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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2024 5:31:15 GMT -5
Red Sox Opening Day roster coming into focus 2:30 AM ADT
Drew Davison
ARLINGTON -- Manager Alex Cora isn’t making promises, but the Opening Day roster is coming into focus.
The team optioned left-handed reliever Brennan Bernardino to Triple-A Worcester on Monday, a roster move that Cora called “the hardest one.”
“You have to live with it,” Cora said. “He’s part of the organization, part of club, we know that. He’s not going to be there in Seattle, but without guarantees, I do believe Bernie is going to contribute here and be a big part of what we’re trying to accomplish.”
Bernardino allowed one unearned run in 6 2/3 innings over seven appearances this spring. Despite those numbers and as difficult as the decision was on Cora and the organization, the Red Sox now have a clearer picture of what their Opening Day roster could look like.
Cora would not definitively confirm the following players made the team, but signs point toward the bullpen including right-handers Isaiah Campbell, Greg Weissert and Justin Slaten. The platoon at second base is expected to be the left-handed hitting Enmanuel Valdez and the right-handed hitting Pablo Reyes. And Bobby Dalbec appears to have earned one of the final roster spots too.
“Where we’re at right now, without making promises, yes,” Cora said.
Indications are also positive regarding late-inning relievers Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin being ready to go. Jansen and Martin both threw one scoreless inning on Sunday, and are expected to pitch in Tuesday’s exhibition game vs. the Rangers. If that goes well, both should be ready for Opening Day, Cora said.
In the end, though, Cora did not want to make guarantees as rosters are always subject to change in the days leading into a season.
“You make no promises,” Cora said. “You tell guys, ‘Hey, there’s a good chance you’ll be in Seattle,’ but understanding that things might change in the next 24 hours. That’s how you do business.”
Valdez shines Valdez finished with a game-high three hits, including a solo home run off Rangers reliever Josh Sborz, in the eighth inning during Monday’s 9-2 exhibition win. Valdez turned on a 1-2 fastball, sending it into the right-center field seats.
“Valdy today, just kind of getting into who he is,” Cora said. “Hit the ball hard, put together at-bats.”
Whitlock ready Right-hander Garrett Whitlock turned in a promising performance Monday going into the regular season, allowing one unearned run on three hits with one walk and six strikeouts over six innings against the defending World Series champions.
Cora said Whitlock looked like a starter on the mound, mixing his pitches and keeping the Rangers’ potent offense off balance.
Whitlock credited his success to a few different factors, including his mindset.
“I’ve started to really learn what I want each pitch to accomplish,” he said. “It's knowing what you’re trying to accomplish with each pitch, not just throwing a pitch to execute a pitch, which is how I pitched in the past. So, I feel like it’s helped me take that next step.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2024 5:45:52 GMT -5
Garrett Whitlock looks like real deal against defending-champion Rangers
By Gabrielle Starr | gstarr@bostonherald.com PUBLISHED: March 25, 2024 at 11:12 p.m. | UPDATED: March 25, 2024 at 11:15 p.m.
Monday night’s Red Sox-Rangers game may not have counted toward the regular-season record, but Garrett Whitlock looked ready for the real deal, pitching six innings without allowing an earned run en route to Boston’s 9-2 victory.
While the Sox lineup faced six pitchers before the fifth inning was through, Whitlock dominated the Rangers’ projected starting nine. The 27-year-old righty was meticulous, at 52 pitches after five frames, and finishing the night with 67 pitches (51 for strikes) over six. He got the defending champions 1-2-3 in the first, third, and fifth, and held the Rangers to three hits, an unearned run, one walk, and struck out six times.
There was some troubling déjà vu in the bottom of the second, when Rafael Devers was unable to hold onto Wyatt Langford’s first-pitch dribbler for the third out. The error opened the door for Jonah Heim and Jared Walsh to knock back-to-back singles, the latter driving in Langford for a 1-0 lead. Devers’ defense has looked stronger throughout the preseason, but it was a harsh reminder of how much infield defense cost the Sox last season nonetheless.
What was promising, however, was the way Devers recovered after the error. Early in camp, the third baseman spoke about working on the mental aspect of his game so as to not let one miscue snowball into others. The improvement was on display in the bottom of the third, when he made an impressive low catch, spun and made a perfect throw to first.
If not for Devers’ error, it might’ve been a shutout start for Whitlock. Either way, it was an unearned run and promise of great things to come.
