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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 21, 2024 5:41:39 GMT -5
Red Sox roster projection: Will Kenley Jansen, Bobby Dalbec be in Seattle?
Published: Mar. 21, 2024, 6:00 a.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
One week. That’s all that separates the Red Sox from Opening Day next Thursday in Seattle. It’s time, after weeks of debate and competition, for Boston’s decision-makers to begin finalizing the 26-man roster that will head to the Pacific Northwest.
The Red Sox leave Fort Myers on Sunday night in advance of two exhibition games against the Rangers in Arlington, Texas on Monday and Tuesday. It’s likely that by the end of the weekend, barring a late change, most of the roster will be figured out. The club has 42 players still in camp, including more than a handful that will be placed on the injured list. A couple of decisions are still pending, especially with four veteran opt-outs looming.
Here’s one final crack at projecting the Opening Day roster, with some analysis (this time in bullet form for the sake of brevity:
STARTING PITCHERS (5): RHP Brayan Bello, RHP Nick Pivetta, RHP Kutter Crawford, RHP Tanner Houck, RHP Garrett Whitlock
INJURED LIST (1): RHP Lucas Giolito (elbow surgery)
* Like they have been all spring, the trio of Bello, Pivetta and Crawford are locks for the rotation and will likely pitch in that order in Seattle.
* Houck has pitched very well in camp and seems very well-positioned for that fourth spot over Cooper Criswell and Garrett Whitlock. The No. 5 spot is still up for grabs between those two righties but Whitlock’s track record with the organization and more robust big league experience gives him the edge. As written below, Criswell isn’t a lock to be sent to Triple-A if he doesn’t make the rotation; he could very possibly make the major league bullpen in a long relief role similar to Josh Winckowski’s.
* The Red Sox remain very light on rotation depth, especially in the wake of Giolito’s season-ending injury. If they don’t make the rotation, both Winckowski and Criswell will likely be the first line of defense if a starter gets hurt. Brandon Walter and veteran Jason Alexander are the top depth options at Triple-A with prospects Richard Fitts, Wikelman Gonzalez and Luis Perales not ready to contribute in the majors. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow may scour the opt-out market for a veteran rotation arm to stash at Triple-A in the coming days.
***
RELIEF PITCHERS (8): RHP Chris Martin, LHP Brennan Bernardino, RHP Justin Slaten, RHP Josh Winckowski, RHP Cooper Criswell, RHP Isaiah Campbell, RHP Greg Weissert, LHP Joely Rodríguez
INJURED LIST (2): RHP Kenley Jansen (back tightness), RHP Bryan Mata (hamstring strain), RHP Liam Hendriks (Tommy John surgery recovery), LHP Chris Murphy (torn ligament in elbow)
* It’s not certain yet that Jansen, who is scheduled to pitch Thursday, will begin the year on the injured list with back tightness that his slowed his progression. But don’t count on the Red Sox pushing a 36-year-old closer who hasn’t been 100% at any point in camp to be ready for Opening Day if something is barking. The Red Sox can backdate Jansen’s 15-day stint by three days so that he’d only miss the first 12 days and be eligible for the home opener.
* Martin, Slaten and Winckowski are locked into spots and it’s hard to envision Bernardino being optioned after a great 2023 and dominant spring. If Jansen’s out, that means there are four spots available; the Red Sox would then have 15 healthy pitchers left in camp for 13 spots (and five going to the IL).
* Criswell, Campbell, Weissert and Zack Kelly are the righties still battling but they’ll all factor into the major league mix early in the the season. All four can be optioned back and forth up to five times. Kelly had a minor oblique injury that caused him to slow down for a few days but has been sitting 96-97 mph all spring and is firmly in the mix. The Red Sox will likely use all four of these pitchers during their opening west coast trip.
* Rodríguez and Luetge are both veteran southpaws with opt-out clauses. It’s really a toss-up between the two, though the club knows Rodríguez a little better after having him for all of 2023. The guess here is that the Sox do end up taking two lefties. Murphy was in the mix before suffering an elbow injury that is likely season-ending.
* Keeping both Winckowski and Criswell stretched out in the majors instead of putting them in the rotation at Triple-A makes the most sense because manager Alex Cora doesn’t like to push his starters the first couple times through the rotation, meaning he’ll need a lot of bulk from the bullpen early on when the team opens with 10 games in 11 days on the west coast, then have a 13-day stretch with no days off starting April 9. Using six starters at least one time through the rotation is possible, if not likely.
* Two righties (Justin Hagenman and Luis Guerrero) and two lefties (Jorge Benítez and Cam Booser) particularly turned heads in camp and are helium guys who could reach the majors this year. None of them are on the 40-man roster but they’ll all be in Worcester. Other Triple-A depth options include lefty Joe Jacques and righties Chase Shugart, A.J. Politi and Franklin German.
