The Boston Red Sox have added 16 non-roster invitees to the team's 2018 Spring Training roster: catchers Dan Butler , óscar Hernández, Austin Rei , and Jake Romanski ; infielders Michael Chavis , Iván De Jesús Jr., Chad De La Guerra , and Esteban Quiroz; outfielders Jeremy Barfield , Rusney Castillo , and Aneury Tavárez; left-handed pitcher Bobby Poyner ; and right-handed pitchers Justin Haley , Kyle Martin , Fernando Rodriguez Jr. Jr., and Marcus Walden .
President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski made the announcement.
Jeremy Barfield, OF - Barfield, 29, joined the Red Sox organization in May 2017 after playing parts of three seasons (2015-17) in the independent Atlantic League. The right-handed hitter went on to earn Double-A Portland's MVP Award and Eastern League postseason All-Star honors, combining between Portland and a three-game stint with Triple-A Pawtucket to hit .293 (104-for-355) with 21 doubles, 28 home runs, 76 RBI, and a .957 OPS in 95 games. He led all Double-A hitters with a .584 slugging percentage and a .944 OPS, also finishing second among Red Sox minor leaguers in home runs and third in RBI. Selected by Oakland in the eighth round of the 2008 June Draft, Barfield has appeared in 846 minor league games in the A's (2008-14), Colorado Rockies (2015), and Red Sox (2017) organizations. He is the son of former All-Star outfielder Jesse Barfield, who played 12 seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays (1981-89) and New York Yankees (1989-92).
Dan Butler, C - Butler, 31, batted .259 (60-for-232) with four home runs in 73 games for Triple-A Pawtucket in 2017. Originally signed by Boston as a non-drafted free agent in 2009, he has appeared in 701 minor league games in the Red Sox (2009-14, '16-17) and Washington Nationals (2015) organizations. Butler's lone major league experience came in 2014, when he played in seven games for Boston in August and September. The Arizona native was named Pawtucket's team MVP following the 2013 season, and in 2014 he was given the Lou Gorman Award from the Red Sox, an honor bestowed upon a minor league player that has demonstrated dedication and perseverance in overcoming obstacles while working his way to the major league team.
Rusney Castillo, OF - Castillo, 30, earned International League mid-season and postseason All-Star honors in 2017, batting .314 (109-for-347) with 22 doubles, 15 home runs, and 14 stolen bases in 87 games with Triple-A Pawtucket. He batted .342 (67-for-196) during a stretch in which he hit safely in 44 of his final 50 games, compiling hitting streaks of 16 games from June 4-18 and 14 games from July 8-August 4. Castillo has hit .336 (79-for-235) against left-handed pitching for the PawSox since being signed by Boston in August 2014, including .395 (34-for-86) versus southpaws in 2017. He appeared in 99 major league games from 2014-16, making his first Opening Day roster in 2016.
Michael Chavis, 3B/1B - Ranked by Baseball America as the Red Sox' No. 2 prospect and as the best power hitter in Boston's minor league system, Chavis has earned his first invitation to Major League Spring Training camp. The 22-year-old right-handed hitter was named 2017 Red Sox Minor League Offensive Player of the Year after hitting .282 (133-for-471) with 31 home runs and 94 RBI between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland. He hit three home runs on April 19 against Wilmington, including a walk-off, two-run shot that gave Salem a 7-6 win. Selected by the Red Sox in the first round of the 2014 June Draft (26th overall), Chavis also helped Peoria win the 2017 Arizona Fall League title by hitting four home runs and ranking among league leaders in several offensive categories.
Iván De Jesús Jr., INF - This is De Jesús's third stint in the Red Sox organization, having also been acquired by Boston in a nine-player deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers in August 2012 and by the Baltimore Orioles in August 2014. The 30-year-old right-handed hitter has made two major league Opening Day rosters, with the Dodgers in 2011 and with the Cincinnati Reds in 2016, his last season in the majors. He has appeared in 228 major league games, making 33 starts at second base, 30 at shortstop, 14 at third base, 14 in left field, and five at first base. De Jesús spent the entire 2017 season with the Milwaukee Brewers' Triple-A Colorado Springs affiliate, ranking second in the Pacific League in batting average (.345, 142-for-412) and third in on-base percentage (.407).
Chad De La Guerra, INF - De La Guerra, 25, was named a Carolina League mid-season All-Star in 2017, batting .283 (117-for-414) with 31 doubles, nine home runs, 81 runs scored, and a .361 on-base percentage in 110 games between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland. Following the season, he helped Peoria win the Arizona Fall League title by batting .255 (13-for-51) with two home runs, hitting safely in 11 of his 13 games played. Selected by the Red Sox in the 17th round of the 2015 June Draft, De La Guerra has appeared in 234 minor league games, making 117 starts at second base, 94 at shortstop, and five at third base.
