At McCoy, promise took the field in 2020

PAWTUCKET — Billy McMillon was asked for his final impressions of the players who worked this summer at the Red Sox alternate site.

The Pawtucket Red Sox manager was on the back deck of his South Carolina home. Brilliant blue skies were visible overhead. McMillon was appearing on a Zoom call exactly one week after the action concluded at McCoy Stadium.

"I’m having a hard time remembering who was there," McMillon said. "I’ve shut down so much. [...]

PAWTUCKET — Billy McMillon was asked for his final impressions of the players who worked this summer at the Red Sox alternate site.

The Pawtucket Red Sox manager was on the back deck of his South Carolina home. Brilliant blue skies were visible overhead. McMillon was appearing on a Zoom call exactly one week after the action concluded at McCoy Stadium.

"I’m having a hard time remembering who was there," McMillon said. "I’ve shut down so much."

This is what the offseason looks like in the age of COVID-19. Weeks and months felt like years for players and staff members who went through the same daily routine — hotel room, ballpark, perhaps the lobby to pick up takeout, hotel room again. It was as unconventional as it was necessary for players looking to maintain their respective paths to the big leagues.

"It gave them an opportunity, without having stats that are going to be on the back of their baseball cards forever, where they could work on something without worrying about the cause and effect of it not working," PawSox pitching coach Paul Abbott said. "For me, that was the best thing of this whole situation."

Boston summoned 21 different players who made at least one appearance at the alternate site. The success stories included rookies like Bobby Dalbec and Tanner Houck, who both impressed with their ability. Dalbec and Houck were among the seven players in attendance rated in the organization's top 10 by SoxProspects.com.

"That’s what player development is about, right?" Abbott said. "You work with guys, you spend a lot of time watching guys go through some growing pains and making some adjustments."

Baseball in the midst of a pandemic was never a guarantee. Early outbreaks among the Marlins and Cardinals seemed to place the season in jeopardy. The Red Sox had four positive tests prior to Summer Camp and never announced another, with each member of its organization showing professionalism and discipline.

"The guys just bought into it," McMillon said. "The fear of the unknown — how you get it, how you might be able to spread it — affected everyone in a positive way. We had a group of guys who made the right decisions day in and day out."

The cross-section of pitchers and position players included some who were likely to start at Class A and some held in reserve in case of an immediate need in the big leagues. Nick Yorke batting against Matt Hall and Triston Casas digging in against Nick Pivetta saw recent Boston first-round draft picks facing off against players who have already made their debuts. The Red Sox front office will be left to evaluate when and where its minor leaguers will begin the 2021 season.

"I generally think if we’re going to really just make a huge course change in a player’s development because of the experience at the alternate site, more often than not that’s probably not going to be a good idea," Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said. "But there were some interesting things that came out of it. As we discuss placement and as our development staff discusses placement for these guys, they’re going to factor that in."

Jeter Downs, Bryan Mata, Jarren Duran and Jay Groome were also among the elite prospects who spent considerable time in Pawtucket this summer. Downs settled in after an offseason trade from the Dodgers while Mata flashed perhaps the best raw stuff in the system. Duran showed off considerable offensive upside and Groome found something of a routine after Tommy John surgery stunted most of his last three seasons.

"Granted, it wasn’t the rigors of the regular season with the travel and day-night games," McMillon said. "I think we did the best we could. I don’t know that there’s anything we could have done differently other than maybe if they could have incorporated us playing against other teams."

Boston fell out of contention well ahead of the Aug. 31 trade deadline, putting the club in a position to be a seller. The Red Sox added minor leaguers like Hudson Potts, Jeisson Rosario and Connor Seabold in deals that sent out Mitch Moreland, Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree. Downs, Connor Wong and Alex Verdugo — who starred in his Boston debut — were acquired in February for Mookie Betts, David Price and cash.

"It always takes a little bit extra to build back up and I think it’s very promising right now," McMillon said. "Some of the returns we got back in some of the various trades and offseason acquisitions, I think that’s going to raise the level of our minor leagues.

"We saw some guys develop, get a little bit better. There’s some encouraging news from guys that impressed on the mound to seeing how some of the position players developed. I think the cupboard is getting full again and I think there’s reason for optimism for some of the guys we saw in the alternate camp."

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On Twitter: @BillKoch25