* When Mata is healthy enough to pitch, he’ll effectively have a 30-day audition for a roster spot in the form of a rehab assignment at Triple-A. The Red Sox fear losing him to waivers if they have to go that route.
***
CATCHERS (2): C Connor Wong, C Reese McGuire
* Wong and McGuire are once again expected to be the starter-backup duo, at least until top prospect Kyle Teel pushes for the majors either late this year or early in 2025.
* Roberto Pérez is a bit of a wild card here because he’s a two-time Gold Glover who can opt out of his deal Friday for a better opportunity. It’s very unlikely he beats out McGuire but the Red Sox would love to keep him at Triple-A in case something happens. He’s viewed as an excellent defender.
* Pérez, Tyler Heineman, Mark Kolozsvary, Stephen Scott and Nathan Hickey give the Red Sox a deep stable of upper-level depth options.
***
INFIELDERS (6): 1B Triston Casas, 2B Enmanuel Valdez, SS Trevor Story, 3B Rafael Devers, INF/OF Pablo Reyes, 1B C.J. Cron
INJURED LIST (1): 2B Vaughn Grissom (groin strain)
* Casas, Story and Devers will be everyday starters at their position as expected. Valdez and Reyes will platoon at second base for the first few weeks of the season until Grissom returns (likely by the end of April).
* That leaves one infield spot up for grabs and it’s between Cron and Bobby Dalbec. It’s clear the Red Sox want a right-handed backup first baseman on the roster. Dalbec provides more versatility because he can play third base and the corner infield positions. Cron, on the other hand, can only play first. It’ll be a toss-up between them but for now, we’ll give Cron the edge because keeping him over Dalbec is the easiest way to preserve depth. Cron has an opt-out clause he can exercise Friday; if the Red Sox want to preserve depth, they’ll put him on the roster and send Dalbec down. It’s all about roster construction.
* In Worcester, the Red Sox will have plenty of depth options. There are guys with major league experience (David Hamilton, Romy Gonzalez, Joe Dunand and Dalton Guthrie) and some who don’t (Nick Yorke, Chase Meidroth, Nick Sogard and Jamie Westbrook).
***
OUTFIELDERS (5): DH/LF Masataka Yoshida, RF/LF Wilyer Abreu, CF/LF Jarren Duran, OF Tyler O’Neill, OF Ceddanne Rafaela
INJURED LIST (1): OF Rob Refsnyder (fractured toe)
* At this point, it’s all but certain Rafaela makes the Opening Day roster as the starting center fielder. He would finish off a five-man group that also includes Abreu, Duran, O’Neill and Yoshida, who are all locks with Refsnyder hurt.
* The likely alignment has Rafaela in center on an everyday basis, Abreu in right nearly every day and Duran and O’Neill sharing left field while mixing around elsewhere. O’Neill can play some right field on days when Abreu is out. Duran will get in the mix in center when Rafaela sits or moves to the middle infield. Yoshida will be the everyday DH.
* It still would not be a surprise, though, to see the Red Sox add a right-handed outfield bat before Opening Day. They will heavily monitor the opt-out market in that regard.
* There’s not much upper level outfield depth at Triple-A. Mark Contreras, Guthrie and Corey Rosier were all in camp as NRIs. Gonzalez and Dalbec can also play outfield as well if need be.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 21, 2024 8:10:54 GMT -5
Red Sox pitcher historically terrible in spring training — not this year
Updated: Mar. 21, 2024, 8:27 a.m.|Published: Mar. 21, 2024, 8:16 a.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Tanner Houck has been a terrible spring training pitcher.
“I know it,” Houck said.
The 27-year-old righty entered this spring with a 6.88 ERA (52 ⅓ innings, 40 earned runs) and 38 walks in 17 Grapefruit League outings (2020-23).
But this spring has been much different. Houck — who is competing for a spot in the starting rotation — has a 2.40 ERA (15 innings, four runs). He has given up just three walks while striking out 16. Opponents are batting .189 against him.
What accounts for the difference?
“I’m not really sure, honestly,” Houck said. “I’ve come into camp every year feeling really good about myself, really good about where my delivery is at, where my pitches are at. But always something has come up and derailed the situation. But this year, I was finally able to put it all together and really build off that. Now it’s just building that momentum and continuing to take it into the regular season.”
Spring training is a time of experimentation because stats don’t matter. Houck added a cutter during the 2022-23 offseason, then used it frequently in spring training 2023 so he would be comfortable with it once the regular season began.
