Sox Beat: Prospecting for gold

FORT MYERS, Fla. – IT SEEMED almost inevitable that the names Jed Lowrie and Jacoby Ellsbury surfaced as part of a trade proposal for Johan Santana this winter. For most of the decade, it has been nearly impossible for the two Red Sox prospects to avoid each other.

Their fates first entwined between their junior and senior years of high school, when the two played for the same Baseball Oregon traveling team in 2001. Neither player was heralded at the time.

Ellsbury's natural athleticism was obvious to those who watched him play center and run the bases. Yet there were questions about his bat, as the wiry 17-year-old clearly needed to build strength.

Lowrie was viewed as a talented hitter thanks largely to exceptional hand-eye coordination. But the middle infielder faced skepticism from scouts about his defensive abilities.

"They both were obviously Division I type players -- not necessarily pro prospects at the time," recalled Jeff McKay, one of the coaches for the team. "Everyone thought that Jacoby was a better athlete. But Jed probably had more success at that time."

Both offered a glimpse of their potential on a trip to Arizona that summer. Before a showcase tournament against other high school talents, their team played against some junior college teams.

"We played one of the top junior colleges in the area," recalled Jose Cepeda, who also coached the Baseball Oregon team. "That year was the first year that they were beat by juniors in high school."

In part on the strength of their performances on that trip, both earned scholarships to the Pac-10 conference. Their paths diverged slightly during college, as Ellsbury stayed close to home at Oregon State while Lowrie went to Stanford.

Yet after both enjoyed careers as All-Americans, their careers intersected in uncanny fashion. In June 2005, the Sox received two first-round draft picks -- the 23rd and 45th overall -- as compensation when Orlando Cabrera signed with the Angels as a free agent. They selected Ellsbury with the first selection, and Lowrie with the second.

Ever since, the two have been almost inseparable. They were road roommates when they broke into the pros with the Lowell Spinners in 2005, and also shared a residence when they advanced to Single-A Wilmington in 2006 and Double-A Portland to start last year.

They are now roommates in Fort Myers for the third straight spring training. The two have come to view themselves as complementary elements in the success of their respective careers.

"He's the talent," joked Lowrie, "and I'm the motivation."

Whatever their formula, it has contributed to a steep ascent in the Sox system. Just two years after being drafted, Ellsbury, 24, exploded into national consciousness while serving as a catalyst for the world champs last year.

Yet while he lacks the cachet of his fellow Oregonian, Lowrie's performance has been nearly as impressive.

Scouts are divided as to whether the 23-year-old will be able to stay at shortstop (the position to which the Sox converted him in 2005) or will have to play another infield position. But after a season in which he hit a combined .298 with an .896 OPS and 68 extra-base hits with Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket, few question his bat, which ranks among the best among minor-league middle infielders.

Each has a hand in his counterpart's success. When coaches are not available, Ellsbury and Lowrie counsel each other, drawing upon years of familiarity to help with any needed swing adjustments. Such sessions reinforce the shared commitment of the pair.

"Our goal from when we signed was to go through the minor-league system and get to the big leagues," said Ellsbury. "We knew we had to pay our dues and we knew it would take some work. We just wanted to continue to develop and get better. We didn't want outside stuff to get to us. That's part of why we work so well together."

That work seems close to yielding its intended outcome. Ellsbury is poised to assume the role of an everyday center fielder and leadoff hitter. Though Lowrie's path to the majors is blocked by a Red Sox infield with four returning starters, he is an injury away from a major-league role.

Their parallel paths may soon reach a common destination. That outcome, rather than their common heritage, is the topic that consumes both players.

"We do joke about it--where we've played, the guys along the way. But more of that reflection will come at the end of our careers," said Lowrie. "Later in our lives, we'll talk about our days together in A-ball. But I know that I'm so focused on what's ahead of me that, until it's done, I won't talk a whole lot about the past."

Alex Speier covers the Red Sox for the New Hampshire Union Leader and New Hampshire Sunday News.