The Red Sox acquired Ferguson, Eric Hosmer, Corey Rosier and cash considerations from the Padres on Tuesday in exchange for Jay Groome, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.
Ferguson stole an incredible 51 bases in 64 games for Single-A Lake Elsinore to open the season while hitting a solid .247/.403/.364. He's struggled since his promotion to High-A Fort Wayne, however, hitting .162/.270/.343 in 27 games while stealing a modest four bases. Speed and defense could eventually get the 2021 fifth-round pick to the majors, but he'll need a significant step forward from his bat for that to happen.
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Padres' Max Ferguson: Hitting .196 but running wild
Rotowire
Ferguson is hitting just .196 with no home runs for Single-A Lake Elsinore, but he has a .404 OBP and is leading the minor leagues with 28 steals.
What a wild stat line. A fifth-rounder in last year's draft, Ferguson has drawn the most walks in the minor leagues (36) and is averaging nearly a steal per game, but he's also got just three extra-base hits (all doubles). In fact, he still hasn't hit a single home run in 67 minor-league games dating back to last year. Guys with this little power don't generally make it to the big leagues, but Ferguson's tremendous patience and baserunning ability could be enough for him to make it eventually, even if only as a utility player and pinch runner.
