Scouting Report: Local product was one of the top New England high school players in 2008. Slim, athletic build with the ability to add strength. Strong arm with nice outfield range. At the plate, "Westy" has above average power potential with outstanding plate discipline. Elite speed on the basepaths. Very intelligent, has a full ride to Vanderbilt. Also a great pitcher, he pitched a perfect game in April 2008, striking out 19 of 21 batters.

“It’s starting to set in,” he said. “This is the beginning of my career and I’m starting to get really focused on the task at hand, which is to work my way up and hopefully to play at Fenway one day.

“This is my job right now,” he added. “I have to play baseball for a living. I want to focus, do the best I can and hopefully move up the ranks as fast as I can. It’s unbelievable. I can’t believe it some times, but it’s a dream come true.”

He’ll report to Fort Myers as an outfielder and play 10 games for the GCL Red Sox before reporting to Lowell where he’ll finish out the season with the Spinners.

“It’s awesome,” he said of playing close to home. “A bunch of my friends already said they’re going to come up. It’s going to be amazing, not only playing for the Red Sox organization, but to be playing so close to home is just a bonus.”

(WPRI) - Portsmouth native and Red Sox 5th round draft pick Ryan Westmoreland has been temporarily shut down.

Westmoreland reported to the Red Sox Gulf Coast League team a couple of weeks ago and said he had some fatigue in his shoulder.

Westmoreland signed a 2-million contract in Auguest and was supposed to start playing games in Florida, but the organization doesn't want to take any chances.

He will instead take a couple weeks off so he can be ready for the Instructional League in Floriday that begins in two weeks.

No game appearances means no roster time means no "clock starting", right?

Based on what I read in a Callis chat, I don't think that is true. Callis indicated that teams use to be able to sign late signing guys to a 2009 contract instead of a 2008 contract to prevent the clock from starting to tick. He indicated teams can't do that anymore.

MLB changed it so players are Rule V eligible 5 years after high school or 4 after college.

It used to be 4 "seasons" after high school or 3 "seasons" after college, which is why teams would sign, say, a 2004 draft pick to a 2005 contract

J.P. (Springfield, IL): I know your Red Sox Top 10 Prospects list doesn't go live on BA's site for a couple of days now, but can you tell me if Ryan Westmoreland made it and if so, where? Gracias.

SportsNation Jim Callis: (2:04 PM ET ) Sure, we can do another sneak preview. Ryan Westmoreland was No. 7 on the Red Sox Top 10. Tremendous athlete, can't wait to see what he does in his debut next year.

Red Sox prospect Ryan Westmoreland had surgery on his right shoulder Thursday afternoon to repair a torn labrum. He will be out of game action until June.
Red Sox team physician Dr. Thomas Gill performed the procedure in Boston and told Westmoreland's father, Ron, that it went great. Ryan is at home resting comfortably, according to his dad.

While Gill was performing the surgery, he also found a few minor issues in the shoulder and "tightened it up."

"It was a minor procedure to go in there and clean it up," explained Red Sox director of amateur scouting Jason McLeod. "It will slow him a little bit, as far as spring training goes. He won't be able to play in games during the spring, but we think we have identified the problem. Now he just has to rehab and work it out. Hopefully he'll come back strong and be ready for next summer."

If everything goes as planned the Red Sox would like to see him ready in time to join the Single-A Lowell Spinners for the short season, beginning in June.

So this makes five big time prospects that had major surgery or illness in 2008, unbelievable.