Report: Red Sox Call Up Their #1 Prospect

September 04, 2022
 
After two straight seasons of underperformance, Bobby Dalbec has gone from a rising prospect to losing his roster spot to a new, shinier youngster. As Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported, Dalbec will be demoted to Triple-A Worcester to make way for Triston Casas, MLB’s 28th ranked prospect.
Dalbec had been the subject of trade rumors the past few seasons, with the fanbase well aware that he would have to seriously improve his performance to be anything more than a placeholder for Casas, the heir apparent to the first base starting job. After bursting onto the scene in September of 2020, hitting 8 home runs in just 23 games and injecting some life into a disappointing Red Sox roster. Since then, however, things have gone progressively downhill. After an up and down 2021, his numbers have fallen off a cliff this year, with a .211 batting average and .644 on-base plus slugging making him easily below replacement-level value as a first baseman. The Sox fanbase has quickly gotten to celebrating Casas' promotion, having grown eager to see the prospect in the majors ever since they soured on Dalbec.
Casas, the Red Sox top prospect since being drafted out of high school 26th overall in 2018, stands at an imposing 6’4”, 250lbs from the left side of the plate. He was seen as an advanced hitter for his age who would develop quickly, which has obviously borne out. Consistently playing in levels of the minors above his age range, he consistently overachieved, putting up an .863 on-base plus slugging in Triple-A this year before getting called up to the Sox at just 22 years old. He also showed out at the Olympics for Team USA last year, leading the team in home runs. Unlike Dalbec, he pairs his big-time power with excellent vision, with a .382 on-base percentage in Worcester. According to manager Alex Cora, the plan is to give Casas plenty of playing time until the end of the season to see how he adjusts to life in the majors.
If this marks the end of his Red Sox career, Dalbec will surely get a second chance to prove he can develop into a productive big leaguer. Still just 27 years old, another team will be happy to let him get reps in the minors, where he’ll continue to make highlight reels with his light-tower power. He might also get another chance as a third baseman, his original position, which was blocked in Boston by Rafael Devers. Either way, Dalbec will need to complement his raw power with some plate discipline or contact skills if he wants to make it back to the majors. For now, Sox fans will be happy to know that Casas isn’t letting the pressure of big league ball get to him.
© Ashley Green / Telegram & Gazette via Imagn Content Services, LLC
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