“You have an offseason of tinkering and trying out new things and trying to design new pitches. Your first time to really try them is spring training in a true game situation,” Houck said. “So I guess that is part of it. Like last year I threw a lot of cutters. I threw a lot of splitters early on because I knew those were two pitches I really kind of needed to get dialed in. And now this year I feel a little bit more confident with them and I feel like I’m working on more pitch sequencing. It’s not so much worrying about the shapes anymore. It’s more worrying about placing it where I want to.”
Houck has done a nice job of repeating his delivery this spring. His mechanics are in a good spot. He said it’s important to let his “lower half work and keep his upper half as still as possible.” Earlier in camp, he compared it to shooting a bow and arrow.
“Wherever your sight is, that’s where it’s going,” he explained. “I’m treating my left shoulder as my sight, pointing it toward home. ... As long as I keep that in line, keep my head still going towards home plate, I like the chances of getting it over the plate.”
But Houck isn’t expecting to go through an entire season without any mechanical issues.
“You’re not going to go a whole season without something going awry (with mechanics), something not feeling 100%,” he said. “You feel like your glove side is flying off. Your arm is in the wrong position. There’s not one thing you can point at and say, ‘This is going to be a problem down the line’ because if it was, I’d nip it in the bud right now. With that being said, it’s just about continuing to understand your body and understand what you need to do in order to get through a full season and to go from outing to outing and be as consistent as possible.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 21, 2024 11:38:30 GMT -5
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne Rafaela starting at 2B. Tonight. Duran CF, Devers 3B, Story SS, Casas 1B, O’Neill DH, Yoshida LF, Rafaela 2B, Abreu RF, Wong C, Criswell P 1:33 PM · Mar 21, 2024
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 21, 2024 20:20:14 GMT -5
Red Sox roster competition nearing end for two experienced lefties
Updated: Mar. 21, 2024, 5:30 p.m.|Published: Mar. 21, 2024, 3:49 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
The Red Sox soon must make roster decisions on Joely Rodriguez and Lucas Luetge, two experienced lefties in camp as non-roster invitees.
Rodriguez can opt out of his contract by 2 p.m. Friday (tomorrow) if not guaranteed a spot on the Opening Day roster. Luetge has an upward mobility opt-out clause in his contract that kicks in next week.
Boston has yet to decide whether it will carry one or two left-handed relievers on its roster to open the season. Brennan Bernardino is the only healthy left-handed reliever on the 40-man roster who still is in big league camp. So it comes down to three pitchers for one or two spots. Bernardino has one minor league option remaining.
A right oblique strain, left shoulder inflammation and right hip inflammation limited Rodriguez to just 11 innings last year after he signed a one-year, $2 million contract that also included a $4.25 million team option for 2024 during the 2022-23 offseason. Boston declined the option and re-signed him to a minor league deal this past offseason.
He has had off-and-on success in the big leagues, posting a 4.70 ERA in 168 career outings.
“Joely, we know who he is. The swing-and-miss stuff is good,” manager Alex Cora said. “The changeup against righties always is a weapon. The challenge is to get him in the zone. I think he did a good job in the last one.”
Rodriguez has had issues with command throughout his major league career, averaging 4.2 walks per nine innings.
“Lucas, he’s been trending in the right direction,” Cora said. “The breaking ball has been good, especially against righties, which is very important.”
Opponents have gone just 6-for-83 (.072 batting average) with six singles against his curveball in the past three seasons (143 ⅓ major league innings). It’s his best out-pitch.
He recorded a 2.71 ERA, 2.92 FIP and 1.25 WHIP in 107 outings (129 ⅔ innings) in 2021-22 combined for the Yankees. He was limited to just 12 appearances (13 ⅔ innings) in 2023 for Atlanta because of left bicep inflammation and poor performance (7.24 ERA).
“Obviously with all the righties that we have — whoever is in the rotation (all right-handed rotation) — we’re going to see a lot of lefties every night,” Cora said. “And we struggled with it last year.”
Left-handed hitting opponents batted .269 against Red Sox lefties last year. Boston ranked 25th out of 30 teams in that category.
“The beauty of this is the lefties have to get righties out because if they don’t do that, we’re going to be in a tough spot,” he said. “We play in a league where people are going to react to who is on the mound. I saw it yesterday. I think Kiké (Hernández) came in to pinch hit (for the Dodgers against the lefty) in the sixth inning. That’s how the league is playing. That’s probably how we’re going to do it (on offense). So those two guys are still in the mix because of who they are — they’ve done it before — but the stuff is good.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 21, 2024 20:23:39 GMT -5
Red Sox’ Kenley Jansen up to 95 mph on stadium radar gun, ‘ready to go’
Updated: Mar. 21, 2024, 8:40 p.m.|Published: Mar. 21, 2024, 8:39 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Kenley Jansen reached 95 mph on the stadium radar gun during his perfect fifth inning against the Orioles here at JetBlue Park on Thursday.
