Franklin Arias is destined to play for the Boston Red Sox. It just might not happen this year.
First, the Red Sox added to an already-crowded infield on Saturday when they traded for Washington Nationals infielder Curtis Mead.
"If Mead is the regular second baseman for the foreseeable future, he’s going to box out a number of others," Masslive.com's Sean McAdam wrote Sunday.
"The Sox currently have (deep breath): Trevor Story, Marcelo Mayer, Anthony Seigler, Tsung-Che Cheng, Romy Gonzalez, Andruw Monasterio and Isiah Kiner-Falefa all capable of playing shortstop and/or second base and there’s not going to be room for all of them."
Keep in mind that Story, Mayer and Kiner-Falefa currently on the injured list and the Red Sox sent Cheng down Sunday to make room on the roster for Mead.
Still, an argument could be made that Arias deserves to be in the mix. He recently joined Triple-A Worcester after hitting .318 with 19 home runs and a .993 OPS in 75 games for Double-A Portland.
MLB Pipeline lists Arias as the Red Sox's No. 1 prospect and No. 7 overall. However that doesn't guarantee he will get a call-up this summer.
"Arias is not currently on the 40-man roster. If that remains the case when the lockout starts on Dec. 1, the Red Sox will be able to remain in touch with him throughout the winter and monitor his offseason. When spring training begins, Arias will be able to participate," McAdam wrote Sunday.
"If the Sox call up Arias this season and put him on the 40-man, all of that goes away. They won’t be able to communicate with him in the winter, and like all other players on the 40-man, he’ll be locked out of spring training. That seems like a high price to pay for Arias to get a couple of weeks of big league experience in September," McAdam added.
Why all the fuss for Arias? Consider his scouting report from MLB Pipeline:
"Arias has advanced bat-to-ball skills for his age, using a simple right-handed stroke to make contact to all fields. ... He has added enough bat speed and strength since signing to produce 10-15 homers per season. ... He overcomes below-average speed with a high baseball IQ that enables him to steal an occasional base and cover ground at shortstop. He's a reliable defender with range to both sides and solid arm strength."