Adalberto Ibarra is a multitalented utility bat who enjoyed great success in the Cuban League, where he hit .341/.470/.481 in his final (2008-2009) season at the age of 22. He auditioned for many major league clubs in spring of 2009, and impressed many scouts with his bat and arm, but the Red Sox won the war for his services. Ibarra is usually listed as a catcher, and certainly has the right body type for the position, but that's a position he only began to play in 2009, which means he's a long way from MLB-ready behind the plate. Before that he played first, second and third base, which is where he projects as the safest bet right now, thanks to his cannon arm. Despite the fact that his name can be translated as 'intelligent fielder' with only the slightest amount of cheating, his defense is probably his weakest skill. He is, however, a plus contact hitter with good opposite-field sense, he has below-average raw speed but is a competent baserunner nonetheless. He could develop power as he matures. His future value will come down to whether the Red Sox commit to educating him as a catcher, or parking him as a corner infielder, where he'll develop more quickly but be less valuable in the long term. He lost most of the 2011 offseason recovering from torn labrum (shoulder) surgery, but expects to be back to full-time training by spring 2012. He's a few years away.