Jansen threw 13 pitches (nine strikes). He struck out two (one looking, one swinging) and got a flyout to center field. He feels he’ll need just two more outings before being ready for Opening Day next Thursday in Seattle.
“I feel great. After this outing, it’s like, ‘All right. we’re ready to go,’” Jansen said.
Jansen reiterated he has no doubt in his mind he’ll be ready for the opener.
“I’ll be ready,” said Jansen, who was pleased with the consistency of both his fastball and slider.
The Red Sox have three more spring training games left in Florida, then two exhibition games in Texas on Monday and Tuesday. So Jansen still has time to pitch in two more games.
Thursday’s outing was only Jansen’s second spring training outing. The 36-year-old closer didn’t make his Grapefruit League debut until last Friday because he was dealing with lat soreness that he felt soon after he reported to camp in mid-February. He gave up three runs on three hits (two homers) while recording just two outs.
He was scheduled to pitch again Monday but the Red Sox held him out because of lower back tightness. He again was held out of an outing Tuesday and didn’t pitch in a minor league game Wednesday because of lingering back tightness.
“I felt healthy today,” Jansen said. “I felt pain-free out there. Like I said, this whole spring has been tough dealing with stuff. Every day I have something that’s hurting. But like I said, I feel great today. The arm slot was in a better spot. The body was moving quicker.”
Jansen said it was “annoying” for the back issue to pop up right after he began throwing again following the lat soreness.
“You’ve just gotta fight it,” Jansen said. “You’ve got to tough it out and fight it and be ready.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 21, 2024 20:26:37 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe Brayan Bello will pitch Saturday with heavy rain in the forecast on Friday on this side of the state. Still lines him up for Opening Day.
Sox optioned David Hamilton and Romy Gonzalez to Triple AAA Worcester. 3:52 PM · Mar 21, 2024
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 21, 2024 20:30:36 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Red Sox relievers Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin feeling good after facing Orioles in exhibition game By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated March 21, 2024, 2 hours ago
FORT MYERS, Fla. — There’s considerably more space in the Red Sox clubhouse at this stage of spring training with 42 players left on the camp roster.
That group includes six players sure to open the season on the injured list: Lucas Giolito, Vaughn Grissom, Liam Hendricks, Bryan Mata, Chris Murphy, and Rob Refsnyder.
There are six other players who will land with Triple A Worcester barring an unexpected need.
That leaves 30 players for 26 spots.
“We still have decisions to make,” manager Alex Cora said. “But we’re very comfortable.”
The health of late-inning relievers Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin is one factor, and that took a turn for the better on Thursday.
Jansen pitched a perfect inning in a 3-2 victory against Baltimore, striking out two. He threw nine of 13 pitches for strikes and was 93-94 miles per hour with his cutter.
Jansen pronounced himself ready for Opening Day.
“I feel great,” he said. “It’s going to be fun.”
Before Thursday, Jansen had pitched in one game because of a sore shoulder and tight back and was hit hard.
Martin followed Jansen to the mound and faced three batters, putting two on base on hard-hit balls. He threw 13 of 23 pitches for strikes and said afterward his command was off.
“I feel like I’m just throwing right now. But physically I feel good,” Martin said.
Until Thursday, Martin’s only appearance was in a minor league game. He hopes two more appearances will have him ready.
“Each one gets better and better,” Martin said.
Said Cora: “How they feel [Friday] will give us some clarity.”
The Sox lack lefthanders. There are none competing for a rotation slot and the only lefthanded relievers are Brennan Bernardino, Joely Rodriguez, and Lucas Luetge. At least one is expected to make the team.
As other teams make cuts, the Sox are likely to seek upgrades via the waiver wire or a minor trade.
“We’re aware of other guys, too. We’re going to make the best decisions for the roster,” Cora said. Bello adjusts
Brayan Bello was scheduled to face the Blue Jays in Dunedin on Friday afternoon. But with heavy rain in the forecast, he will pitch on Saturday afternoon against the Pirates at Bradenton.
The righthander remains lined up to start Thursday on Opening Day in Seattle.
The weather led to other adjustments. Cora and the major league coaches will not travel to Dunedin, a three-hour drive. The Double A staff will go instead.
Bobby Dalbec and Pablo Reyes are among the players scheduled for the trip. Tanner Houck will pitch five innings on Friday, likely in a simulated game in the batting cages. Catching under fire
Catching coach Jason Varitek is a devious fellow.
He designed a competition for 10 catchers that took place before the game. The challenge was to catch knuckleballs shot out of a pitching machine while two other catchers waved pool noodles in front of your mask.
