Bloom addresses when Duran, Casas could be called up

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If you're anxiously awaiting the major league debuts of Boston Red Sox prospects Jarren Duran and Triston Casas, you're not alone.

Duran has been a human highlight-reel for Triple-A Worcester this season, crushing 15 home runs in 42 games. Out of all of Boston's top prospects, the speedy outfielder appears to be the most big-league ready.

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Casas is the organization's No. 1 prospect and projects as a slugging first baseman with All-Star potential. Selected in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft, Casas has been getting his reps in with Double-A Portland this year.

So, when might we see Boston's two most exciting prospects get called up to The Show? Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom provided a detailed answer to that question.

"I'm not gonna sit here and tell you that we can pinpoint exactly when somebody is ready. I think there's a little bit of art, little bit of feel to this and also a lot of things that we can track," Bloom said Tuesday on NBC Sports Boston's Talkin' Baseball. "The one thing that's pretty clear is (Duran is) a heck of a lot closer than he was when the season started. I think it's been a steady, upward trajectory for him in Worcester in terms of his comfort in the outfield, his jumps, his ability to read the ball off the bat, and all that adds up to making plays.

"We know he has the speed and the athleticism to make pretty much any play out there. You guys have seen it, it's a high bar to be in our outfield right now, so we want to make sure that if he's ready to come, then he's ready to contribute there."

Duran's sudden power outburst has come with improved plate discipline, something Bloom wants to see more of from the 24-year-old going forward.

"Offensively, he's hit for power throughout. I think what's really stood out as the season's gone along is how much he's tightened up the swing and miss," Bloom said. "Strikeout rate early was in a pretty bad place, and it's gotten a lot better. Not that you expect someone to not swing and miss, I think that comes along with the power. That's part of what his game is going to be and I think he can still be productive with that, but we also need to make sure that he's got enough of an approach because when you get up to this level you're going to get picked apart by really, really good players armed with an incredible amount of information.

"They can dissect every weakness, they know what your weaknesses are before you play a game in the big leagues. We need to make sure he's got enough of an approach to thrive in that environment against that kind of opposition."

It sure sounds like Duran could be with the big-league club sooner rather than later, but what about Casas?

"You never say never, but I think realistically Triston's further away," Bloom said. "Obviously, he's in Double-A and he's spent the majority of the season there. Last year, especially having been an abbreviated year with really just alternate site an option for him, there's still a lot of growth ahead of Triston. I can't tell you how highly I regard the upside that he has, he has the ability to be a game-changing player. But you need to make sure you're not rushing that with someone just because you have a need, and making sure you go step by step just like with anybody.

"Whenever he steps foot on a big-league field as a member of the Red Sox, he needs to be ready to contribute. It shouldn't be about just taking him for a test drive or about surviving, he needs to be ready to contribute and help us win. He's making strides toward that but he's still got a ways to go."

You can watch the full interview with Bloom below:

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