Daily Red Sox Links: Lockout, Andrew Benintendi, Marcelo Mayer

On Friday, the league finally officially delayed the start of spring training, though that obviously didn’t come as a surprise to anyone. The good news, though, is that the two sides are set to meet every day next week to try and expedite a deal. (Michael Silverman; Boston Globe)

They do need to come to an agreement quickly, however, if they are going to start the regular season on time. And if they don’t, they may be playing with fire. (Jason Mastrodonato; Boston Herald)

Kiley McDaniel released his top farm system rankings on Friday, with Boston coming almost exactly smack dab in the middle. (Kiley McDaniel; ESPN)

In addition to the moves they made immediately preceding the lockout (which, as an aside, feels like a century ago), Boston has also made a handful of minor-league signings. Sean McAdam looks at those players’ potential to contribute in the majors. (Sean McAdam; Boston Sports Journal)

Now a year out from the Andrew Benintendi deal, Christopher Smith looks back at how things look now. (Christopher Smith; Masslive)

Peter Gammons takes a look at how teams are developing catchers. (Peter Gammons; The Athletic)

The college season got underway on Friday, so Dayn Perry previewed the season. (Dayn Perry; CBS)