“(Whitlock’s) done a great job of using his arsenal, making adaptations as needed,” pitching coach Andrew Bailey told NESN’s Jahmai Webster. “He’s got a lot of talent… he’s revamped his arsenal.”
Ever his own toughest critic, Whitlock said he was “pretty happy,” but not satisfied with his performance. When Webster praised his changeup, the righty admitted that though the pitch had worked, he felt there was still room for improvement, despite getting 12 swings and four whiffs on 17 of them.
“The funny thing is, (the) changeup is what I was most mad about,” he told Webster on the NESN broadcast. “I didn’t think it was very good today, but everything else was working good, so I’m gonna work on the changeup going into the next outing for sure.”
After falling behind 1-0 in the bottom of the second, the Red Sox scored at least once in each of the following three frames. They took a break from plating runs in the sixth, then got back to work adding on in each of the remaining three innings to finish the night with nine runs on nine hits.
Enmanuel Valdez had a standout performance, going 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored, and one driven in, and Reese McGuire continued his recent hot streak, going 1-for-3 with a double, run, RBI, and walk. Though hitless in four at-bats, leadoff man Jarren Duran showed off his speed when he reached on an error and scored.
The Sox entered the day leading the American League in walks (134) and fifth in home runs (37), and added six free passes – including three in the fifth – and a trio of no-doubters by Tyler O’Neil (104.8 mph, 408 ft), Trevor Story (102.8 mph, 394 ft), and Valdez (109.1 mph, 424 ft). No ball was hit as hard as Devers’ 115.9 mph single in the third, though.
By the top of the ninth, Rangers manager Bruce Bochy had run through 12 pitchers, and his lineup had only managed two runs on five hits, two walks, and struck out eight times.
A deep start, a productive offense, and a win against the defending champs. The Sox were, as Mary Poppins would say, “practically perfect in every way.”
Now to see if they can keep doing it when the games count.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2024 5:55:34 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Trio of new relievers round out Red Sox roster for Opening Day By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated March 25, 2024, 9:08 p.m.
ARLINGTON, Texas — It’s not quite official yet, but the Red Sox have their team in place for Opening Day.
Barring something unexpected, manager Alex Cora said that righthanded relievers Isaiah Campbell, Justin Slaten, and Greg Weissert made the team. All three are new to the organization this season.
Infielder Bobby Dalbec, a forgotten man last season, also made the roster. Second base will be a platoon of Pablo Reyes and Enmanuel Valdez.
“Where we’re at right now, without making promises, yes,” Cora said when asked about those players.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow doesn’t believe more moves are coming, but cautioned the team has not closed the door to additions from outside the organization.
Lefthander Brennan Bernardino was optioned to Triple A Worcester before Monday night’s 9-2 victory against the Texas Rangers. Related: Monday’s spring training report: Red Sox starter Garrett Whitlock goes six strong and Trevor Story homers
Bernardino had a 3.20 ERA over 55 appearances last season and averaged 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings. He has worked 6⅔ scoreless innings in spring training.
“It was a real tough one. You have to live with it,” Cora said. “I believe Bernie’s going to be a big part of our team.”
Cora said the Sox have made roster flexibility a priority and that Bernardino having minor league options was a factor. The Sox want depth on their 40-man roster, particularly with the pitching staff.
Joely Rodriguez is the only lefthander in the bullpen, although the Sox are confident Campbell can handle lefthanded hitters when needed.
Reyes and Valdez are a patch at second base until Vaughn Grissom is ready to come off the injured list, which could take a month. He missed all of spring training with injuries. No negotiations for Lorenzen
The Rangers signed free agent righthander Michael Lorenzen to a one-year, $4.5 million contract last week that included $2.5 million in performance bonuses.
Lorenzen, 32, was 9-9 with a 4.18 ERA for the Tigers and Phillies last season, throwing 153 innings and making 25 starts.
He seemingly could have been a good fit for the cost-conscious Red Sox. But talks never got off the ground.
“We spoke. But that was it,” Lorenzen said. “It never got to the point where they made an offer.” Crawford’s contract?
The Sox have not approached righthander Kutter Crawford about a contract extension. But he’s open to the idea.
“If they want to talk, I’ll listen for sure,” he said.
Crawford, who is represented by B.B. Abbott, is 9-15 with a 4.74 ERA over parts of three seasons and will be part of the rotation to open the season.
