Iggy Update: Where to Play?

WEEI.com - FORT MYERS, Fla. — According to team sources, the Red Sox are still debating whether to have top prospect Jose Iglesias open the 2011 season in Double-A Portland or Triple-A Pawtucket. The team wants to assign Iglesias to a level that will maximize the likelihood of his being big league ready for the 2012 campaign."
 
"Because the shortstop -- already considered a defensive star -- lost a couple months of his 2010 season with Portland due to a broken finger, the team might want him to get more at-bats in Double-A before an early season promotion to Triple-A. That said, the team might also decide that Iglesias is better served by a challenge at a more advanced level."


While I see both sides to this story, I find one thing particularly interesting.  This is one of our top prospects right?  The shortstop of our future?  The next Ozzie Guillen? The guy that in fantasy baseball, I'll likely end up trading half my team for just so I can have an extra obsession with his play?

Then why don't we have this plan hammered out yet?  Theo and company are predominately meticulous with their player development game planning.  This one seems odd to me.

By all accounts, Iggy has no issues with his broken finger from last year, and performed quite well in the fall league and spring training thus far.  Knowing that, it makes me think that the argument of "they wanted to see where he was coming into the season" seem a bit far fetched. 

I'm in favor of starting him in Portland for a month or two, and, so long as he's healthy and performing reasonably well, pull him up to Pawtucket. It seems like it would fall in line with Boston's way of building a bit of confidence followed by a challenge. Depending on Boston's performance and needs, as well as Iggy's, there are some rumors that he could be a September call up.

Random ITM note:  if this Pawtucket team doesn't contend for the league championship, something is wrong with Rhode Island's water....the team is pretty stacked.