IL1 Syracuse Mets

Top Boston Red Sox Minor League Players Coming to Syracuse

Published on July 30, 2018 under International League (IL1)
Syracuse Mets News Release


The Syracuse Chiefs host the Pawtucket Red Sox for the final time this season in a four-game series at NBT Bank Stadium from starting tonight, and running through Thursday, August 2nd. As Boston's top minor-league affiliate, Pawtucket boasts a roster of talented prospects plus veterans with multiple years of MLB experience. This provides fans the opportunity to see future Boston Red Sox players at NBT Bank Stadium, in addition to the exciting players on the Chiefs roster. Some of the top players that will be in Syracuse with the Red Sox are listed below.

Sam Travis is the seventh-ranked prospect in the Boston Red Sox system and the highest-ranked prospect on Pawtucket's roster, according to Baseball America. Travis has been promoted to Boston twice this season after getting his first opportunity in the major leagues last season with multiple appearances throughout the year with Boston in 2017. The Chicago native was the Chicago Tribune Illinois High School Baseball Player of the Year in 2011. Travis attended Indiana University and was named the Big Ten's Most Outstanding Player of the Year in 2013 and also played on Team USA's collegiate squad in 2013. The 24-year old was drafted by Boston in the second round of the 2014 amateur entry draft. 2018 marks Travis's fifth season with the Boston Red Sox organization and his third season with Pawtucket.

Adam Lind is a veteran of 1,344 MLB games over parts of 12 seasons with a .272 career batting average, including 200 home runs. The 35-year-old is a former Syracuse Chiefs player who signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox as a minor-league free agent on June 2nd of this season. Lind spent time in the majors with four different teams, including the Toronto Blue Jays from 2006-2014, the Milwaukee Brewers in 2015, the Seattle Mariners in 2016, and the Washington Nationals in 2017. Lind played with the Chiefs in 2006, 2007, and 2008 when Syracuse was a Toronto Blue Jays affiliate.

Rusney Castillo has played 99 career MLB games over parts of three seasons with Boston. Castillo was named a 2018 International League All-Star and has spent a majority of 2018 ranking in the top ten in the league in batting average. The 30-year old signed a seven-year, $72.5-million contract with the Boston Red Sox in August 2014 after playing his first five professional seasons in Cuba. Castillo has played in the Puerto Rican Winter League after each of his seasons in the United States. In 2014-15 and 2015-16, Castillo's Puerto Rican Winter League team was managed by current Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora. If it weren't for Castillo's large contract, he would likely be playing in the majors. Castillo was taken off of Boston's 40-man roster in 2016, which meant that Castillo still got paid, but the money didn't count against Boston's luxury tax payroll calculations. A team is taxed at higher rates depending on how high their payroll is and draft spots can be affected. Castillo has performed well in Triple-A recently. In addition to his All-Star selection this year, he was an International League Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star in 2017 with Pawtucket while hitting .314 with 15 home runs and 43 RBIs in 87 games.

Bobby Poyner is one of the top relievers in the Red Sox system and has already made an impact with Boston this season. The 25-year-old made his MLB debut this year, making ten relief appearances for Boston. Poyner has proven to be one of the best left-handed relief options for the Red Sox when given the opportunity. The West Palm Beach, Florida native has a 1.69 ERA in ten-and-two-thirds innings pitched in the majors this season. Poyner has spent time up and down between Boston and Pawtucket this season which makes him someone worth coming to see because of the high chance that he will end up back in the majors with Boston this season.

Williams Jerez is the 27th-ranked prospect in Boston's organization, according to Baseball America. Jerez began his professional career as an outfielder before being converted into a pitcher, a position he also played while growing up. The 26-year-old was born in the Dominican Republic where he became a Red Sox fan after learning about David Ortiz and Pedro Martinez, who are also Dominican Republic natives. Despite attending high school in Brooklyn, Jerez kept his allegiance with the Red Sox, and his favorite team drafted him in the second round in 2011. Jerez is in his eighth professional season, and this is his fifth season as a pro pitcher.

Tony Renda is a former member of the Washington Nationals organization who is already with his fifth different organization in just his seventh professional season. Renda began his pro career with the Auburn Doubledays in 2012. The 27-year-old was traded from the Nationals to the Yankees for MLB pitcher David Carpenter. Renda was then traded to the Reds before the 2016 season as part of the deal that sent MLB All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman to the Yankees. In 2016, Renda made it to the majors, playing in 32 games with the Cincinnati Reds.

Iván De Jesús Jr. spent parts of four seasons in the majors with three different teams. The 31-year-old spent time with Boston in 2012. De Jesus Jr. is the son of former major leaguer Iván De Jesús. The father spent parts of 15 seasons in the majors with seven different teams and then became a minor league coach and manager. While the elder De Jesús was a hitting instructor in the Houston Astros' organization, the son met and hung out with some future major leaguers as a batboy in the minor leagues.

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International League Stories from July 30, 2018


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