The Red Sox may have a prospect in the system who brings a little Big Papi energy, even if the comparison comes with a major asterisk.
Justin Gonzales, ranked No. 79 on MLB.com’s updated Top 100 Prospects list, is already turning heads for a few obvious reasons. He wears No. 34 for High-A Greenville, stands 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, and comes out of the Dominican Republic - the same country as David Ortiz. He also brings plenty of loud contact to the table.
“Justin Gonzales -- ranked No. 79 in the updated Top 100 Prospects list -- dons David Ortiz's No. 34 for High-A Greenville and has the same size (6-foot-5, 210 pounds) and swagger as the Hall of Famer. Still just 19 years old, the Dominican native hits the ball as hard as any player in the system but needs to cut down on his ground-ball rate to truly tap into it,” Brendan Samson wrote.
Of course, Ortiz is Ortiz. The former first baseman and designated hitter is now 50, a Hall of Famer, a three-time World Series champion and a 10-time All-Star who finished with 541 home runs and 1,768 RBIs. That’s the kind of résumé that makes any likeness feel like a reach.
And Gonzales is a right-handed hitter, which makes the connection less exact. But the physical build, the power potential and the shared Dominican background are enough to get Red Sox fans dreaming about another impact bat with No. 34 on his back.
In Other News...
Ex-Red Sox Catcher Opens Up After Boston Moved On For Adley Rutschman
Jake Rogers went from one roster squeeze to another in a hurry this summer, a reminder of how quickly catching depth can turn over across the majors. After the Detroit Tigers designated him for assignment in mid-July, he was claimed by the Orioles, then shipped to Boston in the trade that brought Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox. The move gave Boston the top-line catcher it wanted, but it also pushed Rogers back onto the churn of waivers almost immediately.
Rogers later landed with the Chicago White Sox, where he has settled into a backup role after a whirlwind stretch that took him through four teams in three weeks. For Boston, his path is another small footnote to the Rutschman deal, but it also shows how thin the margin can be for a player on the edge of the roster, especially at a position where clubs are always hunting for fit, defense and a quick answer behind the plate. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Catch A Break As Strange Ketel Marte News Emerges
The Red Sox got a little unexpected help before first pitch when Ketel Marte was absent from the Diamondbacks lineup at Fenway Park. Arizona made the roster move shortly before the game, putting Marte on the restricted list and opening a spot for infielder Jose Fernandez to join the active roster.
Manager Torey Lovullo said Marte is dealing with a personal issue, leaving the Diamondbacks to adjust on the fly for a game that was already carrying plenty of weight. For Boston, it was one of those small breaks that can matter in a tight series, even if the bigger story around Marte remains unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Suddenly Face A Big Decision With Payton Tolle
Payton Tolle has gone from opening the year outside the Red Soxs plans to becoming a real piece of the rotation, the kind of young arm who changes the conversation around a pitching staff. In 20 starts, he has paired a 2.97 ERA with a strong strikeout-to-walk ratio, giving Boston the sort of dependable innings it did not necessarily expect from him when camp broke.
Now the next question is less about what Tolle has done on the mound and more about what comes after it. The Red Sox have not yet explored a long-term extension with him, even as he has shown he can handle a meaningful role, and Tolle has already signaled that he would be open to staying in Boston for the long haul. [Read more 🡒]