A pair of prospects vying for a Major League roster spot were sent down to Minor League camp on Tuesday. The Padres sent down catching prospect Austin Hedges, while the White Sox sent down righthanded pitching prospect Francelis Montas.
Hedges had a chance of making the 25-man roster going into Spring Training, especially with the injury to backup catcher Tim Federowicz. He collected just 2 hits in 13 spring at bats and did little to convince the Padres that he was more qualified than a veteran like Wil Nieves, or even older prospects like Cody Decker and Rocky Gale. The Padres are clearly in no rush to promote their top prospect with Derek Norris as their current starter.
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Hedges is best known for his work behind the plate, where he’s one of the most polished defensive catchers in the Minor Leagues. The 22-year old has outstanding receivability skills, with a rocket arm to throw out potential base stealers. He is also by all accounts a great team leader and very good at handling a pitching staff. Even though he didn’t make the roster, Hedges went a long way toward building rapport with future teammates and getting comfortable playing against big league competition.
Even though his catching ability is spectacular, his lack of hitting ability could keep him out of San Diego’s starting lineup for another season. His poor spring numbers reflected his offensive game to date, with career averages of .251/.311/.382, including 2014 totals of .225/.286/.321 in Double-A ball. He doesn’t possess a lot of power, and will probably never hit double-digit homers in the big leagues. With his defense, he definitely has a place in the Major Leagues, but if he wants to be a star, he has to show some more consistency in his offensive game.
Acquired from the Red Sox in the 2013 trade that brought Jake Peavy to Boston, the White Sox’ Montas was participating in his first big league Spring Training before getting sent down on Tuesday. The 22-year old had no chance of making the team, but it was good for him to get some experience as he moves toward the upper Minor Leagues.
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Montas pitched all but one game above Advanced-A ball in 2014, where he missed a chunk of the season recovering from knee surgery. He pitched to a tune of a 1.60 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in 10 starts, with 80 strikeouts in 81 innings. He stands out for his 100 MPH fastball that he has learned to control more often, mixing it with a slider and a changeup. The 6 foot 2 inch righthander cut down on his walk totals in 2014, and continued to strike out a batter per inning. His fastball sits in the mid to upper 90’s while starting, showing some cut and sink action as well. The White Sox’ third ranked prospect has a slider that projects to be an above average pitcher, but he’ll need to work on throwing it well consistently.
The Dominican pitcher will likely start the 2015 season in Double-A, where he’ll try to continue to show that he’s a starting pitcher. The team will likely look to bring him along slow in hopes that he can become a frontline starter alongside Carlos Rodon, but may offer some upside as a reliever as well. If converted to a relief pitcher, Montas would then be able to throw his fastball in the triple-digits, where he could be more effective. He’ll be interesting to follow as the Minor League season gets underway.