Red Sox Prospect Primer: Moncada on stage

Some players are on the verge of stardom, others are entering a crucial phase of their development and still others are getting their first tastes of full-season ball. With the 2015 season approaching, MiLB.com takes a look at the most intriguing prospects from each MLB organization.

Shining star: Yoan Moncada, 2B

It takes a special talent to come in and immediately sit atop an organization's prospect rankings list, and Moncada is one of those.

The Red Sox inked the promising 19-year-old Cuban infielder to an amateur-record $31.5 million signing bonus in March -- an actual investment of double that amount, given international bonus pool stipulations and penalties -- with the idea that he'll be worth it soon.

Indeed, there's a lot to like about Moncada. Scouts believe the switch-hitter will be able to hit for power and average, and he's also got plenty of speed. In fact, the only tool that MLB.com graded out as average was his glove. It's believed he could play center field or shortstop eventually, given his plus arm, but he'll start at second base, his primary position in Cuba.

With all of that in the toolshed, Moncada already slots as MLB.com's No. 9 overall prospect, right between Dodgers teen Julio Urias and Rangers slugger Joey Gallo. That's the type of talent we're talking about here.

"You can already see that he's a professional who uses the whole field when he's hitting," Red Sox director of player development Ben Crockett said. "We've seen him drive the ball really well, but when he's in the cage, it isn't just a home run derby. He hits the ball where it's pitched and, for a young guy, he has a pretty good idea of what to do when he steps into the box already."

GM Ben Cherington announced at Moncada's introductory news conference that he'll start the season at Class A Greenville, but Crockett said the organization is still deciding if that will come on Opening Day or if he'll join the Drive after a spell in extended spring training. When he arrives in Greenville, he'll join an infield that should include No. 97 overall prospect Rafael Devers and 2014 first-round pick Michael Chavis.

Shining star II: Blake Swihart, C

We're bending the rules to have a second shining star in one system, but given the state of the Red Sox catching situation, Swihart's role had to be addressed.

It's important to note that MLB.com's No. 19 overall prospect has the goods. The switch-hitter, who just turned 23, boasted a .293/.341/.469 line with 13 homers, four triples and 26 doubles over 110 games last season at Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket. He threw out 45.6 percent of attempted basestealers, making him a guy who's more than capable of controlling the running game. His hit, arm and fielding tools all grade out at above-average, so it's no surprise the 2011 first-rounder is one of the game's most exciting catching prospects.

So when Christian Vazquez's elbow became an issue this spring, fans began clamoring for Swihart's big league debut. Before the Moncada signing, Swihart was the organization's top prospect, and he's held his own this spring with a .333 average, a homer, triple, double and eight RBIs in 12 Grapefruit League contests. He also was rumored to be "untouchable" in trade talks involving Cole Hamels. "If he's so good, let him start now," has been the sentiment.

But that argument holds no water in the Red Sox front office, which has learned cautionary tales from the struggles of Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr. Swihart has played only 18 regular-season games at Triple-A, and that's where the Red Sox are content to send him to start 2015 while focusing on continued offensive improvement and game-calling. There's a chance Swihart could be deemed ready by the second half, especially if Ryan Hanigan and newcomer Sandy Leon don't cut it.

For now, there should be plenty of comfort for all involved in seeing Swihart work with a PawSox rotation that should feature plenty of his 2014 Portland teammates like Henry Owens, Brian Johnson and Eduardo Rodriguez.

"Continued consistency is our main emphasis with him, especially when it comes to blocking and throwing and his receiving skills," Crockett said of the organization's expectations for Swihart in Pawtucket. "Offensively, he's shown that he can make adjustments and that he has the ability to be a good hitter. It's now up to him to keep making offensive adjustments and attack pitches he can drive rather than pitcher's pitches that he'll see more consistently at Triple-A and the Majors. Then there are the pitcher-catcher relationships he'll develop and has developed the last few years in Majors League camp. It's all part of what we've been working on with Blake."

Full-season debutant: Rafael Devers, 3B

The Red Sox signed the left-handed-hitting Devers, then MLB.com's No. 6 international prospect, to a $1.5 million bonus two months before he turned 17 in August 2013 and put him in a familiar spot in the Dominican Summer League to start his pro career.

