The blockbuster trade of the MLB season involves the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox. One of the pieces the Sox received in return was Dodgers prospect Jerry Sands.
The Boston Red Sox sent Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Rubby De La Rosa, Ivan De Jesus, Jerry Sands and James Loney, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports via Twitter.
So let’s take a look at what Sands will bring to the Red Sox.
Profile
Birth Date: September 28, 1987 (Age: 24)
Birth Place: Middletown, NY
Experience: 1 year
College: Catawba
Ht/Wt: 6-4, 220 lbs
About Sands’ Big League Time
Sands has seen some limited time with the Dodgers the past two seasons and has shown some flashes of talent.
In 2011, Sands played in 61 games with 198 at-bats. In that time, Sands hit .253 with four homers and 26 RBI. 2012 saw the 24-year-old get even less time in the big leagues. Sands hit .174 with a lone RBI in only nine games of action and 23 at-bats.
Sands’ Offense
While that doesn’t tell us much about Sands since he’s seen only part-time action in his career, his minor league numbers are much more telling.
Sands has great power for his young age, something he proved to be true during his time in the Dodgers’ farm system.
In 2010, Sands hit an incredible 35 homers and knocked in 93 runs with a .301 average between Single-A and Double-A ball. In 2011, Sands tacked on 29 homers with 88 RBI, batting .278 in Triple-A.
Continuing his Triple-A success in 2012, Sands is hitting .303, with 24 homers and 103 RBI.
Besides his power, Sands also has an ability to steal bases, which he displayed mostly in 2010 when he swiped 18 bags in the minors. It’s clear that when called upon, Sands can swipe a bag if necessary, adding another element to his game that teams will have to plan for in the future.
Strikeouts should be a concern for Boston moving forward, however. Sands got rung up 51 times in 198 at-bats back in 2011 and nine times in 2012 in only 23 at-bats in the bigs.
Sands’ Defense
Sands’ speed should help him become a solid outfielder for years to come, most likely in a corner position where he could cover a ton of ground. His arm is nothing to shake a stick at; Sands should be respected by runners challenging a throw to home plate from the outfield.
Sands racked up six assists during the 2011 season, all from either left or right field.
Conclusion
Sands’ time in the MLB should make him big-league ready for the 2013 season. He hasn’t developed into what his minor league numbers say yet, but Sands is still only 24 and will have plenty of time to get his act together while his new team in Boston rebuilds.
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