Promising Red Sox prospects occupy the roster of Boston's rookie development program

Who will be the 2009 version of Jonathan Papelbon, Clay Buchholz, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jed Lowrie and Justin Masterson? The aforementioned players attended Boston's annual rookie development program in the winter and during the regular season made their major league debuts and significantly contributed to the Red Sox.

The program - which started today and continues through January 16 at Boston College - is a 13-day camp where Red Sox major league and minor league coaches instruct highly regarded prospects about life as a big leaguer. The prospects learn about the physical and mental requirements of Major League Baseball, and the pressures and challenges they can expect playing in Boston.

As published on SoxProspects.com, "According to WEEI's Alex Speier, the thirteen players who will participate in this year's rookie development program are 1B Lars Anderson, RHP Daniel Bard, OF Zach Daeges, RHP Dewon Day, SS Argenis Díaz, LHP Felix Doubront, LHP Kris Johnson, RHP Richie Lentz, RHP Wes Littleton, RHP Adam Mills, OF Josh Reddick, LHP Dustin Richardson (who also participated in last year's program), and C Mark Wagner. With the exceptions of Day (AAA), Doubront (Hi-A), and Littleton (MLB), all of this year's participants finished up the 2008 regular season in AA Portland."

Of the aforementioned players, Bard, Lentz and Day are the most likely candidates to start the 2009 season in the minor leagues and get summoned to the Red Sox at some point during the year. Bard, who was Boston's first round selection out of the University of North Carolina in 2006 and is a right-handed power reliever, has been mentioned in trade rumors, but if he remains with the Sox, he should get a chance to contribute as a set-up man at the big league level if member of the bullpen suffers an injury or is ineffective. Lentz, a 19th round pick out of the University of Washington in 2006, is another right-handed power reliever who could make his big league debut in 2009. In 2010, Boston's bullpen could feature homegrown arms Jonathan Papelbon, Manny Delcarmen, Bard, Lentz and the left-handed Richardson. Next year's rookie development program will likely include Kyle Weiland, Stephen Fife and Bryan Price - all high draft picks out of college in 2008 and all promising arms.

Day is not a Red Sox draft pick. The 28-year-old right-hander was a 26th round selection of Toronto in 2002, but he reached the big leagues with the White Sox in 2007. He will start the 2009 season at Pawtucket, but he could see time with the Red Sox at some point. As for Littleton, he is out of options, so he will either make the team out of spring training or be exposed on the waiver wire. The right-handed reliever was ineffective in 12 games and 18 innings with the Rangers last year, but he posted decent numbers in 2006 and 2007. Though he is not a rookie, the Red Sox staff likely wants him to participate in the program to get a head start on learning about the Red Sox mania he will experience beginning at spring training.

Regarding the other players who will participate in the program:

• Lars Anderson is Boston's top position player prospect. The left-handed hitting first baseman is the main reason why Red Sox fans will eventually not be disheartened that Mark Teixeira signed with the Yankees. The 21-year-old Anderson will likely open 2009 at Double-A Portland before moving up to Pawtucket. He could make his major league debut when rosters expand on September 1.
• Zach Daeges is 25 and plays the corner outfield spots. He is average at best in the field, thus the reason he will likely make it as a starting outfielder. He can hit, though, and he possesses exceptional plate discipline. He could help as a fourth outfielder or a DH at the big league level, but probably not in 2009.
• Argenis Diaz is the anti-Julio Lugo. Some scouts believe that the 21-year-old Diaz would win a Gold Glove right now as a major league shortstop, but his bat is not as advanced as his defense. Diaz has no power and little speed, which makes him less attractive as a starting shortstop than Yamaico Navarro. At the least, Diaz has a chance to be an effective utility infielder at the big league level, or a starting shortstop for an American League team with a stacked lineup.
• Felix Doubront is one of my favorite Red Sox pitching prospects. The 21-year-old left-hander was signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2004. A starting pitcher, he will likely open 2009 at advanced-Single A Salem (Va.).
• Dustin Richardson participated in the rookie development program last year, and he is back in 2009. The 6-foot-6 left-hander was a sixth round selection out of Texas Tech in 2006.  He has been a starter in his first  three minor league seasons, but he will pitch out of the bullpen in 2009 after exhibiting a solid performance as a reliever in the Hawaiian Winter League. Boston does not have many promising left-handed relievers - Hunter Jones, who will open 2009 at Pawtucket is about the only one - so Richardson could ascend to the Red Sox by 2010.
• Like Richardson, Kris Johnson's long-term future as a pitcher will likely be in the bullpen. A first round pick in 2006 out of Wichita State, Johnson is a left-hander has similar stuff to former Red Sox prospect Kason Gabbard, who regrettably was sent to Texas in the Eric Gagne trad.
• Adam Mills is less heralded than many of the other relievers drafted out of college by the Red Sox, but the eighth round selection out of UNC-Charlotte in 2007 is effective at inducing grounders. The right-hander will open 2009 at Portland.
• While Anderson is the top infield prospect in the Red Sox organization, Josh Reddick is the team's most promising outfield prospect (at least at the advanced levels of the farm system; Ryan Westmoreland and Pete Hissey are highly regarded 2008 draft picks out of high school). The 21-year-old Reddick could be Boston's future right fielder. He is solid on defense and has a strong arm. At the plate, he hits for power and average. The Red Sox are teaching him to be more patient, so he still needs to improve his plate discipline. Reddick needs more seasoning, as his .184 average in the Arizona Fall League suggests, but he is definitely a name that Red Sox fans will become more familiar with over the next two years.
• If both remain in the Red Sox organization, Mark Wagner could be the backup catcher in Boston by 2011, and Luis Exposito could be the starting catcher. The Angels have two young catchers sharing duties in Mike Napoli and Jeff Mathis, so why not the Red Sox? The 24-year-old Wagner calls a good game and is proficient behind the plate. Last year, he had a bad year at the plate (.219 in 342 at-bats) at Portland, but he hit .288 with four home runs and eight RBI in 59 at-bats during the Arizona Fall League.