When writing this particular blog entry, I’m reminded of an empty bottle of shampoo.

You see, I’m chronically lazy when it comes to mundane household tasks, such as cooking, cleaning, and shopping for toiletries.  In the case of shampoo, when the bottle becomes hollow and devoid of that syrupy hair-cleaning nectar, I’ll just fill it with water and shake.  The resulting product might be thin and unsatisfying to my lice-infested scalp, but at least it’s something.

In terms of middle infield prospects, the Red Sox front office has spent the past 2 years squeezing that plastic bottle, and the thick aromatic goo gushed into the palms of our hands (in the form of Dustin Pedroia and Jed Lowrie).  We are now sitting here with an empty bottle, and I’m going to do what any like minded gentleman would do.  Add water and shake.  Here is what we get:

1) Argenis Diaz – SS
Age: 21
2008 Level: AA

After watching Edgar Renteria and Julio Lugo kick the ball around the dirt at Fenway for the past 3 years, Red Sox fans have been longing for the days of Orlando Cabrera, Alex Gonzalez, and young Nomar Garciaparra, slick fielders who would provide us with those rare, coveted stones known as “web gems”.  Well, according to scouting reports, Argenis Diaz is one of those guys.  An elite defensive shortstop who has great range, a great arm, and terrific instincts.  I managed to see him play a game in Portland, and from what I saw in between sips of my Geary’s Summer Ale, the guy was impressive.

Offensively, he’s become a decent contact hitter, but lacks power (only 4 career home runs in 2 full minor league seasons).  Still, hitting .288 in the Eastern League as a 21-year-old is just fine, considering his key strength is his glove.  He’s young, and will probably repeat the year at Portland.  If you can, try to catch a game at Hadlock field, as defense is best graded in person.

2) Oscar Tejeda – SS
Age: 18
2008 Level: Low A

Tejeda gets his high ranking due to how he handled himself in the Sally League as an 18-year-old: hitting .261/.301/.347 and displaying tremendous tools.  He’s very raw and has difficulty with things that teenagers usually have difficulty with in the minors: hitting breaking balls, hitting for power, and making accurate throws.  There’s a chance he’ll be converted to a 3B in the next year or two, but we won’t make any assumptions until the move happens.

3) Yamaico Navarro – SS
Age: 21
2008 Level: High A

Yamaico burst onto the prospect map this summer after his excellent play following a promotion to High-A Lancaster.  The energetic infielder hit .348/.393/.508 in 231 plate appearances, albeit with a lot of strikeouts.  Like George Jefferson, Yamaico is “movin’ on up” on many experts’ lists, including that of John Sickles (#9 in the system).  His 2009 home depends on that of Diaz.  If Argenis Diaz repeats AA, Yamaico will likely repeat High-A, this time in Salem, Virginia.

4) Chih-Hsien Chiang – 2B
Age: 20
2008 Level: High-A

Chiang is part of a growing phenomenon in modern baseball: a second baseman who can hit.  His one weakness at the plate is his discipline, but at age 20 there is still plenty of time to work on that particular tool.  He’s big for a 2B (6′2″), and could develop more power and eventually become an offensive threat at the MLB level, especially if he can stick at second.  From what I hear, that “if” is still very much an “if”, as his defense needs work (17 errors in 60 games at 2B).

5) Derrik Gibson – SS
Age: 18
2008 Level: SS-A

The one thing we know for sure about Derrik: he can run.  The 2nd round draft pick managed to swipe 16 bases in his 41 game professional debut, without being caught once.  Offensively and defensively, he has the tools, but we’ll wait to see how they translate to the box score during a full season in the Sally League in 2009.

Last, but definitely not least, will be the ranking of pitching prospects.  Stay tuned.

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