Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox Reportedly Sign Top International Prospect With All-Star Comparision

Boston added a top prospect to their system

Scott Neville

Red Sox Reportedly Sign Top International Prospect With All-Star Comparision
Red Sox Reportedly Sign Top International Prospect With All-Star Comparision /
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The Boston Red Sox have made franchise-altering moves during the international signing period in years past, and are hoping their additions this time around have similar effects. 

The current face of the franchise, superstar third baseman Rafael Devers, signed with Boston as a teenager in 2013 and Xander Bogaerts did the same years prior. 

The Red Sox front office will be aiming for similar results in this year's class, which is headlined by one of the top prospects available. 

Boston agreed to terms with shortstop/infielder Yoeilin Cespedes for a deal worth roughly $1.4 million according to MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez on Sunday.

Cespedes is the No. 25 international prospect in the 2023 class according to MLB Pipeline and has some enticing traits.

"The teen has a compact and strong swing with plus bat speed and noteworthy raw power," Sanchez wrote. "He already shows an advanced approach at the plate, and he projects to be a solid everyday Major League player because of his overall skill set.

"Where Cespedes plays is to be determined, and that works in his favor. The versatile teen can play any infield position but will likely end up at second base or third base. He also projects to have an average arm and be an average runner."

The 17-year-old is listed as a shortstop but appears to be more of a utility defender. He's listed at 5-foot-11, 150 pounds but will have plenty of time to add some weight, and likely sprout up a few inches as well.

Cespedes carries a notable name in baseball, and while there is no official word on whether or not he is related to Yoenis Céspedes, the former is from the Dominican Republic, not Cuba. 

The right-hander's player comparison was former All-Star utility man Howie Kendrick, a career .294 hitter with single-digit home run pop but a notable 15-year career. 

Before taking too much stock into said comparison, Devers' player comparison was Daniel Murphy, an infielder who never hit more than 25 home runs and had a very different skill set.

Cespedes will be an interesting player to follow, though there likely won't be much information in the coming years. It'll be a while before he breaks into the United States minor league ranks. 

Ideally, he won't need to be there long before shooting up to the big leagues.

More MLB: Ex-Red Sox Outfielder May Have Hinted At Reunion In Latest Post

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Scott Neville
SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer.  His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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