FORT MYERS, Fla. — After an interminable offseason marked by frustration, inactivity and loads of ready, baseball is lastly underway. It’s been greater than two weeks since pitchers and catchers reported to Red Sox camp, and over that point we’ve lastly gotten an opportunity to see this yr’s group in motion.
So what have we discovered? Have the Red Sox adequately addressed their weaknesses from final yr? Are there any gamers who might be in line for a breakout? And most essential, is the group going to be any good? We received’t know for positive till after Opening Day, however for now listed below are 10 takeaways from the primary two weeks of Red Sox camp.
1. Rafaela has an actual shot
The largest unanswered query relating to the Opening Day roster is whether or not or not Ceddanne Rafaela shall be on it. Red Sox supervisor Alex Cora has mentioned the 23-year-old rookie is a contender to be Boston’s beginning heart fielder, and if he wins the job it may have a major domino impact on how the remainder of the roster comes collectively.
First, Jarren Duran would probably bump to one of many nook outfield spots, which in flip would have an effect on Tyler O’Neill or rookie Wilyer Abreu’s enjoying time. Bench outfielder Rob Refsnyder might be a possible roster casualty in that case as effectively, or the Red Sox would possibly find yourself buying and selling considered one of their extra established choices to clear house for the children.
Regardless of what else occurs, no different roster choice shall be extra consequential than this.
One Red Sox place battle may affect all others, Alex Cora says
2. O’Neill probably the on a regular basis LF
Assuming Rafaela doesn’t win the beginning heart area job, and barring any last-minute acquisitions, it appears like O’Neill would be the membership’s on a regular basis left fielder.
So far O’Neill has performed with the large league starters in every recreation he is appeared in, and in every of these outings he is began in left. Cora mentioned he plans to play O’Neill there virtually solely this spring so he can discover ways to play the Green Monster, and Masataka Yoshida will as an alternative function the first designated hitter.
Should Rafaela make the group O’Neill may doubtlessly bump to proper area, one thing he mentioned he’d be comfy doing, however for now he is locked in on left.
3. Devers finds reverse area pop
It says loads about Rafael Devers that he may hit 33 house runs with an .851 OPS final season and folks assume he had a down yr. Yet robust as the ultimate totals wound up being, Devers was unusually streaky and susceptible to lengthy slumps.
One problem particularly was his incapacity to constantly do harm to the other area, however thus far this spring he is rediscovered that pop.
Entering the weekend Devers had already hit two house runs by way of the primary week of video games, and each have been reverse area bombs over JetBlue Park’s Green Monster. Being in a position to make use of the wall is essential for any left-handed hitter at Fenway Park, so the very fact Devers is already getting outcomes is a superb signal.
4. Grissom nonetheless an unknown
Though we have seen most of Boston’s regulars at the very least as soon as, Vaughn Grissom stays a person of thriller. The newly acquired second baseman has been held out of recreation motion because of a minor hamstring damage, so we nonetheless have not had an opportunity to see the 23-year-old’s skills on full show.
Now he has a groin pressure, leaving his standing for Opening Day doubtful.
While with the Braves, Grissom demonstrated tantalizing potential and performed effectively in his restricted large league alternatives. He’s batted .287 in 64 profession MLB video games, however he by no means received constant enjoying time due to Atlanta’s plethora of All-Star infielders. That will not be an issue in Boston, however first he has to get (and keep) wholesome, and till that occurs the Red Sox will probably need to depend on Pablo Reyes or Enmanuel Valdez to man the fort at second base.
5. Defense ought to be significantly better
Defense was considered one of Boston’s Achilles heels final season, and whereas the membership nonetheless has some query marks, the group ought to be significantly better as a complete this time round.
Having Trevor Story again and wholesome for all the season will make an unlimited distinction. He performed Gold Glove-caliber protection at shortstop over the ultimate six weeks of 2023 and instantly made everybody else round him higher. Story also needs to make life simpler for Devers and Grissom, neither of whom is effectively thought to be a fielder however who may benefit from his unbelievable vary and athleticism.
Having O’Neill, a two-time Gold Glove winner, swap into the outfield for Yoshida, statistically one of many worst defensive outfielders in baseball final yr, may also be an enormous assist. No matter how the outfield alignment shakes out, Cora says this yr’s group shall be rather more dynamic and athletic, and he additionally expects enchancment from the group’s decision-making as effectively.
