He’s a Red Sox outfield prospect whose name isn’t Benintendi, which means, if you don’t watch the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, you might not even know who he is. But, regardless of the fact that he is not one of Boston’s top prospects, Aneury Tavarez is putting up sparkling numbers in the Eastern League, and he might soon just force the Red Sox to make a decision with him.
Entering 2016, Tavarez was not on many people’s radars. Overshadowed by fellow outfielder Andrew Benintendi, who is now in Boston, Tavarez, a career .273 hitter entering this season, was, to most people, not much more than a Double-A outfielder who had already been in the Red Sox system for five seasons. However, lost in that number is the fact that Tavarez is still just 24 years old.
The Red Sox have gotten spoiled with the likes of Benintendi, Mookie Betts, and Xander Bogaerts, prospects who reached Boston before they were 22 years old, making 24 years old seem old for a prospect, when, in reality, it's fairly standard. Tavarez should still be considered a legitimate prospect given his age, but he is easily overlooked in Boston’s farm system, one that is stocked with outfielders. But Tavarez has put together a spectacular season and just may start drawing attention to himself from the Red Sox brass.
Tavarez’s excellent season
Tavarez has put together amazing numbers with Portland. Hitting .324 entering Sunday’s game, Tavarez went 3-4 during the series finale to boost his average six more points to a league-leading .330 mark. He’s stolen sixteen bases and homered five times, after Sunday’s two home run performance. He’s played very strong defense from the corner outfield positions and has looked very mature at the plate.
On Sunday, Tavarez exemplified why he could have a future in the major leagues. He was strong both offensively and defensively in helping lead the Sea Dogs to a 5-3 victory. Tavarez homered in his first two at-bats. The Dominican outfielder is not known for his tremendous power, but he does take advantage of mistakes in hitter’s counts. In the first inning, on a 2-0 count, Tavarez was served a 91 mph fastball right down the middle and he did not miss it. He drove the ball over the Sea Dog’s bullpen in deep right field, depositing the offering 400 feet away from home plate for a monster solo home run.
In Tavarez’s second at-bat, it was much of the same. On a 1-1 count, Tavarez was given another fastball, this one at 92 mph, and once more, the left fielder did not miss it. Tavarez connected on the middle-in heater and drove the ball into the right field stands, another monster 385 line drive shot of a home run.
Tavarez added a sharp infield single later in the game, when he slapped an offering into the hole between shortstop and third base. The shortstop made a diving stop but had no chance at catching the speedy Tavarez. The game allowed the right fielder to exemplify both his developing power and his blazing speed, an attractive combination that could make him a successful outfielder in the major leagues very soon.
Tavarez’s Red Sox future
With a young outfield in Betts, Benintendi, and Jackie Bradley Jr., the Red Sox seem to be set in terms of their outfielder. But they shouldn’t dismiss the notion of Tavarez contributing at the big league level. He has shown excellent potential this season and could continue rising through the system. Another option for the Red Sox regarding Tavarez is to trade him while his value is so high. It’s taking a risk, because Tavarez has shown he could become a very good player, but, with a young outfield virtually set in stone over the next few years, the Red Sox could maybe reap greater benefit out of using Tavarez’s huge season to trade him near his peak value and acquire an MLB player in a position they need help in. However, the rise of Tavarez has significantly helped the Red Sox. No matter what they do, they can benefit from the Double-A outfielder.
As for Tavarez, he has produced the breakout season necessary to become a legitimate prospect, and could have laid out a path for a successful career for years to come, if he continues to produce.