Projo Sports Blog

By Daniel Barbarisi
Journal Sports Writer

The Red Sox have brought up three of their top prospects to the major-league roster, giving lefty pitchers Hunter Jones and Felix Doubront and catcher Mark Wagner a chance to make the team come spring training, according to an announcement this afternoon by general manager Theo Epstein.

Jones, a lefty strikeout specialist, uses a 90-mph fastball and a slider to put away right-handed hitters. The 6-4, 240-pound, 24-year-old reliever was dominant in 22.2 innings at Double-A Portland and then strong in 50.1 innings at Triple-A Pawtucket this past season. Between the SeaDogs and the PawSox, the Florida State product struck out 76 batters and piled up 12 saves. Jones, a Florida native, is pitching for Caracas of the Venezuelan Winter League.

Doubront has only pitched in Single-A ball to this point, but the Sox seem impressed with his strikeout numbers: He put away 138 hitters in only 129.1 innings in stints with A-ball clubs Greenville and Lancaster. A control pitcher, Doubront and his high-80s fastball struggled in 2007, but he turned it around last year, posting a 3.86 ERA in 2008 and being named a 2008 South Atlantic League All Star. The 6-2, 200-pound Venezuelan is now pitching for Boston's Venezuela Summer League team.

As the Red Sox try to figure out whether their future at catcher involves Jason Varitek, Wagner could be up for a look. Strong behind the plate, Wagner has not had great success with the bat, hitting only .219 in 342 at-bats at Double-A Portland this past year -- though he did chip in 10 home runs, with a right-handed swing that could work at Fenway. He can also draw a walk, garnering 93 in exactly 700 plate appearances in 2007 and 2008.

The 24-year-old California native was originally drafted in the 29th round of the 2002 draft by Atlanta, and then attended the University of California at Irvine for three years. He joined the Red Sox organization in 2005. He is now playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League.

 Tags  Boston Red Sox Felix Doubront Hunter Jones Mark Wagner

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