Red Sox announce non-roster invitees to Major League Spring Training Camp
FORT MYERS, FL-The Boston Red Sox today announced that 17 players will attend the team's Major League Spring Training camp as non-roster invitees.
Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington made the announcement.
Quintin Berry, OF - Berry, 30, rejoins the Red Sox in 2015 after having played for the club in 2013, when he stole three bases during Boston's postseason run to the World Series title. The San Diego, CA native spent the majority of last season with Triple-A Norfolk, batting .285 with 53 runs and 25 stolen bases in 112 games, before earning a September promotion with Baltimore. A fifth-round selection of the Phillies in 2006, Berry owns a .266 average in 117 major league games between the Tigers (2012), Red Sox, and Orioles. He has not been caught in 30 major league stolen base attempts in the regular season and postseason.
Jeff Bianchi, INF - Bianchi is entering his first season in the Red Sox' organization. The 28-year-old utility man has played in 162 career major league games (84 starts), all with the Brewers from 2012-14. He has hit .216 with four homers and 40 RBI while seeing action at second base, third base, shortstop, and left field. Originally selected by the Royals in the second round of the 2005 June Draft, the Lancaster, PA native made his first career Opening Day roster last season, appearing in 29 games with Milwaukee. He also batted .276 with three home runs and 12 RBI in 24 contests with Triple-A Nashville.
Mitchell Boggs, RHP - Signed by the Red Sox as a minor league free agent in January, Boggs, 30, has made 226 relief appearances in his major league career with St. Louis (2008-13) and Colorado (2013), recording a 3.68 ERA in those games. A member of the Cardinals' 2011 World Series championship team, the Dalton, GA native has pitched in 17 career postseason games, all with St. Louis. Boggs, a fifth-round selection of the Cardinals in 2005, split last season between the White Sox' and Giants' minor league systems.
Miguel Celestino, RHP - Originally acquired from Seattle via trade in March 2010, Celestino is entering his sixth season the Red Sox' system. Since signing with the Mariners as an international free agent in 2006, the 25-year-old Dominican native has produced a career minor league record of 38-37 with a 4.06 ERA in 186 games (90 starts). He has worked exclusively as a reliever over the past two seasons, striking out 9.4 batters per nine innings pitched in 78 total appearances with Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket.
Keith Couch, RHP - Couch, 25, enters his sixth season in the Red Sox' organization and his first in major league camp. The Mineola, NY native has won 30 games since 2012, including 24 of his last 30 decisions. Last season, he went 8-2 with a 2.96 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 100.1 innings with Double-A Portland. He also started the decisive Game 5 of the 2014 International League Governors' Cup Finals with Triple-A Pawtucket, earning the win. Couch was selected by Boston in the 13th round of the 2010 June Draft.
Dana Eveland, LHP - Eveland, who will enter spring training camp as a reliever, posted a 1-1 record and 2.63 ERA with the Mets last season, allowing no runs in 24 of his 30 appearances, all out of the bullpen. For his major league career, the 31-year-old left-hander is 20-26 with a 5.27 ERA in 144 games, including 3-3 with two saves and a 4.69 ERA as a reliever, between the Brewers (2005-06), Diamondbacks (2007), Athletics (2008-09), Blue Jays (2010), Pirates (2010), Dodgers (2011), Orioles (2012), and Mets. An Olympia, WA native, Eveland has played 13 professional seasons since being selected by Milwaukee in the 16th round of the 2002 June Draft.
Dalier Hinojosa, RHP - Signed by the Red Sox as an international free agent in October 2013, Hinojosa is entering his second professional season in the United States after nine campaigns in Cuba's Major League Serie Nacional for the Guantanamo Indios. With Triple-A Pawtucket in 2014, the 28-year-old right-hander went 3-5 with a 3.79 ERA, leading the team in relief innings (61.2) and finishing second on the staff in games (41). He closed the year with a 1.83 ERA over his final 21 games, allowing just seven earned runs in 34.1 innings pitched.
Brian Johnson, LHP - Johnson, 24, was named 2014 Red Sox Minor League Pitcher of the Year, combining to go 13-3 with a 2.13 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 143.2 innings between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland. Named an Eastern League mid-season All-Star, Baseball America rated the Cocoa Beach, FL native as Boston's fifth-best prospect. Johnson, who was a first-round selection (31st overall) of the Red Sox in 2012, has gone 15-9 with a 2.23 ERA and 220 strikeouts in 48 career outings.
Bryan LaHair, 1B/OF - Over three major league seasons with the Mariners (2008) and Cubs (2011-12), LaHair, 32, has hit for a .260 average with 21 homers and 56 RBI in 195 games. A native of Worcester, MA, he was selected to the National League All-Star Team during his first full big league campaign in 2012, batting .259 with 16 home runs and 40 RBI. LaHair was also named the 2011 Pacific Coast League Most Valuable Player after he hit .331 with 38 doubles, 38 homers, and 109 RBI in 129 contests with Triple-A Iowa. Last season, he appeared in 111 minor league games in Cleveland's system.