Justin Haley, RHP - Haley, 26, made his major league debut in 2017 with 10 relief appearances for Minnesota. Acquired by the Twins from Boston in the 2016 Rule 5 Draft, the right-hander returned to the Red Sox organization on July 24, 2017 and spent the remainder of the season with Triple-A Pawtucket. He made 14 minor league appearances (13 starts) between the two franchises in 2017, going 2-2 with a 2.80 ERA (20 ER/64.1 IP) and 49 strikeouts against 11 walks. He also made five starts for Escogido in the Dominican Winter League, posting a 2.08 ERA (6 ER/26.0 IP). Selected by Boston in the sixth round of the 2012 June Draft, Haley has recorded a 3.35 ERA (232 ER/623.1 IP) with four complete games in 132 minor league outings (119 starts).
óscar Hernández, C - Hernández, 24, spent his first eight professional seasons in the Tampa Bay Rays (2010-14) and Arizona Diamondbacks (2015-17) organizations. In 17 major league games (10 starts), all with Arizona from 2015-16, the Venezuelan native has posted a 3.05 catcher's ERA. He has thrown out 40.7 percent of attempted base stealers at the minor league level (145 of 356), as he entered the 2017 season ranked by Baseball America as the best defensive catcher in the Diamondbacks' minor league system. Selected by Arizona as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 Rule 5 Draft, Hernández spent the entire 2017 season with Double-A Jackson, hitting eight home runs in 67 games and throwing out 23 of 60 (38.3%) attempted base stealers. In 2011, he was named MVP of the Venezuelan Summer League after winning the Triple Crown with a .402 batting average, 21 home runs, and 66 RBI in only 69 games.
Kyle Martin, RHP - Martin, 27, will be attending Major League Spring Training camp for the third consecutive season. The right-hander made his major league debut with two appearances for Boston in 2017, throwing a scoreless inning of relief in his big league debut on July 20 against the Toronto Blue Jays. He spent a majority of the season with Triple-A Pawtucket, posting a 4.36 ERA (26 ER/53.2 IP) in 33 games for the PawSox. Selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round of the 2013 June Draft, Martin has made each of his 153 minor league appearances in relief, going 15-16 with 25 saves, a 3.59 ERA (113 ER/283.0 IP), 292 strikeouts, 89 walks, and 26 home runs allowed.
Bobby Poyner, LHP - Poyner, 25, split the 2017 season between High-A Salem and Double-A Portland, recording 15 saves with a 1.49 ERA (10 ER/60.1 IP), a 0.93 WHIP, and 84 strikeouts against 17 walks while limiting opponents to a .177 batting average. His 43 appearances were the most among all Red Sox minor leaguers, while his 12.53 strikeouts per nine innings ranked second (min. 20.0 IP). The left-hander also made seven appearances for Peoria in the Arizona Fall League, allowing four earned runs over 10.0 innings and striking out 10. Selected in the 14th round of the 2015 June Draft, the Florida native has made 99 career appearances (one start), going 6-4 with 40 saves, a 2.35 ERA (39 ER/149.2 IP), a 1.02 WHIP, and 169 strikeouts compared to 30 walks.
Esteban Quiroz, INF - Quiroz, 25, spent the first seven years of his career in the Mexican League, playing for Quintana Roo (2011-16) and Yucatan (2017) before his contract was purchased by the Red Sox on November 21, 2017. The left-handed hitter earned his first All-Star selection last season, batting .293 (84-for-287) with a .428 on-base percentage. Prior to the season, he played for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic and reached base in eight of his 10 plate appearances, going 4-for-6 with two home runs and five RBI. In the regular season, Quiroz has made 133 starts at shortstop, 93 at third base, 87 at second base, and 41 in the outfield. He owns a .402 career on-base percentage, and from 2015-17 he batted .315 (300-for-951) with a .912 OPS in 282 games.
Austin Rei, C - This will be the first Major League Spring Training camp for Rei (pronounced "RYE"), who was named the Red Sox' Minor League Defensive Player of the Year in 2017. Ranked by Baseball America as the best defensive catcher in Boston's minor league system, the 24-year-old backstop has appeared in 220 minor league games since being selected by the Red Sox in the third round of the 2015 June Draft. He spent the entire 2017 season with High-A Salem, throwing out 40.4 percent of attempted base stealers (40 of 99) and setting career highs in doubles (30), hits (71), and RBI (38). After allowing only one passed ball in 261.0 innings in 2015, Rei was named a South Atlantic League mid-season All-Star in 2016 with Single-A Greenville.
