Red Sox add three players to 40-man roster
BOSTON, MA-The Red Sox today selected outfielder Bryce Brentz and right-handed pitcher Anthony Ranaudo to the Major League roster from Triple-A Pawtucket, and selected third baseman Garin Cecchini to the roster from Double-A Portland. With the moves, Boston's 40-man roster is now at 39.
The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington.
Brentz, 24, hit .264 (86-for-326) with 16 doubles, one triple, 17 home runs, 56 RBI, 36 runs, and 20 walks in 82 regular-season games for Pawtucket in 2013. He led the PawSox in home runs and placed second on the club in RBI, total bases (155), and slugging percentage (.475). He hit 19 home runs overall this past season, including two on rehab with the Gulf Coast League Red Sox, tying for the most for a Boston minor leaguer. Brentz appeared primarily in right field at Pawtucket with 55 games at the position, and also played 14 games in left field. The right-handed batter went 4-for-34 with two doubles, one home run, and two RBI in eight International League Playoff games, tying for the IL Playoff lead with three extra-base hits.
Selected by Boston in the supplemental first round (36th overall) of the 2010 June Draft, Brentz has hit .273 (419-for-1,536) with 87 doubles, 10 triples, 71 home runs, 273 RBI, 220 runs, and 123 walks in 399 minor league games. He entered the 2013 season rated as the eighth-best prospect in the Red Sox system according to Baseball America.
The 22-year-old Cecchini split the 2013 season between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland, batting a combined .322 (146-for-454) with 33 doubles, seven triples, seven home runs, 61 RBI, 80 runs, 94 walks, a .443 on-base percentage, and 23 stolen bases in 129 games. He led all minor leaguers in on-base percentage and topped Red Sox farmhands in average this season. The left-handed batter began the year by hitting .350 (75-for-214) with 43 walks, a .469 on-base percentage, and .547 slugging percentage in 63 games for Salem and was named a mid-season Carolina League All-Star. He also twice earned Carolina League Player of the Week honors before his late June promotion to Portland. Cecchini played for the U.S. Team in the 2013 All-Star Futures game and went 1-for-2 with an RBI in a 4-2 U.S. win. After the season, he played for Surprise in the Arizona Fall League and hit .277 (18-for-65) with four doubles, nine RBI, nine runs, and 17 walks in 18 games and helped the Saguaros to the league's title. He was also the 2013 recipient of the AFL's Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award.
Taken by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2010 June Draft, Cecchini is a .312 (319-for-1,023) career hitter with 83 doubles, 12 triples, 14 home runs, 146 RBI, 185 runs, 172 walks, and 86 stolen bases in 279 minor league games. He entered the 2013 season ranked as Boston's seventh-best prospect according to Baseball America and was named the Red Sox Base Runner of the Year in 2012.
Ranaudo, 24, spent most of the 2013 season with Double-A Portland where he was named to both the Eastern League's mid-season and year-end All-Star teams. He went 8-4 with a 2.95 ERA (36 ER/109.2 IP), 106 strikeouts and 40 walks, and held opponents to a .204 average over 19 starts with the Sea Dogs before an August promotion to Pawtucket. The right-hander went 3-1 with a 2.97 ERA (10 ER/30.1 IP), 21 strikeouts, and seven walks in six games, including five starts, with the PawSox over the final month of the season and also made two starts for Pawtucket during the International League playoffs. His combined 11 wins between Portland and Pawtucket tied for the most among Red Sox minor leaguers, and he was third in that group in strikeouts (127), and fourth in ERA (2.96). Ranaudo also pitched for the U.S. team at the 2013 All-Star Futures game.
Selected by Boston in the supplemental first round (39th overall) of the 2010 June Draft, Ranaudo is 21-14 with a 3.84 ERA (130 ER/304.2 IP) and 271 strikeouts compared to 120 walks in 60 career minor league games (59 starts).
BOSTON RED SOX 40-MAN ROSTER (39)
PITCHERS (20): Andrew Bailey, Craig Breslow, Drake Britton, Clay Buchholz, Rubby De La Rosa, Ryan Dempster, Felix Doubront, John Lackey, Jon Lester, Andrew Miller, Franklin Morales, Jake Peavy, Anthony Ranaudo, Junichi Tazawa, Koji Uehara, Brayan Villarreal, Allen Webster, Alex Wilson, Brandon Workman, Steven Wright.
CATCHERS (4): Dan Butler, Ryan Lavarnway, David Ross, Christian Vazquez.
INFIELDERS (6): Xander Bogaerts, Alex Castellanos, Garin Cecchini, Brock Holt, Will Middlebrooks, Dustin Pedroia.
OUTFIELDERS (8): Jackie Bradley Jr., Bryce Brentz, Mike Carp, Jonny Gomes, Alex Hassan, Ryan Kalish, Daniel Nava, Shane Victorino.
DESIGNATED HITTER (1): David Ortiz.