Crawford had a 4.04 ERA over 129⅓ innings last season. Final test
Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin are scheduled to pitch Tuesday afternoon. That is their final hurdle to being cleared for Opening Day. Martin has appeared in only two exhibition games because of a groin strain and Jansen three due to a tight back and a lat strain. “They should be fine. If they post [Tuesday], they’ll be OK,” Cora said. The Sox are planning a bullpen game Tuesday with minor league righthander Richard Fitts starting. Martin and Jansen will pitch early in the game, not in their usual late-inning slots . . . Tyler O’Neill started in right field. He played only 37 innings in the field over the first 32 exhibition games because of a left calf strain. “I’m fine now. We were just being careful,” he said. Cora doesn’t plan to play O’Neill on the artificial turf Tuesday afternoon unless he needs the work . . . Breslow was joined in Texas by assistant general managers Eddie Romero and Paul Toboni, who also will be in Seattle. Breslow plans to stay with the team for the entire road trip to both evaluate the roster in person and get a getter gauge of how the coaching and analytics staff prepares for games . . . Cora accepted a position with the New Balance Sports Leadership and Administration program at UMass Boston. He will be an executive in residence, providing advice to students in the program as his managing duties permit it . . . The Sox released 23-year-old outfielder Gilberto Jimenez, who originally signed in 2017. Jimenez was considered one of the organization’s top prospects from 2019-22 but faded in recent years, this athleticism not translating to production. He had a .608 OPS in two levels of Class A ball last season . . . Former Sox Sandy Leon (Royals) and Drew Pomeranz (Angels) were released.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2024 5:56:34 GMT -5
SPRING TRAINING REPORT Monday’s spring training report: Red Sox starter Garrett Whitlock goes six strong and Trevor Story homers By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated March 25, 2024, 11:23 p.m.
SCORE: Red Sox 9, Rangers 2
RECORD: 18-12-3.
BREAKDOWN: Facing a first-string lineup before a crowd of 19,854 at Globe Life Field, Garrett Whitlock allowed one unearned run on three hits over six innings and struck out six with one walk. He threw 51 of 67 pitches for strikes and retired nine of the final 10 batters he faced in a dominant performance. Trevor Story, who lives 20 minutes away, was 2 for 4 with a two-run homer and three RBIs. The home run, off Brock Burke, finished a 10-pitch at-bat. Enmanuel Valdez was 3 for 5 with a homer.
NEXT: The Sox close out spring training and their exhibition schedule with another game against the Rangers on Tuesday at 2:05 p.m. (ET). Minor league righthander Richard Fitts gets the start against Jon Gray. The game will be on NESN.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2024 12:16:05 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 3h Spring training finale: Duran LF, Devers 3B, Story SS, Yoshida DH, O’Neill RF, Valdez 2B, Rafaela CF, Wong C, Reyes 1B, and Fitts RHP.[/font
Seems a little odd Casas isn't in the lineup after not playing yesterday. Cora said he's fine and that he will come in off the bench today
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2024 12:16:48 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe Liam Hendriks is traveling with the Sox while doing his rehab. A 19-year-old cancer patient and her family came to the game to meet with Hendriks and he spent a good 45 minutes with them on the field. 2:15 PM · Mar 26, 2024 ·
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2024 19:02:36 GMT -5
Rafael Devers homers as Red Sox beat Rangers 4-1 in spring finale
By Mac Cerullo | mcerullo@bostonherald.com March 26, 2024 at 5:02 p.m.
If Tuesday’s spring finale was any indication, the Red Sox big bats are ready for the regular season.
Rafael Devers hit his fifth home run of the spring and Trevor Story capped off a sensational spring at the plate to help the Red Sox beat the Texas Rangers 4-1 in the club’s final exhibition of spring training.
Devers’ solo shot came in the bottom of the first and he finished 1 for 2 on the day. Story went 1 for 2 as well, finishing the spring with a .380 average and 1.088 OPS. Masataka Yoshida went 2 for 2 on the day, Triston Casas came off the bench and went 0 for 1 with a walk, and Ceddanne Rafaela went 0 for 1 with a sacrifice fly as well as a brilliant diving catch in center field.
Top Red Sox relievers Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin both got on the mound one more time and looked ready to go as well. Jansen pitched a perfect seventh inning, giving him three straight scoreless outings since last Friday, and Martin pitched a scoreless eighth, giving him two straight scoreless appearances after a rocky spring debut.