Fernando Rodriguez Jr. Jr., RHP - Rodriguez, 33, begins his first full season in the Red Sox organization, having signed with Boston as a minor league free agent on August 17, 2017. The right-hander has made 216 major league appearances-all in relief-for the Los Angeles Angels (2009), Houston Astros (2011-12), and Oakland A's (2014-16), going 11-15 with a 4.35 ERA (112 ER/231.2 IP), a .230 opponent batting average, and 9.40 strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched. He spent most of the 2017 season in the Chicago Cubs minor league system, appearing in nine games with Triple-A Iowa and posting a 3.09 ERA (4 ER/11.2 IP) with a .205 opponent batting average. He also pitched in two games for the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Red Sox as part of a rehab assignment, allowing one run in 3.0 innings.
Jake Romanski, C - Romanski, 27, has spent his entire professional career in the Red Sox organization since being selected by Boston in the 14th round of the 2013 June Draft. The right-handed hitter appeared in 29 games with Double-A Portland and 15 with Triple-A Pawtucket in 2017, batting .250 (44-for-176) and throwing out 20 of 46 (43.5%) attempted base stealers between the two clubs. In 2016 with Portland, Romanski hit .308 (103-for-334) and led qualifying Double-A catchers in caught stealing rate (49.1%, 53 of 108), having entered that season ranked by Baseball America as the best defensive catcher in the Red Sox minor league system.
Aneury Tavárez, OF - Tavárez, 25, was signed by the Red Sox as an international free agent in October 2010 and has spent each of his seven professional seasons in the Boston organization. The left-handed hitter was selected by Baltimore in the 2016 Rule 5 Draft, but he was returned to the Red Sox on April 2, 2017 after batting .292 (14-for-48) with a .382 on-base percentage in 29 Grapefruit League games with the Orioles. He missed a majority of last season on the disabled list, appearing in 58 games-including rehab-with Short-A Lowell, Double-A Portland, and Triple-A Pawtucket. In 2016, Tavárez was named an Eastern League mid-season and posteason All-Star with Portland, batting .335 (129-for-385) with 19 doubles, 13 triples, and seven home runs in 106 games for the Sea Dogs.
Marcus Walden, RHP - Walden, 29, made his Red Sox organization debut in 2017, going 10-6 with a 3.92 ERA (46 ER/105.2 IP) in 29 appearances (15 starts) with Triple-A Pawtucket. The right-hander posted a 3.21 ERA (26 ER/73.0 IP) as a starter, also making five relief appearances of at least 3.0 innings. In the past two seasons, he has allowed only five home runs in 162.0 innings (0.28 HR/9.0 IP). Selected by Toronto in the ninth round of the 2007 June Draft, Walden is 46-45 with a 3.84 ERA (336 ER/787.0 IP) in 218 appearances (117 starts) in the Blue Jays (2007-14), Oakland A's (2014), Cincinnati Reds (2015), Minnesota Twins (2016), and Red Sox (2017) minor league systems. A native of Fresno, CA, he also appeared in 48 games for Lancaster in the independent Atlantic League in 2015.
BOSTON RED SOX NON-ROSTER INVITEES (16)
PITCHERS (5): Justin Haley, Kyle Martin, Bobby Poyner, Fernando Rodriguez Jr., Marcus Walden
CATCHERS (4): Dan Butler, óscar Hernández, Austin Rei, Jake Romanski
INFIELDERS (4): Michael Chavis, Iván De Jesús Jr., Chad De La Guerra, Esteban Quiroz
OUTFIELDERS (3): Jeremy Barfield, Rusney Castillo, Aneury Tavárez
BOSTON RED SOX 40-MAN ROSTER (40)
PITCHERS (23): Matt Barnes, Jalen Beeks, Ty Buttrey, Roenis Elías, Heath Hembree, Williams Jerez, Brian Johnson, Joe Kelly, Craig Kimbrel, Austin Maddox, Drew Pomeranz, Rick Porcello, David Price, Eduardo Rodriguez, Chris Sale, Robby Scott, Chandler Shepherd, Carson Smith, Ben Taylor, Tyler Thornburg, Hector Velázquez, Brandon Workman, Steven Wright
CATCHERS (3): Sandy León, Blake Swihart, Christian Vázquez
INFIELDERS (10): Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, Marco Hernández, Brock Holt, Tzu-Wei Lin, Deven Marrero, Mitch Moreland, Dustin Pedroia, Hanley Ramirez, Sam Travis
OUTFIELDERS (4): Andrew Benintendi, Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., Bryce Brentz
