On paper the Red Sox outfield appears to be like roughly set. Two-time Gold Glove winner Tyler O’Neill tasks because the beginning left fielder with Jarren Duran in heart and rookie Wilyer Abreu in proper, Masataka Yoshida ought to function the first designated hitter and Rob Refsnyder will come off the bench.
But that alignment isn’t set in stone, and Red Sox supervisor Alex Cora gave his clearest indication but that high prospect Ceddanne Rafaela could have a possibility to win the beginning heart area job.
“At the end of the day we can’t hide the situation with Rafaela,” Cora mentioned Thursday in Fort Myers. “If he’s the guy then we have to make decisions in the corners and obviously roster-wise.”
Cora mentioned they need to be affected person with Rafaela as he continues to develop offensively, however that he already possesses quite a few traits that would assist impression the key league membership. He raved concerning the 23-year-old’s defensive skills, notably in heart area, however that his versatility shouldn’t be ignored both.
“We understand the center field thing is real and he can impact that, but at the same time understanding that if you need something else at one point during the season you can move him to second, move him to short, and he can help us out in other areas,” Cora mentioned. “But I think everything starts there.”
If Rafaela had been to make the Opening Day roster it might have a dramatic impact on the remainder of the outfield, doubtless bumping Duran to left area and probably relegating O’Neill or Abreu right into a platoon. The clearest path to Rafaela getting a spot is perhaps an harm, however Cora pushed again by noting the rookie is nice sufficient to earn a spot on his personal benefit even with out exterior assist.
“Even without injuries I’d feel comfortable with him playing center field,” Cora mentioned. “Defensively we saw it last year, I know he had some tough games, right? Toronto for example. But he moves well, he moves fast, he has a great arm, he has great instincts, I think it’s more about repetitions at this level. The game is a little bit quicker, they hit the ball a little bit harder and decision making comes into play.”
Whether or not Rafaela makes the Opening Day roster might show among the many most fascinating spring coaching storylines, and his efficiency will warrant shut watching within the coming weeks.
Source: www.bostonherald.com