Richard Fitts, one of the pitching prospects acquired in the Alex Verdugo trade, got the start and threw 3.1 scoreless innings while allowing two hits and a walk with three strikeouts. Isaiah Campbell capped off his perfect spring with a scoreless 0.2 innings with two strikeouts, giving him nine straight outings in camp with no runs allowed, Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless inning and Josh Winckowski allowed one run in his 0.2 innings of work.
The Red Sox finish 19-12-3 on the spring and will open the season Thursday night against the Seattle Mariners. Boston’s Brayan Bello will face off against Seattle’s Luis Castillo and first pitch is scheduled for 10:10 p.m. ET.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2024 19:09:52 GMT -5
Jansen, Martin in good shape for Opening Day 6:57 PM ADT
Drew Davison
ARLINGTON -- Manager Alex Cora held his postgame press conference in less than 30 seconds on Tuesday. He didn’t even need that much time, though, in providing his assessment of backend relievers Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin.
Both Jansen and Martin threw scoreless innings during an exhibition game vs. the Rangers on Tuesday, a 4-1 Boston win. With that, both are expected to be ready for Opening Day on Thursday in Seattle.
“They’re good,” Cora said. “We’ll see how they are tomorrow, but stuff-wise was really good. They got their reps in and it was a good day for them.”
That was the biggest news -- and only topic addressed -- coming out of the final preseason game.
Jansen threw a scoreless seventh inning, striking out one during an 11-pitch outing. It was his third appearance in the last six days. There were questions about Jansen’s availability after he was slowed the first three weeks of camp by a right lat strain. He then sustained a sore back once he finally got going and pitched his first game, but has reported no issues since.
Martin followed with a scoreless eighth inning, striking out one and throwing 16 pitches.
The 37-year-old took it slow by design early in camp and then dealt with a groin injury. But, like Jansen, he has now made three appearances in the past six days with no issues.
“Felt OK,” Martin said. “Still working on some stuff, trying to get the delivery in sync and things like that, but physically feel good.”
The Jansen-Martin late-inning combo provides a nice veteran presence on a Red Sox team that has gone young in several areas. Jansen has 420 career saves and hopes to add another 30 to 40 this season. Martin has made 324 career appearances and is coming off a season in which he posted a 1.05 ERA over 55 games for the Red Sox.
Being flexible "Flexibility" has been a buzzword for Cora in describing the roster as the Red Sox have been finalizing it this week.
“We’ve never had this before,” Cora said during his pregame news conference. “Sometimes you felt like you had your hands tied.”
That won’t be the case this season as the roster features athletic and versatile players.
Cora mentioned center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela, MLB Pipeline’s No. 76 overall prospect, as a player who could start games at second base and shortstop too. Bobby Dalbec and Triston Casas provide versatility at the corner infield positions, and Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu can be used at both corner outfield spots. If Duran and Abreu are both in the starting lineup, Cora said, Duran will be in left and Abreu in right.
As far as the pitching staff, the Red Sox are expected to carry just one left-hander in Joely Rodríguez. But, Cora said the team likes right-hander Isaiah Campbell matching up against lefties as well out of the bullpen.
At the end of the day, Cora seemed pleased with the number of options this roster presents on a daily basis.
“We feel good with the group that we have,” Cora said. “I do believe we’re ready to play on Thursday.”
Staying positive Optioning left-hander Brennan Bernardino to Triple-A ranked among the most difficult roster decisions in the final week. However, Cora hopes that Bernardino and every other player who didn’t make the Opening Day roster continue to push for a spot in the big leagues.
“At the end of the day, you’ve got 26 on Thursday. Hopefully, you get 26 in October and that 26 in October is different than the 26 on Opening Day,” Cora said. “Is Opening Day special? Yeah, it’s special. People are disappointed because they’re not going to be there. At the end of the day, what are you going to do to get back to this situation? You have to push and you have to do your job wherever you go and come back to this environment.
“We expect some of these guys to come back and help us.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2024 19:18:50 GMT -5
SPRING TRAINING REPORT Tuesday’s spring training report: Red Sox complete two-game sweep of Rangers before regular-season opener By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated March 26, 2024, 2 hours ago
SCORE: Red Sox 4, Rangers 1
FINAL SPRING TRAINING RECORD: 19-12-3.
BREAKDOWN: The Sox completed a two-game sweep of the Rangers as eight pitchers took the mound at Globe Life Field. Richard Fitts, one of the pitchers obtained from the Yankees in the Alex Verdugo trade, worked 3⅓ scoreless innings to start, before a parade of relievers followed. Rafael Devers and Mark Contreras homered. Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 2.