With most of the players and coaches in major league camp watching, Connor Wong defeated Roberto Perez in the final round after knocking off Reese McGuire and Mark Kolozsvary. Working the clock
With a 10-game West Coast trip to open the season, the Sox are trying a few things to help the players adjust to the time change.
Friday’s workout will be in the afternoon as opposed to early in the morning. There’s a 6:05 p.m. game on Saturday. The Sox then have a night game at Texas on Monday, then a day game on Tuesday, before flying to Seattle for a day off and optional workout on Wednesday.
The Sox last opened the season on the West Coast in 2019 and were 3-8.
“That’s something we learned in ‘19. You have to make adjustments,” Cora said. NESN sets crews
NESN announced its broadcasters for the coming season. Dave O’Brien and Mike Monaco will have play-by-play with Lou Merloni, Will Middlebrooks, Kevin Millar, and Kevin Youkilis as analysts.
Jahmai Webster returns as sideline reporter for a seventh season.
Tom Caron will host the pregame and postgame shows along with Adam Pellerin. It will be Caron’s 24th season of Sox coverage.
Middlebrooks, Lenny DiNardo, Jonathan Papelbon, and Jim Rice return. Former Sox infielder Deven Marrero joins the show. It will be Rice’s 22nd season with NESN. Special guests
Cohen and Willa Snow announced “Play ball” before the game. They are the children of Chris Snow, the former Globe Red Sox beat writer who died Sept. 30 of ALS. Snow left journalism for a career as an executive with the Minnesota Wild and Calgary Flames. Snow and his family helped raise more than $575,000 to combat the disease as he undertook experimental treatments . . . Tyler O’Neill was the DH on Thursday and was 1 for 4. He has not played the outfield since March 14 because of a sore left calf. The expectation was that he will be ready for full duty on Opening Day . . . Murphy is getting a second opinion on his injured elbow ligament. He is likely headed for season-ending surgery . . . The vaunted Red Sox equipment truck returned to Fenway South to be loaded up for the trip back to Fenway Park.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 21, 2024 20:31:42 GMT -5
SPRING TRAINING REPORT Thursday’s spring training report: Red Sox rally to edge Orioles By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated March 21, 2024, 42 minutes ago
SCORE: Red Sox 3, Orioles 2
RECORD: 16-10-2.
BREAKDOWN: The Sox scored twice in the seventh inning to take a 3-2 lead and held on from there. Triston Casas tied the game with a single. Masataka Yoshida followed with a ground out that scored an alert Bobby Dalbec with the go-ahead run. Cooper Criswell worked four scoreless innings for the Sox. Trevor Story was 2 for 3 with a walk, raising his Grapefruit League OPS to 1.035. The Sox are 3-1-1 in their last five games.
NEXT: The Sox are scheduled to play the Blue Jays upstate in Dunedin at 1:05 p.m. on Friday with the game on NESN, but rain is in the forecast.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 22, 2024 20:57:42 GMT -5
Red Sox make roster move, appear one cut away from finalizing bullpen
Published: Mar. 22, 2024, 7:08 p.m.
Zack Kelly
The Red Sox optioned righty Zack Kelly to Triple-A on Friday. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)Getty Images
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
The Red Sox are close to finalizing their Opening Day bullpen after announcing a pair of roster moves Friday afternoon.
In addition to the previously known decision to option righty Cooper Criswell to Triple-A Worcester, the club also sent down righty Zack Kelly, who was in the mix for a middle relief spot on the 26-man roster.
With Kelly and Criswell headed to Triple-A, the Red Sox now have just 14 healthy pitchers for 13 available spots on the roster. With Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta, Kutter Crawford, Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck in the rotation and Lucas Giolito, Liam Hendriks, Chris Murphy and Bryan Mata all headed to the injured list, the Red Sox appear to be just one cut away from finalizing their big league bullpen.
With Kelly and Criswell out of the mix, Greg Weissert, Isaiah Campbell, Josh Winckowski and Justin Slaten (a Rule 5 pick) are well-positioned to join veteran back-end options Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin as the group of right-handed relievers on the team. Lefty Brennan Bernardino is a virtual lock, too, after a breakout 2023 season and excellent spring. Manager Alex Cora told reporters Friday that the club most likely will have two lefties in the bullpen, so the final spot appears to be between veteran southpaws Joely Rodríguez and Lucas Luetge.
Rodríguez triggered an opt-out clause in his minor league contract Friday, giving the Red Sox 48 hours to decide whether to add him to the 40-man roster. Luetge has a similar upward mobility clause early next week. It’s unclear which way the Red Sox are leaning but they will have to decide soon with Rodríguez’s contract situation.