6. Two rotation spots up for grabs
Boston’s different Achilles heel final season was its beginning rotation, and as an alternative of bringing in substantial outdoors reinforcements to provide the group a lift, the Red Sox are as an alternative relying on their younger arms to take a step ahead.
As of now Lucas Giolito, Nick Pivetta and Brayan Bello are formally within the rotation, leaving everybody else preventing for the final two spots. Kutter Crawford is taken into account the favourite of that group, and Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck and Josh Winckowski are the opposite contenders.
All 4 turned in robust performances of their first begins of the spring, and it will likely be attention-grabbing to see who can separate themselves because the spring goes on.
Alex Cora lays out state of Red Sox beginning rotation competitors
7. Competition heating up in bullpen
Though new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow hasn’t considerably upgraded the beginning rotation, he is aggressively bolstered the bullpen and several other new additions may make an affect this season.
Barring any further trades, the bullpen breaks down like this: Kenley Jansen because the nearer, Chris Martin as the highest set-up man, Brennan Bernardino because the lead left-hander, and two of Whitlock, Tanner Houck and Winckowski because the high-leverage righties.
That leaves three spots, and among the many newcomers who may earn a spot are Isaiah Campbell, who was acquired from Seattle in trade for Luis Urias final November; Justin Slaten, a Rule 5 choose acquired in a commerce with the Mets; Greg Weissert, considered one of three pitchers obtained within the Alex Verdugo commerce; and Cooper Criswell, considered one of solely two large league free brokers the Red Sox signed all winter.
There are additionally incumbents like Zack Kelly, Chris Murphy and Joe Jacques, plus non-roster arms like Joely Rodriguez, Lucas Luetge and Helcris Olivarez. Any of them may conceivably pitch their method onto the Opening Day roster, and on the very least they need to all present helpful depth at Triple-A.
8. Mata in robust spot
The large wild card within the bullpen is Bryan Mata, a former high pitching prospect who’s out of minor league choices and should make the Opening Day roster. Mata probably would have had an actual shot, however he is been shut down with a hamstring damage and is out indefinitely.
Mata has among the finest stuff within the group and ideally may have emerged as a dominant bullpen weapon, however accidents and command issues have plagued him all through his skilled profession. The Red Sox would possibly have the opportunity do delay a call by putting him on the injured checklist, however sooner or later Mata must get again on the mound and show he will be the pitcher the Red Sox all the time envisioned he might be.
If not, he could need to show himself someplace else.
9. Sox roster feels incomplete
Even although we’re greater than a 3rd of the best way by way of spring coaching, a number of noteworthy free brokers nonetheless stay on the open market. As of this writing that features high free agent beginning pitchers Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell.
Montgomery seems like a pure match for the Red Sox, and if the membership plugged him into the rotation it may considerably increase the group’s flooring and probably elevate the membership right into a Wild Card contender. Cora even acknowledged he held a Zoom assembly with Montgomery shortly earlier than camp opened, and his lingering free company has loomed like a shadow over Fort Myers.
Could he nonetheless wind up in Boston? It seems like a long-shot, however so long as he is nonetheless out there it may well’t be dominated out. One method or the opposite, it will really feel just like the Red Sox nonetheless have unfinished enterprise so long as he is on the board, so hopefully his saga reaches its conclusion quickly.
Red Sox supervisor confirms he had Zoom assembly with free agent Jordan Montgomery
10. This shall be youngest Sox group in years
We’ve been listening to for years about how the Red Sox are constructing in the direction of the longer term, and this yr the items of Boston’s new younger core will actually begin coming collectively.
Rafael Devers, Jarren Duran, Connor Wong, Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck, ostensibly among the membership’s “older” gamers, are all solely 27. Triston Casas, Brayan Bello and Wilyer Abreu are simply 24, and Vaughn Grissom and Ceddanne Rafaela are solely 23.
Those 10 gamers will stay below group management for a lot of the remainder of the last decade, as will Trevor Story and Masataka Yoshida, who every have 4 years left on their contracts. With high prospects like Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel on the best way, the longer term is starting to take form in Boston and this group will quickly get its first alternative to indicate what it is able to.
Source: www.bostonherald.com