Complementing Boston

by
May 2, 2008

The Boston Red Sox organization has had a lot of success with its minor league system lately, thanks to the arrival of players such as Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury. Both players had major impacts on Boston’s playoff run last year and they continue to hit well this season. Pedroia is hitting .293/.336/.407, while Ellsbury is currently hitting .280/.396/.440.

Those numbers are not dominating, but both players are solid complementary players – the exact type of players organizations like Boston need to produce. Because Boston is a large market club, it can afford to go out and hit the free agent market to acquire the super stars and major run producers. By producing its own complimentary players, the organization saves money by not having to overpay second-tier free agents, like a Mike Lamb or Mark Loretta, which it can then reinvest in player development.

Jed Lowrie is the most recent call-up who looks like he could have a long-term impact in Boston. He is a little more versatile than Pedroia and Lowrie can fill in at second base, third base and shortstop (although he’s best-suited to second). So far this season, Lowrie is batting .286/.333/.371 and has spent one game at second, three games at shortstop and 10 games at third.

In his career, Lowrie, 24, has hit .291/.386/.448 in 1,072 minor league at-bats. He has also walked almost as much as he’s struck out (165-186). Last season, split between Double-A and Triple-A, Lowrie hit 47 doubles to go along with 13 homers, which suggests there may be more power to come as he matures.

A switch-hitter, Lowrie has done better from the right side in recent years. Last season against southpaws at Triple-A, Lowrie hit .321/.371/.518 compared to .283/.345/.495. At Double-A, he hit .359/.400/.587 compared to .273/.413/.482. That pattern remains true in a very small sample size in 2008 at the major league level.

Other players on the cusp of providing depth in Boston include outfielder Brandon Moss (already on the 25-man roster), catcher George Kottaras and first baseman Chris Carter. The latter two were acquired in trades from other organizations.

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Marc Hulet has been writing at FanGraphs since 2008. His work focuses on prospects and fantasy. Follow him on Twitter @marchulet.

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