On Friday, Cora wouldn’t guarantee anyone’s spot on the roster, including Winckowski’s, but he noted the club wanted to have multi-inning options early in the season. There is a slight chance a late development changes the projected bullpen, as Boston plans to scour the market for veterans who opted out of deals with other teams and continues to monitor the health of Jansen and Martin, who dealt with minor setbacks throughout camp and have gotten into games on a limited basis. After Jansen hit 95 mph in his outing Thursday, he said he’d be ready for Opening Day; Cora seemed to agree with him Friday.
“The plan is for him to pitch probably tomorrow, if not Sunday. Same with Chris (Martin),” Cora told reporters. “It all depends on when they pitch and then the Texas thing will be the same. Hopefully, it’s tomorrow, then Monday, they get two off days and they’re ready for the season. We feel comfortable with where they’re at as far as (velocity). With Kenley yesterday, that was a huge jump.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 22, 2024 21:06:33 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK C.J. Cron, Joely Rodríguez opt out of minor league deals, but both hope to stay with Red Sox By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated March 22, 2024, 2 hours ago
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Veteran first baseman C.J. Cron and lefthanded pitcher Joely Rodríguez exercised the right to opt out of their minor league deals with the Red Sox on Friday. The Sox have until Sunday to decide whether to add the two to their big league roster or permit them to become free agents.
Both players expressed hope of remaining with the Sox. However, their priority is clearly a big league opportunity.
“It’s just part of the process. My goal coming here was to make this team. It might not happen,” said Cron, who would make $2 million if added to the roster. “I had that opportunity to opt out. In a couple days, we’ll see the final result. I guess it’s up to them to decide.”
Cron — a career .260/.320/.471 hitter who posted a .248/.295/.434 line with the Rockies and Angels last year — signed with the Sox in early March, and has had just 15 spring training plate appearances, going 2 for 11 with three walks. The 34-year-old acknowledged that he’s still searching to calibrate his approach in the batter’s box.
“As a hitter, timing goes and it comes. You want it to be there during the season. It’s not great right now, but that’s really just a snap-the-fingers thing. Usually one swing will get you right back on track,” said Cron. “Once those lights turn on in the season, nothing can really replicate that. I feel confident that when that happens, I’ll be good to go.”
Rodríguez, 32, was limited by injuries to 11 games for the Red Sox last year, forging a 6.55 ERA while striking out 14, walking six, and allowing two homers in 11 innings. He returned on a minor league deal that would be worth $1.5 million (plus up to $500,000 in bonuses) if he makes the big league team. He is hopeful of spending a healthy year with the Sox.
“We’ll see what’s going to happen. I’d like to be here. They know me from last year. I feel so comfortable here,” said Rodríguez. “I’m so excited to start the year, compete, and try to help the team as best as I can. That’s my goal.”
Whether that opportunity exists for Cron and Rodríguez should be evident by Sunday. Criswell to Worcester
With Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck in the starting rotation, righthander Cooper Criswell was optioned to Triple A Worcester, where he’ll start and serve as a depth rotation option of first resort.
“Obviously, the news stinks, but know your role, stick to that, and right now, they want me to stay ready in case something happens to a starter,” said Criswell. “At the end of the day, I want to be in the big leagues, helping the big league club. So, [being optioned] stinks, but it’s nice, for sure, to stay stretched out as a starter.”
Righthander Zack Kelly, who didn’t pitch in a game after March 2 because of oblique soreness, also was optioned to Triple-A. Related: Why aren’t Red Sox going after established starters following Lucas Giolito’s injury? Veteran duo feeling fine
Relievers Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin reported to camp on Friday with no discomfort after appearing in a spring training game on Thursday. The Sox believe both will be ready for the start of the season with one additional outing this weekend in Fort Myers and one during the two-game exhibition series in Texas against the Rangers. “We feel comfortable where they’re at,” said manager Alex Cora. … Cora said the Sox didn’t have any other roster decisions to announce but that they’re close to identifying their 26-man roster for Opening Day in Seattle. Ceddanne Rafaela appears a near-lock to make the team as the primary center fielder. Assuming Rafaela is in center, Cora said Jarren Duran would get time at all three outfield spots while serving as the primary leadoff hitter.
Pitching plans
With two split-squad games on tap for Saturday, Brayan Bello will start in Bradenton against the Pirates — with a prospect-laden group expected to include Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony — and Nick Pivetta will start a night game in Fort Myers against the Twins. Kutter Crawford will start in Fort Myers on Sunday, Whitlock will start Monday in Texas against the Rangers, and the Sox will have a bullpen game on Tuesday. Houck will stay in Fort Myers for a minor league game on Wednesday. … Though several news outlets reported that Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara served as an interpreter for Hideki Okajima while the lefty pitched for the Sox, a Red Sox spokesperson said Mizuhara never worked for the team.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 23, 2024 6:30:57 GMT -5
Whitlock, Houck win final spots in Red Sox's rotation March 22nd, 2024 Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Starter? Reliever? Swingman?