NEXT: The Sox open the regular season on Thursday with a 10:10 p.m. game at Seattle. Brayan Bello will oppose Luis Castillo. The game will be on NESN.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2024 19:21:16 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK The Red Sox began spring training with eight lefthanded pitchers, and here’s why only Joely Rodriguez made the Opening Day roster By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated March 26, 2024, 2 hours ago
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Red Sox will open the season with 12 righthanded pitchers and one lefty, 32-year-old journeyman Joely Rodriguez.
At a time in baseball when teams relentlessly pursue advantageous matchups with their relievers, it’s an unusual configuration.
It’s not that the Sox lacked candidates. They opened camp with eight lefthanders on the roster, including four on the 40-man roster: Brennan Bernardino, Joe Jacques, Chris Murphy, and Brandon Walter.
But only Rodriguez survived despite putting 15 runners on base over eight innings.
He exercised an opt-out in his contract last week, forcing the Sox to make a decision on his status. They elected to keep Rodriguez on the major league roster rather than let him walk.
Bernardino pitched 6⅔ scoreless innings, putting five runners on base and striking out five in seven games. But he had a minor league option remaining and the Sox chose to demote him to Triple A Worcester.
“It’s just another bump in the road,” Bernardino said on Tuesday. “I’ll do what I have to do and hopefully get back here.”
Said manager Alex Cora: “Opening Day is special and people are disappointed when they’re not going to be there. But you have to push and do your job wherever you go and come back to this environment.”
Cora went through similar situations during his playing career. As a manager, he puts the emotions aside in favor of what’s best for the team in the long run.
“I’m past that. I’ve been in those shoes,” Cora said. “You get back and do your job understanding you belong to the Red Sox organization.”
The Sox believe righthander Isaiah Campbell can handle lefthanded hitters when needed. Given the three-batter rule, lefty specialists have largely been legislated out of existence.
Still, carrying only one lefthander is unusual.
“Nobody feels comfortable with it. But roster-wise, we’re in a good position,” Cora said. “If something happens, we have guys who can come up here.”
Roster set
Unless something unexpected happens, the Sox have their 26-man roster in place.
The rotation will be Brayan Bello for the opener on Thursday in Seattle, followed by Nick Pivetta, Kutter Crawford, Garrett Whitlock, and Tanner Houck for the first game in Oakland.
The Mariners will pitch Luis Castillo, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, and Bryce Miller.
The bullpen has Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin at the back end, with Campbell, Rodriguez, Chase Anderson, Justin Slaten, Greg Weissert, and Josh Winckowski.
The catchers are Connor Wong and Reese McGuire.
The infielders are Triston Casas, Bobby Dalbec, Rafael Devers, Pablo Reyes, Trevor Story, and Enmanuel Valdez.
The outfield will be Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, Tyler O’Neill, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Masataka Yoshida.
Cora said Reyes is the backup shortstop. Dalbec will play first and third. Rafaela will primarily be a center fielder with some time on the infield.
“He’ll start some games at second base and short. But not much,” Cora said.
Cora said Abreu would play right field if he and Duran are in the lineup.
Story has told Cora he wants to play 155 games. He last did that in 2018, when he appeared in 157 games for the Rockies.
Jansen and Martin each pitched a scoreless inning in Tuesday’s 4-1 victory against the Rangers. That was their final hurdle after dealing with injuries that limited their use during camp.
“Ready to go,” Martin said. The plan for Grissom
The plan for Vaughn Grissom is to stay in extended spring training until April 7, then rejoin the Red Sox at Fenway Park for the home opener before being assigned to a minor league team. He did not play in spring training because of a groin strain … O’Neill started his second consecutive game in right field and is ready for full-time defensive duty after being used cautiously during spring training because of a strained left calf … Nick Yorke was assigned back to Double A Portland, where he finished last season. Yorke had a .785 OPS in 110 games at that level last season, but the Sox have infielders at Triple A who need playing time as they represent depth for the major league team … Former Red Sox pitching coach Dave Bush, who was fired after last season, is now with the Rangers as director of pitching strategy. He spent time with Cora and some of the players before the game. Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux coached Bush with the Brewers (2006-08) and Rangers (2011) … The Sox won’t see the Rangers again until Aug. 2 back at Globe Life Field. It’ll be the first of six games between the teams over 13 days … The Sox flew to Seattle after the game and have an optional workout at T-Mobile Park on Wednesday.
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