Newcomers Diekman and Strahm will likely see significant roles, and Hernandez and Valdez are stretched out to pitch in multi-inning spots. Would Cora go with Whitlock for the ninth? Anything is possible. Barnes – who became an All-Star as the closer last year before losing it down the stretch – is certainly a candidate. Roles aren’t clearly defined right now in the bullpen, most notably at closer. Two significant bullpen pieces – Josh Taylor (back) and Hansel Robles (visa issues) – are unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, which makes this group even more interesting entering the season. RELIEF PITCHERS (10): RHP Matt Barnes, RHP Garrett Whitlock, RHP Ryan Brasier, LHP Darwinzon Hernandez, RHP Hirokazu Sawamura, LHP Jake Diekman, LHP Matt Strahm, RHP Phillips Valdez, LHP Austin Davis, RHP Kutter Crawford But the thought here is that the 42-year-old Hill’s experience earns him the last spot in the rotation, with Whitlock better valued for the bullpen right now. 5 starter will be, with Hill and Garrett Whitlock as the candidates. It’s unclear when Sale will be back, though it shouldn’t be too long, while Paxton is expected back some time after the All-Star break.Ĭora has not yet made an official decision on who his No. Chris Sale, who suffered a rib cage stress fracture in the spring, and James Paxton, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, will both start the year on the injured list. STARTING PITCHERS (5) RHP Nathan Eovaldi, RHP Nick Pivetta, RHP Tanner Houck, RHP Michael Wacha, LHP Rich HillĪt least to start the season, those five will make up the Red Sox’ starting rotation led by the reigning All-Star Eovaldi. Cora has said that Martinez – in the final season of his contract as Boston’s designated hitter – will see more outfield this season, and the manager has been impressed with Arroyo in the infielder’s transition to playing right this spring. Hernandez and Verdugo are the Red Sox’ everyday center- and left-fielders, respectively, but how the Red Sox handle right field is one of the top storylines entering the season after they traded Hunter Renfroe to bring back Bradley Jr., which will form one of the best outfields in baseball when he plays.īut with Bradley’s offensive contributions in question as he looks to rebound from one of the worst seasons at the plate ever, the Red Sox will have a platoon in right field, with Bradley playing against right-handers, and some combination of Martinez, Refsnyder or even Arroyo against lefties. OUTFIELDERS (5): Kiké Hernandez, Alex Verdugo, Jackie Bradley Jr., J.D. Jonathan Arauz is also a depth roster candidate who can provide good defense in the middle infield, but they have Arroyo to fill in if needed.
Travis Shaw – who signed a minor league deal to return to the Red Sox – is the pick to sneak onto the Opening Day roster, with his ability to platoon with Dalbec and add a bat off the bench. If not, the Sox have options, with top prospect Triston Casas waiting in the wings and likely to debut this season. If he can continue that, he will only transform what’s already a dynamic lineup ahead of him – and Cora has praised his improved defense in camp. Dalbec, entering his second big-league season, is someone to watch closely this season after he emerged as one of the Red Sox’ best hitters in the second half. With the acquisition of Story – who will move from shortstop to second base – the Red Sox’ starting infield is locked in with Dalbec at first, Bogaerts at shortstop and Devers at third. INFIELDERS (6): Bobby Dalbec, Trevor Story, Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, Christian Arroyo, Travis Shaw He even emerged as the better option for ace Nathan Eovaldi last season.
Vazquez, one of Boston’s longest tenured players, is the workhorse behind the plate while Plawecki has been more than serviceable as the backup. The Red Sox enter the season with one of the more reliable catching tandems in baseball, with Vazquez and Plawecki together for a third consecutive season. CATCHERS (2): Christian Vazquez, Kevin Plawecki
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