For years, the debate has raged within the Red Sox about which roles best suit Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck. And they’ve both dabbled in various roles to varying degrees of success and struggles.
The two right-handers also happen to be best friends.
So it was somewhat fitting on Friday that manager Alex Cora named them the final two starters for the rotation entering the 2024 season.
When Lucas Giolito underwent surgery to repair the UCL in his right elbow earlier this month, it opened up the opportunity for Whitlock and Houck to earn rotation spots. Otherwise, it would have been one or the other.
“I don't think there ever was going to be a fight about that [between us],” said Whitlock. “We’re too close of friends to let anything like that worry us. It’s huge. I don't think it's any shock when I say we're best friends. I bounce everything off him, he bounces stuff off me. It’s really neat when we're in that same position and get to attack lineups and go about things and really communicate and go about it the same way.”
Cooper Criswell was the other starter vying for a spot in a rotation that also includes Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta and Kutter Crawford. However, Criswell will start the season as a starter at Triple-A Worcester so he can continue to be stretched out in the event of an injury or lack of performance from someone else in the rotation.
“He did everything possible to make this team,” Cora said of Criswell. “It’s just that we feel we have to keep him stretched out. If he’s in the bullpen, we don’t know how we can accomplish that. We feel comfortable with the rotation. We feel comfortable with these guys. They’ve done an amazing job, all of them. They’ve thrown the ball well. I do believe, without making promises, that [Criswell] will contribute during the season.”
Collectively, Whitlock and Houck will set out to prove Cora’s decision was the right one.
“It’s a huge honor to be entrusted with that,” said Whitlock. “Obviously, I want to go out there and do real well with it. I'm just happy with how everything's going this spring and just want to continue the way things are going.”
Whitlock and Houck both didn’t perform up to expectations last season, but Cora provided a reminder that both pitchers were coming off significant surgeries from the prior offseason. Whitlock had a procedure on his right hip and Houck had back surgery.
“For a regular human being to go to work after those types of surgeries, it’s a grind,” Cora said. “For an elite athlete, it’s all about your body. It was tough for them last year, they were behind. They showed trends of being really, really good, and at one point they weren't good but we feel very comfortable with them.”
This is the youngest rotation the Red Sox have had in years, and it fits with the organization’s transparency in recent months that 2024 is a season to build around the young core.
“It means a lot,” Houck said. “I put in a lot of work in the offseason. Grinded. Changed some things up. Really pushed myself to get better each day. I said at the beginning of camp this is the best I have felt in a while. I think all of that work paid off. Obviously, I’m super thankful to [pitching coach Andrew] Bailey, AC and everybody who made the decision. We have an incredible group of guys in there. Just super blessed to have that opportunity to go out there and compete.”
Though rumors persisted about the Sox making a run at lefty starter Jordan Montgomery, a deal has yet to come to fruition and at this point, it would be a major surprise if it does.
At 31 years old, Pivetta is the lone veteran in the rotation. Bello, Crawford, Whitlock and Houck are all between 24 and 27 years old. Cora doesn’t see that as a reason to put an exact ceiling on their innings.
“We see them as mature kids who have gone through the process,” Cora said. “They're stronger compared to last year. We believe four of our five have to prove it at this level. They have to be relentless and we'll do everything possible to put [them] in situations to be successful. And that starts from the training room to the weight room and everything that we have to do for them to be durable during the season.”
The ultimate success and durability of the unproven rotation will largely dictate if the Red Sox can be surprise contenders this season.
And for Houck and Whitlock in particular, this is a chance to put the starter-reliever debate to bed for good.
“I think this is their chance, to be honest with you. This is it,” said Cora. “Obviously Lucas got hurt, so it opened the window for one of those guys. And this is where we’re at. I’m very comfortable with it.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 23, 2024 6:31:53 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Criswell, Kelly sent to Triple-A March 22nd, 2024
MLB.com
LATEST NEWS
March 22: RHP Cooper Criswell and RHP Zack Kelly optioned to Triple-A Criswell will start the season as a starter at Triple-A Worcester so he can continue to be stretched out in the event of an injury or lack of performance from someone else in the rotation. In six Grapefruit League appearances that included four starts, the 27-year-old went 0-1 with a 2.95 ERA with 17 strikeouts over 18 1/3 innings.
