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The Boston Red Sox Tuesday, December 1, 2020 * The Boston Globe MLB Draft League launching wooden-bat league for top draft prospects Matthew Doherty Major League Baseball is launching a wooden-bat league for top prospects who are eligible for the MLB Draft, it announced Monday. The MLB Draft League, which will be operated by the scouting service Prep Baseball Report, has five member teams and is discussing adding a sixth team in the coming weeks. Teams will play a 68-game regular season from late May to mid-August, split into two parts. The first half of the season will showcase the draft-eligible high school, college, and junior college players. After an All-Star break centered around the MLB Draft (July 11-13), teams will restock their rosters with the top undrafted players for the second half of the season. Paul Toboni, the Director of Amateur Scouting for the Red Sox, said he’s unsure whether top prospects will choose to play in the MLB Draft League. The pandemic’s effect on the spring season will also play a factor, according to Toboni. “I think it’s too early to tell,” said Toboni. “It’s tough to predict the caliber of prospect that will choose to play in this league. And I’m stating the obvious here, but how the pandemic affects spring seasons will ultimately have an impact on prospects’ willingness to play as well.” The college baseball regular season ends in mid-May and the College World Series is scheduled from June 19 - June 30 this season. The five founding members of the MLB Draft League are the Mahoning Valley Scrappers (Ohio), State College Spikes (Pennsylvania), Williamsport Crosscutters (Pennsylvania), Trenton Thunder (New Jersey), and West Virginia Black Bears. Each of those communities lost a franchise when MLB reduced minor league affiliates from 160 to 120 this offseason. The announcement comes after the Appalachian League — formerly a rookie level league — was reconfigured into a collegiate summer league for rising freshmen and sophomores. Morgan Sword, MLB’s Executive Vice President, Baseball Economics & Operations, said Monday the MLB Draft League will attract the nation’s top eligible draft players. “We are thrilled to partner with Prep Baseball Report and the founding members of the MLB Draft League to create a one-of-a-kind league that will attract the nation’s top players who are eligible for each year’s MLB Draft and allow local fans to see top prospects and future big-league stars in their hometowns,” Sword said. “This announcement continues MLB’s commitment to preserving and growing baseball in communities around the United States.” * MassLive.com Boston Red Sox non-tender deadline: MLB free agent market will expand at 8 p.m. Wednesday; Chaim Bloom has contract decisions Christopher Smith The deadline for MLB teams to tender 2021 contracts to their arbitration-eligible and pre-arbitration players is Wednesday at 8 p.m., eastern. Any player who is not tendered a contract will become a free agent. Teams are on tighter budgets this offseason after experiencing significant revenue losses in 2020 because of COVID-19. More players than normal, therefore, might be non-tendered across the league. MLB.com listed one player from each team who might be non-tendered. Outfielder Eddie Rosario — who belted 32 homers in 2019 and received MVP votes in 2019 and 2020 — was the player it listed from the Twins. Rays first baseman Ji-Man Choi (.820 OPS the past three years with Tampa) also was listed as a potential non-tender candidate. Not only will the free agent market expand at 8 p.m. Wednesday, but the number of quality players available also should increase significantly. Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom will have more pitching and outfield options as he tries to retool his 40-man roster. Activity league-wide should increase when the full free agent market is set. Bloom also needs to make his own decisions on players. He has six arbitration-eligible players — Rafael Devers, Eduardo Rodriguez, Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, Kevin Plawecki and Austin Brice — on his 40- man roster. Devers and Rodriguez obviously are locks to be tendered contracts. Barnes, Brasier and Plawecki most likely will be tendered contracts, but they shouldn’t be considered locks. MLB.com listed Brasier as Boston’s potential non-tender candidate. But Brasier’s fastball velocity returned in mid-August and he posted 1.89 ERA while holding the opposition to a .192 batting average in his final 18 relief outings (19 innings) of 2020. Alex Cora also specifically mentioned Brasier when asked about the pitching staff while meeting with beat reporters after Boston re-introduced him as manager. “You