Seven Red Sox questions to get you through the last week of early sunsets before Daylight Savings Time begins on Sunday. (Consider this your official reminder that clocks spring forward an hour!)
Triston Casas made waves earlier in spring training when he opined that the “Big 3” prospects – Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Marcelo Mayer – should all begin the season in Triple-A.
“I think we’ve got some grown men up there right now that need to iron some things out,” Casas said. “We need to show up and see what that first little taste of us all together looks like. I think their time is going to come, and it could be earlier rather than later, but I think for right now the roster is beautiful. It’s organized great, and it’s structured really well.”
Anthony and Campbell each play multiple positions, but Trevor Story is expected to be the everyday shortstop, and he’s signed through ‘27 with a club option for ‘28. Where does that leave the organization’s top shortstop prospect?
There’s a delicate balancing act that comes with prospect talent. Teams don’t want to put all of their eggs in one basket solely on the basis of potential, because they know prospects don’t always pan out at the big-league level. Yet when a team has an elite-level talent rising through their farm system, they begin to factor him into their hypothetical future rosters and payrolls.
It’s not the most pressing issue. Of the trio, Mayer was always the least likely to make the Opening Day roster. The Red Sox like to see a prospect sustain success over a prolonged period of time before each promotion, and Mayer was on the injured list in Double-A before his promotion to Triple-A last August, and never ended up playing again. Even if Story wasn’t available to begin the season, the Red Sox would have several alternatives.
But make no mistake, Mayer’s time is coming. It’s evident in his spring training thus far: through seven games he’s 5-for-17 (.294) with a .956 OPS, a triple, home run, five RBI, two walks, and five strikeouts. He’s tied with Alex Bregman and Ceddanne Rafaela for second-most hits on the team, and only Bregman has more RBI.
Which brings us back to Story. The Red Sox famously pursued him in free agency, even enlisting then-shortstop Xander Bogaerts to help with the courtship. Only after signing Story did they turn around and make Bogaerts an insulting lowball offer.
In the aftermath of Bogaerts’ departure two offseasons ago, his agent, Scott Boras, strongly hinted that Mayer was the reason the Red Sox had been unwilling to extend his client long-term. It’s unclear how much Mayer truly impacted the Bogaerts situation, but a source confirmed that he certainly came up in those discussions. As such, it’s hard to believe Mayer wouldn’t come up in Story-related conversations, too.
Back then, however, Mayer was only a possibility. Now, he’s an inevitability.
If the Red Sox can find somewhere to put him.
In his first spring training media session, Rafael Devers was as adamant as could be about playing third base, and only third base. No designated-hitting, no first base.
However, after spending the offseason letting his shoulder heal, the Red Sox slugger is significantly behind the other everyday players in camp. He’s yet to get into a Grapefruit League game, though the plan is for him to make his debut on Wednesday. Manager Alex Cora also noted last week that Devers may not play third in his first game.
Bregman, meanwhile, has already played five games and made several starts at third base. Sources also told the Herald that Cora has made it known internally that he wants Bregman, who won the American League Gold Glove at third last season, at the hot corner.
Devers might not want to cede third base to Bregman, but if he’s not ready soon, it may not even be up for debate.
It took years, but the Red Sox finally have some serious depth. Knock on wood, they might actually have too much. (If there is such a thing.)
The infield, for example, is expected to be Casas at first base, Story at shortstop, and either Bregman or Devers at third. If Devers remains at third, Bregman will be the starting second baseman.
Other infield options include Vaughn Grissom, David Hamilton, Nick Sogard, and Romy Gonzalez, as well as top prospects Campbell and Mayer. The most guaranteed of the group is likely Gonzalez, whom Cora identified as a key bench player to back up Casas at first base.
There simply isn’t room for everyone at the big-league level (knock on wood again). And the Triple-A infield ranks were getting so crowded last summer that WooSox skipper Chad Tracy was having trouble spreading playing time around.
It’s a good problem to have, at least.
Wilyer Abreu is also at risk of not being ready for the start of the season, thanks to a viral gastrointestinal illness last month. He just began swinging a bat, and was scheduled to play catch on Monday, but Cora told reporters, including MLB.com’s Ian Browne, that it’s unclear if the young outfielder will be “physically” ready by Opening Day.
“We can help him with at-bats, with Trajekt and Minor League at-bats and all that,” the manager said. “I think the physical part of it, he lost a little bit, lost some mass, hopefully he can regain that and be ready.”
With Crawford unlikely to be ready in time for Opening Day as he continues managing a long-term knee issue, Richard Fitts and Quinn Priester are both candidates to take his place in the rotation.
Both pitchers could end up in the rotation, though. Brayan Bello is behind the other starters as well after being shut down briefly due to shoulder soreness.
The Red Sox haven’t let a player wear No. 21 since Roger Clemens’ last season in ‘96, but they haven’t retired it, either. Hence Walker Buehler wearing No. 0.
Not including Jackie Robinson’s No. 42, which is retired league-wide, the Red Sox only have 10 numbers set aside. There are more likely candidates ahead of Clemens on the list, such as Tim Wakefield’s 49 or Luis Tiant’s 23. Both late, great pitchers are currently under consideration for the honor.
But if the Red Sox have no intention of retiring Clemens’ number at all – a possibility, given his lengthy career post-Boston and his links to the steroids scandal – then it makes little sense to continue keeping it off-limits.
The Red Sox don’t know which starting pitcher they’ll face in Texas on Opening Day, but they know it won’t be Jacob deGrom. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy announced Monday that deGrom will begin the season in the back of the rotation. It’s therefore likely the Sox will face their 2018 World Series hero, Nathan Eovaldi, in Game 1 of the season.
I’d guess Garrett Crochet starts for the Sox. However, if he goes Opening Day, he won’t be in line to start the home opener (Friday, April 4).