Kelly posted a 6.00 ERA over three relief appearances with three strikeouts. The 29-year-old notched a 3.86 ERA over 9 1/3 frames out of Boston's bullpen last season.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 23, 2024 6:34:27 GMT -5
Red Sox make roster move, appear one cut away from finalizing bullpen
Published: Mar. 22, 2024, 7:08 p.m.
By
Chris Cotillo | ccotillo@MassLive.com
The Red Sox are close to finalizing their Opening Day bullpen after announcing a pair of roster moves Friday afternoon.
In addition to the previously known decision to option righty Cooper Criswell to Triple-A Worcester, the club also sent down righty Zack Kelly, who was in the mix for a middle relief spot on the 26-man roster.
With Kelly and Criswell headed to Triple-A, the Red Sox now have just 14 healthy pitchers for 13 available spots on the roster. With Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta, Kutter Crawford, Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck in the rotation and Lucas Giolito, Liam Hendriks, Chris Murphy and Bryan Mata all headed to the injured list, the Red Sox appear to be just one cut away from finalizing their big league bullpen.
With Kelly and Criswell out of the mix, Greg Weissert, Isaiah Campbell, Josh Winckowski and Justin Slaten (a Rule 5 pick) are well-positioned to join veteran back-end options Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin as the group of right-handed relievers on the team. Lefty Brennan Bernardino is a virtual lock, too, after a breakout 2023 season and excellent spring. Manager Alex Cora told reporters Friday that the club most likely will have two lefties in the bullpen, so the final spot appears to be between veteran southpaws Joely Rodríguez and Lucas Luetge.
Rodríguez triggered an opt-out clause in his minor league contract Friday, giving the Red Sox 48 hours to decide whether to add him to the 40-man roster. Luetge has a similar upward mobility clause early next week. It’s unclear which way the Red Sox are leaning but they will have to decide soon with Rodríguez’s contract situation.
On Friday, Cora wouldn’t guarantee anyone’s spot on the roster, including Winckowski’s, but he noted the club wanted to have multi-inning options early in the season. There is a slight chance a late development changes the projected bullpen, as Boston plans to scour the market for veterans who opted out of deals with other teams and continues to monitor the health of Jansen and Martin, who dealt with minor setbacks throughout camp and have gotten into games on a limited basis. After Jansen hit 95 mph in his outing Thursday, he said he’d be ready for Opening Day; Cora seemed to agree with him Friday.
“The plan is for him to pitch probably tomorrow, if not Sunday. Same with Chris (Martin),” Cora told reporters. “It all depends on when they pitch and then the Texas thing will be the same. Hopefully, it’s tomorrow, then Monday, they get two off days and they’re ready for the season. We feel comfortable with where they’re at as far as (velocity). With Kenley yesterday, that was a huge jump.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 23, 2024 10:18:16 GMT -5
Red Sox @redsox Road trip with our Opening Day starter!
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 23, 2024 16:24:08 GMT -5
Rookie outfielder makes Red Sox’ Opening Day roster Published: Mar. 23, 2024, 3:38 p.m.
By Sean McAdam | sean.mcadam@masslive.com At the start of spring training, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Ceddanne Rafaela made the team out of camp, it would only be as the starting center fielder. Otherwise, Cora noted, Rafaela would start the year in the minor leagues to continue his development.
On Saturday, Cora confirmed that Rafaela would indeed be with the Sox Thursday when they open the 2024 season in Seattle.
The announcement means that Rafaela will be in center for most games, with the corner spots handled by Tyler O’Neill, Wilyer Abreu and Jarren Duran, with occasional contributions from Masataka Yoshida, who will mostly serve as DH.
“He’s very dynamic, athletic, versatile,” Cora told reporters in Fort Myers in announcing the news. “He’s a good kid, too.”
Heading into Saturday’s action, Rafaela, 23, slashed .275/.327/.434 in 19 Grapefruit League contests. He added six doubles, three homers and eight RBI.
Mostly, the Red Sox wanted to see Rafaela be more selective at the plate and make better swing decisions. He walked just four times, but also fanned only 12 times in 51 at-bats. More importantly, he was able to cut down his habit of chasing pitches out of the strike zone.
Rafaela is seen as a plus-defender in center and at shortstop, though the Red Sox have not played him at short this spring. They have taken brief looks of him at second base, and it’s not out of the question he could see some time there, especially as the Red Sox wait for the return of a healthy Vaughn Grissom. In the meantime, Enmanuel Valdez and Pablo Reyes will share most of the playing time at second.
Rafaela also has elite speed, with 87 stolen bases over his last three minor league seasons. In 28 games with the parent club last year, he slashed .241/.281/.386 with two homers and five RBI.
The news that Rafaela has made the club would seem to leave just one remaining decision among position players: either Bobby Dalbec or C.J. Cron will make the roster as the backup first baseman/righthanded bat off the bench.
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