Devers had a .337/.445/.538 line with three homers, three triples, six doubles and a 20/21 K/BB ratio in 28 games, forcing the Red Sox to push him to the Gulf Coast League. Playing against mostly recent draftees as a 17-year-old, Devers again held his own, hitting .312/.374/.484 with four homers in 42 games. Evaluators have taken notice. MLB.com pegged Devers as its No. 97 overall prospect, giving him a 60 grade for his power.

"We're confident about him," Crockett said. "Nothing's changed with his power. He continues to attack good pitches and has a really good ability to drive the ball the other way to left field. When he stays back, he's pulling the ball by reacting to what's given him. He can really drive the ball to the left side when he needs to though, and I think he can do that as well as any young batter we've seen."

Now 18, Devers is likely headed to Greenville to start 2015. That could present a dilemma as Chavis -- the 2014 26th overall pick -- and his 60-grade arm also is expected to command time at the hot corner for the Drive. Should Devers and Chavis both be in the same place, the plan is to utilize the DH to get both of them at-bats.

Breakout prospect: Sam Travis, 1B

The Red Sox grabbed Travis in the second round last year after the former Indiana slugger and teammate of Cubs prospect Kyle Schwarber hit .347 with 12 homers and a .991 OPS in 59 games.

Boston sent the right-handed hitter, who eschews batting gloves, to Class A Short Season Lowell, and he handled himself well in 40 games (.333 average, .813 OPS, four homers) before getting a bump to Greenville, where he batted .290 with a .826 OPS, three homers and 11 doubles in 27 contests. While not quite eye-popping like those of Devers, Travis' numbers at least solidified what his college numbers showed: he has the potential to be a solid hitter at the pro level. He'll likely open the year at Class A Advanced Salem.

"Obviously, it was a small sample, but we thought he did a really nice job last year," Crockett said. "He's got a middle-of-the-field approach and the ability to drive the ball all around the ballpark, foul pole to foul pole. He's got an aggressive approach, too, but showed the recognition skills needed to do well. You can tell he really likes to hit."

At the crossroads: Garin Cecchini, 3B/Bryce Brentz, OF

As has been well-documented this winter, the Red Sox gave their offense a big boost when they signed Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez to a five- and four-year deals, respectively. Those are massive investments in All-Star players who will help now and in the long term.

That's good for the big club, but for a pair of prospects expected to start at Triple-A, their futures appear a little grimmer.

Cecchini has been a plus bat for most of his time in the system, but as a 23-year-old in Triple-A last year, he batted .263 with a .712 OPS and a career-high 99 strikeouts. One off year hasn't entirely sent his stock tumbling, but the Red Sox wouldn't have signed Sandoval if they saw Cecchini, who also played 26 games in left field last season, as an immediate solution at the hot corner or even the future there. A return to something like his 2013 form (.322/.443/.471 between Double-A/Class A Advanced) would go a long way toward cementing his place in Boston's future plans or making him a desirable trade asset.

Much of the same can be said for Brentz, the one-time top prospect, after he hit 30 homers at the two full-season Class A levels in 2011. Injuries have limited him to 145 games at Triple-A the past two years, and in 63 contests last season, he owned a .243/.341/.465 line with 12 homers. Putting the average aside, those numbers aren't bad but aren't banging down the door to Boston, especially with the outfield logjam that will force Bradley and Rusney Castillo back to the International League. Brentz has plenty of pop, but he'll need to show tons of it and stay healthy to avoid getting lost in the shuffle.

More to keep an eye on: The PawSox rotation will be southpaw-heavy with Owens (Boston's No. 3 prospect), Rodriguez (No. 4) and Johnson (No. 7). Johnson has been impressive this spring, posting a 2.93 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings. ... Matt Barnes was poised to join that group of Triple-A starters, but after showing some added velocity as a reliever this spring (16 strikeouts in 12 innings) and the likelihood that Koji Uehara will start on the disabled list, he looks to be headed to the Boston bullpen. ... Manuel Margot was our pick as a breakout candidate in 2014 and, after hitting .293 with 12 homers and 42 steals and climbing into the No. 100 spot on MLB.com's prospect rankings, it looks like he's hit that mark. Expect the center fielder to show more speed and perhaps even a little more power, starting at Salem.