Jason O. Watson\/Getty Images Zeke Spruill is a name Red Sox fans may not have heard of. <\/p>\n
The start of spring training is only a few weeks away for the Boston Red Sox. A revamped Boston squad is set to take the field in Fort Myers, Florida, next month looking to bounce back from a last-place finish in 2014. <\/p>\n
Top draft picks like Blake Swihart and Henry Owens are sure to capture everyone's attention when they suit up for the Red Sox in February and March. On the other hand, who are some of the lesser-known youngsters looking to make a splash this spring? <\/p>\n
Whether they're on the 40-man roster or likely to be in camp as non-roster invitees, here are a few of Boston's sleeper prospects to keep a eye on when the 2015 exhibition season begins. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Zeke Spruill, RHP <\/p>\n
Zeke Spruill is a 25-year-old righty who stands 6'5\" and already has some brief major league experience under his belt. The Red Sox acquired Spruill from the Arizona Diamondbacksfor minor league pitcher Myles Smith in an under-the-radar trade back in December. <\/p>\n
Via Ryan Hannable of WEEI, Boston general manager Ben Cherington had this to say about Spruill at the time of the deal: <\/p>\n
We liked how he looked out of the bullpen, how his stuff played out of the pen. Guy who keeps the ball on the ground. Has good stuff, good life on his fastball and breaking ball. Just looked like a different guy out of the pen and we wanted to take a shot at it because in the series of trades we made this week, obviously moving Alex Wilson and a couple of guys in this trade for Wade [Miley], it just helps us replenish some of the young pitching depth we gave up this week. <\/p>\n
Spruill pitched a total of 34 innings with the Diamondbacks in 2013 and 2014, posting a 4.24 ERA and 1.56 WHIP. He has slightly better numbers over the course of his minor league career, including a 47-50 record with a 3.85 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. Spruill will likely be among several relievers competing for one of the Red Sox's final bullpen spots to start the season. <\/p>\n
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Boston Red Sox's Sleeper Prospects to Watch in Spring Training<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Jason O. Watson\/Getty Images Zeke Spruill is a name Red Sox fans may not have heard of. The start of spring training is only a few weeks away for the Boston Red Sox. Continue reading