Deven Marrero, SS - Marrero, 24, enters his fourth campaign in the Red Sox' system after combining to hit .258 with 30 doubles, two triples, six homers, and 59 RBI in 118 games between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket last season. The Miami, FL native has played in 286 career minor league games, producing a .258 average with 167 runs, 109 RBI, and 91 extra-base hits. Named the 2013 Red Sox Minor League Base Runner of the Year, he has 67 stolen bases in his career, including a total of 16 in 2014. Marrero was selected by Boston in the first round (24th overall) of the 2012 June Draft.
Luke Montz, C - Montz is entering his first season in the Red Sox' organization after having missed the entire 2014 campaign on the disabled list following right labrum surgery. The 31-year-old backstop has previously played in the Expos'/Nationals' (2003-09), Mets' (2010), Marlins' (2011-12), and Athletics' (2013-14) systems, seeing major league action with Washington in 2008 (10 games) and Oakland in 2013 (13 games). A native of Scott, LA, he has 153 home runs in 972 minor league games, including a career-high 29 homers with Triple-A New Orleans in 2012.
Henry Owens, LHP - Owens, who was selected by Boston with the 36th pick of the 2011 June Draft, is entering his fourth season in the Red Sox' organization and his second in major league camp. After he led the minors in wins (17-5) and finished fourth in strikeouts (170) with a 2.94 ERA between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket, Baseball America rated the Huntington, CA native as Boston's No. 2 farmhand and top pitching prospect for the second-straight season. During that two-year span, the 22-year-old left-hander has struck out more batters (339) than any other minor leaguer.
Felipe Paulino, RHP - Signed by the Red Sox as a minor league free agent in January, Paulino, 31, will enter spring training camp as a reliever. The Dominican native has pitched in parts of six big league campaigns with the Astros (2007, 2009-10), Rockies (2011), Royals (2011-12), and White Sox (2014), producing a 13-34 record and 5.22 ERA with 373 strikeouts in 403.2 innings. Paulino, who has made 225 appearances (152 starts) in his major league career, was limited to just four outings with Chicago in 2014 due to right rotator cuff inflammation.
Humberto Quintero, C - Quintero, 35, has seen major league action with San Diego (2003-04), Houston (2005-11), Kansas City (2012), Philadelphia (2013), and Seattle (2013-14), making six career Opening Day rosters (2007, 2009-13). The Venezuelan native owns a career .234 average with 20 home runs and 127 RBI in 471 games, in addition to a .990 fielding percentage in 393 starts behind the plate. Quintero led all big league catchers with a career-high seven pickoffs with the Astros in 2010, his last full season in the majors.
Noe Ramirez, RHP - Over three seasons in the Red Sox' organization, the 25-year-old Ramirez has fanned 224 batters in 241.1 innings, including 56 strikeouts in 67.0 frames with Double-A Portland in 2014. The Los Angeles, CA native also produced a 2-1 record and 2.14 ERA with 18 saves in 42 appearances last season, all career bests. A fourth-round selection of the Red Sox in 2011, Ramirez has a career 7-10 record and 2.97 ERA, converting 24 of 30 save opportunities and striking out 8.4 batters per nine innings pitched.
Matt Spring, C - Spring, 30, is entering his fifth season in the Red Sox' system and his first in major league camp after splitting time between Double-A Portland (31 games) and Triple-A Pawtucket (12 games) last season. The Columbus, GA native is entering the 12th season of his professional career, having signed with Boston as a minor league free agent prior to the 2011 campaign. Spring, who has a .284 career average with 87 homers over 647 games in the minors, was originally selected by Tampa Bay in the fourth round of the 2004 June Draft.
Jemile Weeks, INF/OF - Weeks returns for a second season in the Red Sox' organization after having first been acquired from the Orioles via trade in August 2014. The 28-year-old had big league stints with Baltimore (3 games) and Boston (14 games) last season, combining to hit .297 with three doubles, one triple, and three RBI in 37 at-bats. Weeks, a native of Orlando, FL, has a .260 average with four homers and 40 steals in 240 career contests. He hit .303 in 97 games in 2011, leading all major league rookies in batting average and triples (8).
Nine of the 17 invitees have major league experience, including Berry, Bianchi, Boggs, Eveland, LaHair, Montz, Paulino, Quintero, and Weeks. Weeks saw action with the Red Sox in 2014, while Berry was a member of the 2013 World Series championship team.
Pitchers and catchers will participate in their first on-field workout at the Fenway South Player Development Complex in Lee County on Saturday, February 21. The first full squad workout of the Red Sox spring training camp is on Wednesday, February 25.