Over the last month of the season three of Boston’s top prospects — Ceddanne Rafaela, Enmanuel Valdez and Wilyer Abreu — got extensive playing time in their first taste of the big leagues.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora frequently praised all three rookies throughout September, and towards the end of Monday’s year-end press conference he offered his thoughts on what could be next for two of them.

Valdez and Rafaela both have impressive tools, Cora said, but need to improve in crucial areas if they’re going to become reliable everyday big leaguers. For Valdez, the defense needs work, while Rafaela has to improve the quality of his at bats or he could be exposed by big league pitchers.

One of the prospects acquired in last summer’s Christian Vazquez trade, Valdez could potentially have an opportunity to earn regular playing time at second base next season. Over the final month he largely platooned at the position with Pablo Reyes, and as things stand he’s in line to compete for the spot with Reyes and trade deadline acquisition Luis Urias.

To best prepare him for that competition, Cora said Valdez will spend a month playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic with Red Sox third base coach Carlos Febles. Improving his first step, his angles and his arm strength will all be areas of focus for Valdez.

“So there are a few things we’ve identified with him where if he does it he can be a good second baseman, because the bat plays,” Cora said. “The plate discipline, the impact of the baseball, the at bat he puts together, it’s impressive. We’ll see what happens, getting the reps in the Dominican Republic and playing second base exclusively is going to help him out.”

Given his defensive talents at both center field and in the middle infield, Rafaela may also have a path to regular playing time. Cora said to realize his potential Rafaela needs to get stronger and improve his plate discipline, which has been an ongoing focus throughout the 23-year-old’s professional career.

“There’s a few things mechanically we believe he needs to do to get to the fastball and to hit the ball to right-center,” Cora said. “He had a good season, it’s not easy to come here to the big leagues and dominate, but you saw the skillset, this kid is going to impact the defense, he’s very good at what he does and offensively we believe he’ll be capable of impacting the lineup.”

Asked if it’s realistic to imagine Rafaela earning an every day role like Triston Casas this past season, however, Cora pumped the breaks.

“It’s too early for that,” he said. “We’ll see what happens, there’s a few things he’s going to do in the upcoming months to be better and go to spring training, he’ll play a lot in spring training so we’ll see what happens.”

One middle infielder who likely won’t be back with the Red Sox next season is Christian Arroyo, who was designated for assignment earlier this summer and has now elected for free agency, according to the Worcester Red Sox transaction log.

Originally Boston’s starting second baseman, Arroyo was removed from the roster as part of a larger midseason shakeup following an underwhelming season in which he batted .241 with a .638 OPS. His numbers fell off a cliff once he got to Triple-A, with Arroyo batting .139 with no home runs and two RBI in 18 games with the WooSox.

By opting for free agency, the 28-year-old is hoping for a fresh start and that he can land in a favorable situation to resume his big league career.

Minor league catcher Caleb Hamilton has also elected for free agency, per the WooSox.

Since news broke of Tim Wakefield’s death, tributes have been pouring in from all corners of the Red Sox family, and on Tuesday former Red Sox president Larry Lucchino, now chairman and principal owner of the Worcester Red Sox as well as chairman of the Jimmy Fund, offered his thoughts.

“My sentiments are of sadness, for this great and good man was taken far too soon,” Lucchino said, “but they are also of anger, as they are whenever an innocent person is struck by a form of cancer.  We have come so very far in the treatment of cancers, and this crushing news brings into stark relief — yet again — that we have miles to go.

“The Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have truly lost a champion. Tim’s relentless dedication to our pediatric and adult patients and their families was immeasurable. He was an advocate for the mission to defy cancer on and off the field through fundraising, visiting patients, and bringing awareness to this horrific disease. He was a hero, both on and off the field. The entire Dana-Farber and Jimmy Fund community mourn his loss.”

Lucchino went on to extoll Wakefield’s contributions as a member of the Red Sox and his role in leading the club to two World Series championships, as well as his off-field contributions throughout New England and in his hometown of Melbourne, Fla.

“Who knows what future contributions he could have continued to make had we not been robbed of his generosity, and had he not been robbed of the opportunity,” he said. “For surely he would have continued to do so. He was a remarkable man.”

Lucchino finished by offering his condolences to Wakefield’s family, and also said going forward the WooSox annual Brain Cancer Awareness Day will be held in tribute to Wakefield.