see Brasier throwing the ball like the way he did in ’18,” Cora said. MLBTradeRumors.com projected Brasier to earn in the range of $1 million-$1.6 million in salary arbitration. It projected Barnes to earn $3.7 million-$5.7 million. MLBTradeRumors.com listed three different salary projections for each arbitration-eligible player based on different formulas that could be used to decide contracts following the shortened 2020 season. Are Brasier and Barnes worth those salaries? That’s the question chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom must ask before deciding whether or not to tender them contracts. During a normal offseason, it seems like it would be a no-brainer. Bloom also obviously needs to consider how tendering/non-tendering them affects the bullpen. The Red Sox finished 27th in the majors in reliever ERA (5.79), 28th in reliever WHIP (1.64) and 28th in reliever batting average against (.282). Parting with two of Boston’s best late-game relievers before knowing their replacements doesn’t exactly improve the roster. Barnes also is the lead candidate on the current roster to serve as closer in 2021. He converted 9-of-12 save opportunities and posted a 3.38 ERA after taking over as closer when Boston traded Brandon Workman to the Phillies on Aug. 21. That said, it’s likely the Red Sox will sign or trade for a closer or a setup man with some closer experience this offseason. Alex Colomé, Liam Hendricks, Brad Hand, Blake Treinen, Kirby Yates, Trevor Rosenthal and Trevor May are the top closers/setup men available on the free agent market. Darwinzon Hernandez often is mentioned as a closer candidate. But Hernandez, as of right now, has recorded just one professional save. It came in the Arizona Fall League in 2018. Bloom has added to the catching depth since being hired last October, acquiring both Connor Wong and Deivy Grullon. But Plawecki will be inexpensive ($1-2M range) in 2021, and he enjoyed his best offensive season in 2020 (.341/.393/.463/.857, 89 plate appearances). So he almost certainly will be tendered a contract. MLBTradeRumors.com projected Brice, meanwhile, to earn just $700,000-$900,00 in salary arbitration. The righty’s 5.95 ERA in 2020 isn’t anything to write home about but he held right-handed hitters to just a .196 batting average and is inexpensive to retain. * The Portland Press Herald Soon they could be headed to Hadlock Field – or Fenway Park Kevin Thomas Putting together our annual list of Top 30 Boston Red Sox prospects had its challenges this year, with no minor league season, and no input from their coaches, to gather information. But there were clues to be found from prospects getting an invitation to the Red Sox alternate training site during the summer – the 30-player pool that served as both taxi squad and development camp – and additions to (and subtractions from) Boston’s 40-man roster. The 2021 season is not certain because of the coronavirus pandemic, but we are assuming (hoping?) for minor league baseball, whether it begins in April or May. Fifteen pitchers are on this year’s prospects list, including Bryan Mata, repeating at No. 1. The list also includes five prospects the Red Sox obtained in trades this summer. As always, one factor in our selection process is major league readiness. Players who appear closest to reaching Boston may be ranked ahead of those with greater long-term potential. Some pitchers (Kyle Hart and Mike Shawaryn) struggled in during brief appearances in the majors, but we still see them contributing. Pitcher Bryan Mata impressed in Portland in 2019 and is likely to earn a call up to Fenway Park next summer. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer Many of the prospects on our annual lists reach Double-A Portland, and some springboard to the bigs. We anticipate Mata making his major league debut in 2021. Bobby Dalbec made an impressive major league debut this summer. Can he stick? Here’s our Top 30, including their ages and position: 1. BRYAN MATA, 21, RHP. Working at the alternate training site, Mata had his development closely monitored. In 2019 at Portland, Mata impressed with 111 strikeouts in 105 innings. His stuff remains electric, anchored by a mid-to-high 90s fastball. A Triple-A rotation spot is next, with a call-up only a matter of time. 2. TRISTON CASAS, 20, 3B/1B. Casas hit 20 home runs in his first full pro season in 2019. The Red Sox were delighted with his work in 2020 and offered him a late invite to the alternate site. Although he played only two regular-season games in advanced Class A, Casas could be pushed to Portland to begin 2021. 3. BOBBY DALBEC, 25, 3B/1B. Dalbec made his major league debut on Aug. 30 and proceeded to play 23 games, hitting eight home runs.