enlarge 2008 Telegram File

Sea Dogs shortstop Argenis Diaz may be forcing the Red Sox to make a decision soon. Because he’s on the 40-man roster, Boston must promote him by 2011 or risk losing him.

Remember when Portland Sea Dogs outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury began the 2007 season with a .452 average through 17 games?

He was promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket on May 4.

Promotions usually come closer to midseason. It has been the Red Sox way for years.

Sometimes a player like Ellsbury forces the Sox to make a move. Other times a player's so-so play cancels an expected promotion.

Hanley Ramirez came to Portland near the end of the 2004 season. He figured to be headed to Pawtucket at some point in 2005, but batted only .271 with six home runs and stayed in Portland. Ramirez did get a September call-up to Boston, where he struck out twice in two at-bats, then was traded to the Marlins in the Josh Beckett/Mike Lowell deal.

Are there any candidates for an early promotion this year?

Here are some possible moves.

• From Pawtucket to Boston: Reliever Daniel Bard is dominating with a 1.42 ERA and 22 strikeouts/four walks in 12 2/3 innings. Bard would have to be put on the 40-man roster and an opening will have to be made in the Fenway bullpen.

Besides Bard, look for Michael Bowden (0.64) who has already been called up for a game and pitched two perfect innings. Then, of course, there's Clay Buchholz (2.45 ERA).

• From Portland to Pawtucket: Shortstop Argenis Diaz is batting .289 for Portland after batting .288 in 39 games here last season. The Red Sox cannot be patient with Diaz, 22, because he was put on the 40-man roster before the 2008 season.

Major league rules don't allow a player to stay indefinitely in the minors while on the 40-man roster. Diaz will have to be on Boston's 2011 roster or the Red Sox will risk losing him.

He should see Triple-A competition soon.

Left-handed reliever Dustin Richardson (1.26 ERA) could be another candidate. He's 25 and spent all of 2008 in Portland (as a starter).

• From Salem to Portland: Outfielder Matt Sheely. OK, I cheated on this one since Sheely was sent to Portland on Friday, but that was only as a fill-in for the injured Josh Reddick (strained oblique).

Sheely could stay around. He spent 2008 in advanced Class A and was hitting .310 in Salem this season with a .412 on-base percentage.

Salem has better-regarded outfielders (Ryan Kalish, Che-Hsuan Lin and Jason Place), and they all could be pushing for a promotion this summer.

Another candidate is first baseman/designated hitter Michael Jones, who is batting .338. But there's no room for him in Portland (maybe later, if Lars Anderson gets pushed up).

• From Greenville to Salem: Left-handed reliever Armando Zerpa, 22, of Venezuela has been stuck in the rookie leagues since he signed as a 17-year-old. He looks ready to break out. In five games (14 innings), he has allowed no runs, two hits and two walks, striking out 13.

There's another intriguing candidate for promotion – 19-year-old Casey Kelly, the 2008 first-round draft choice who played shortstop last year. Kelly is supposed to pitch only 100 innings this season and figured to stay in Greenville.

But he may need a bigger challenge. In four starts (20 innings), he is 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA. He has allowed 19 hits and three walks, striking out 19.

ALUMNI NEWS: Pitcher Chris Smith, who spent parts of five seasons with the Sea Dogs (and 12 games with the Red Sox last year), is relieving for the Nashville Sounds, the Brewers' Triple-A affiliate. Smith is 1-0 with three saves and a 1.15 ERA in seven games (15 2/3 innings).

Most impressive is Smith's 19 strikeouts and zero walks.

Another Sounds reliever isn't doing so well. Wes Littleton is 0-2 with a 14.54 ERA after five appearances (4 1/3 innings).

Littleton was acquired by Boston last December from Texas, with the Sox sending former Sea Dogs reliever Beau Vaughan to the Rangers....