over four playoff games. In 2011, Wilson combined to go 10-4 with a 3.11 ERA (46 ER/133.0 IP) and 123 strikeouts in 25 starts between Portland and Pawtucket to be named the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Selected by the Red Sox in the second round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, he is 21-14 with one save, a 3.76 ERA (157 ER/375.2 IP) and 340 strikeouts in 105 minor league games (68 starts) over four seasons.
Wright began the 2012 season with the Cleveland Indians’ Double-A affiliate in Akron before being acquired by the Red Sox on July 31. The 28-year-old knuckleballer appeared in one game for Double-A Portland, allowing one run in 6.0 innings for the win before being promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket on August 8. Between the three teams, he went 10-7 with a 2.54 ERA (40 ER/141.2 IP) and 119 strikeouts in 25 starts. Wright finished the season first among Eastern League leaders in opponent average (.208) and ranked second in ERA (2.44). He was 0-1 in four starts with Pawtucket, posting a 3.15 ERA (7ER/20.0 IP) with 5 walks and 16 strikeouts. The right-hander also made one playoff start for the PawSox, allowing two runs and striking out six in 7.0 frames for the win. A second-round selection by Cleveland in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, Wright is 39-34 with seven saves, a 3.91 ERA (304 ER/699.2 IP) and 575 strikeouts in 191 career minor league appearances, including 108 starts, over six seasons since 2007. He is currently playing for Leones Del Escogido in the Dominican Winter League.
Carpenter, 27, was acquired from the Blue Jays on October 21. He is 1-5 with one save, a 5.70 ERA (38 ER/60.0 IP), 60 strikeouts and 29 walks allowed over 67 career Major League outings, all in relief, with the Astros (2011-12) and Blue Jays (2012). Last year, he combined to post an 8.07 ERA (29 ER/32.1 IP) in 33 Big League games between the two clubs. He also went 1-1 with four saves and a 3.08 ERA (9 ER/26.1 IP) in 23 minor league games between Houston and Toronto’s Triple-A affiliates in 2012.
De Jesus, acquired from the Dodgers in the nine-player trade on August 25, played in 31 Major League games between Los Angeles and Boston in 2012. The 25-year-old went 9-for-41 (.220) between the two stops with four RBI and five runs. De Jesus also combined to hit .304 (76-for-250) with 13 doubles, three triples, three home runs, 33 RBI and 37 runs scored in 67 Triple-A games between the two organizations this past season. A second-round pick by Los Angeles in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft, he has hit .205 (15-for-73) with three doubles, five RBI and seven runs over 48 career Major League games.
Rosario was claimed by Boston off waivers from the Miami Marlins on October 17. The 27-year-old has appeared in 10 career Big League outings over the last three campaigns, all for the Marlins. In 25 relief appearances for Miami’s Triple-A New Orleans club last season, he posted a 1.04 ERA (3 ER/26.0 IP) with 16 saves. Signed as an international free agent in 2004, Rosario is 30-18 with 47 saves, a 3.15 ERA (137 ER/391.0 IP) and 403 strikeouts over 181 career minor league outings, including 35 starts, in the Marlins system.
The 25-year-old Stewart went 0-2, allowing 14 runs in 5.2 innings, in two starts with the Red Sox this season after being acquired from the White Sox on June 24. In 11 regular-season starts for the PawSox in 2012, he went 3-5 with a 3.94 ERA (26 ER/59.1 IP) and 42 strikeouts compared to 14 walks. Selected by the Reds in the third round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, Stewart began the season with 18 games (1 start) for the White Sox and has pitched in 32 career Major League games (14 starts) for the Blue Jays (2011), White Sox (2011-12) and Red Sox (2012), posting a 3-10 record with a 6.82 ERA (78 ER/103.0 IP) and 64 strikeouts.
Valencia, 28, played in 10 games over two stints with Boston in 2012, going 4-for-28 (.143) with a home run and four RBI. Acquired by the Red Sox from the Twins on August 5, he hit .306 (15-for-49) with three doubles, a home run and eight RBI in 13 regular-season games for Pawtucket and knocked two homers and drove in six runs during the playoffs. Selected by Minnesota in the 19th round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, the right-handed hitter owns a .257 average (261-for-1,017) with 52 doubles, four triples, 25 home runs, 133 RBI, 107 runs and 63 walks in 283 career Major League games with the Twins (2010-12) and Red Sox (2012).
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