The Red Sox's best international prospect since Hanley Ramirez, Bogaerts keeps raising his performance and raising expectations. Boston signed him for $410,000 out of Aruba in 2009, promising his mother that he could finish high school before making his pro debut. He hit .314/.396/.423 in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League in 2010, then came to United States. The Red Sox planned on sending him to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2011, but Bogaerts so dominated extended spring training that they sent him to low Class A Greenville at age 18, and he responded with 16 homers in 72 games. He was just warming up for 2012, when he was Boston's minor league offensive player of the year and appeared in the Futures Game. Bogaerts batted a combined .307/.373/.523 and reached Double-A Portland, where he was the youngest position player in the Eastern League. About the only negative in his year came when the Sox sent his twin brother Jair, a first baseman, to the Cubs in March when the teams exchanged players as compensation for former Boston GM Theo Epstein. Chicago released Jair in June. Bogaerts has the offensive potential to be an all-star at any position, and that position just might be shortstop. He's a confident, strong hitter who doesn't muscle up to tap into his plus-plus raw power. He has an easy swing with plenty of bat speed, and he does a nice job of keeping his weight back and using the entire field. Despite his youth, he has a feel for making in-game adjustments. He improved his selectivity in 2012, though he still expands the strike zone at times. While that flaw doesn't hurt him much because he still makes hard contact on balls off the plate, the Red Sox want him to draw more walks. His walk rate was acceptable at high Class A Salem (43 in 104 games), but he drew just one free pass in 23 Double-A contests. Though scouts look at Bogaerts' 6-foot-3 frame and wonder if he'll outgrow shortstop, he has good actions at the position and could stay there longer than expected. His plus arm isn't a question and he played more under control on defense in 2012. He made just 21 errors in 119 games, after making 26 in 72 games the year before, boosting his fielding percentage from .924 to .959. He's an average runner who's not quite as quick as a typical shortstop, but he still exhibits solid range. He's athletic and has good body control for his size. If Bogaerts has to move, he'd profile best at third base or right field. Along with his considerable tools, he draws praise for his intelligence and work ethic. Bogaerts likely will open 2013 in Double-A to focus on his plate discipline, but Boston has had a hard time holding him back. He easily could hit his way to Triple-A Pawtucket before he turns 21. The Red Sox don't have a clear starter at shortstop, so it's not out of the question that he could put himself in the major league mix before the end of the season. More realistically, Bogaerts will make his Boston debut in 2014. Whether he does so at shortstop likely depends on how much slick-fielding Jose Iglesias shows at the plate between now and then.