Breaking Down Red Sox Roster as Spring Training Officially Begins

Breaking down Red Sox roster as spring training officially begins originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

With spring training officially opening on Sunday, the Red Sox enter camp with a solid roster in need of manageable upgrades.

Their core is set, and the big decisions -- how to replace impending free agents Xander Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez, Nathan Eovaldi, and maybe even Chris Sale -- can wait another year.

Fresh off an appearance in the American League Championship Series, the Red Sox have raised expectations in the immediate future even as chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom keeps his eyes focused on long-term sustainability.

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So how does the roster stack up against an improved American League, and what do the Red Sox need to do to return to the postseason? Let's go position by position and break it down.

Catcher: Christian Vazquez, Kevin Plawecki

The fact that Bloom reportedly made a play for Pirates Gold Glover Jacob Stallings before he was traded to the Marlins tells you all you need to know about the team's satisfaction level with Vazquez, the incumbent starter. Though he salvaged his season with some clutch hits in the playoffs, the 31-year-old backslid in virtually every area, posting his worst offensive numbers (.258-6-49) in five years while throwing out a career-worst 25 percent of opposing base stealers.

The catching situation bears watching throughout camp. Plawecki has almost no arm at this point, but he remains a solid offensive backup, and he got the best out of All-Star Nathan Eovaldi, who posted a 3.28 ERA with Plawecki behind the plate, compared to 4.77 throwing to Vazquez.

First base: Bobby Dalbec, Triston Casas

This is an area that's ripe for change. Outside of an otherworldly August, Dalbec struggled to make contact, striking out in nearly 35 percent of his plate appearances, which projects to over 200 Ks with full-time at-bats.

The Red Sox could strike for a marquee free agent like Atlanta's Freddie Freeman or old friend Kyle Schwarber, or they could simply let Dalbec keep the position warm until Casas is ready. One of the organization's top prospects, Casas will likely open the season at Triple-A Worcester, and unless he completely falls apart, he'll debut at some point this season.

Given Casas's proximity to the majors, it probably makes sense for Bloom to save his financial bullets for other positions.

Second base: Christian Arroyo, Kiké Hernández, Yolmer Sanchez

As things stand now, Arroyo is the likely starter, with Hernández remaining in center field, where he played at a Gold Glove level last year.

That's not the worst thing in the world. The former first-round pick is a solid defender who was coming into his own offensively before a series of injuries waylaid his season. Given Arroyo's struggles to stay healthy, the Red Sox could decide that entrusting him with the full-time job is too risky.

They signed Sanchez, a 2019 Gold Glover with the White Sox, to a minor-league deal. They could also bring back September sparkplug Jose Iglesias. Prospect Jeter Downs, coming off a miserable season at Triple-A, also awaits.

Or they could go massive and sign a free agent like Carlos Correa, moving Bogaerts off of short, or Trevor Story, shifting the former Rockies All-Star to second.

Third base: Rafael Devers

Despite his defensive struggles, it's hard to imagine Devers is going anywhere. A move across the diamond to first base might make sense if Casas weren't nearly ready, but the likelier bet is the Red Sox continue to hope that Devers makes enough defensive strides to be passable. The bigger question with him is a long-term one -- will he sign an extension, or become a free agent after the 2023 season?

Shortstop: Xander Bogaerts, ???

The Red Sox have shown no inclination to seriously engage with Correa, the best free agent on the market, but he certainly makes sense in the long term. If that happens, then Bogaerts' future crystallizes, and not in a good way.

For 2022, he'd have to move to second base, a position he has never played, before almost certainly opting out in the fall and trying to find a job as a shortstop. If the Red Sox decide they can live with Bogaerts' declining defense, he'll certainly make up much of that lost value at the plate, where he's an elite performer.

Either way, Red Sox fans should prepare themselves for the end of the Bogaerts Era after 10 years, at least two titles, and exemplary leadership.

Left field: Alex Verdugo

The entire outfield is in flux, thanks to a hole in right field that will presumably be filled in free agency, but in the meantime, Verdugo seems like a solid bet to stay in left, where he brings above-average range and arm strength.

The question for him is if he can take that next step offensively. He delivered a strong start that made him a borderline All-Star and an excellent finish in a postseason that saw him hit .310, but in between he was pretty mediocre, with a .777 OPS that suggests little more than average.

Still, the Red Sox have bigger questions to answer in the other corner, so let's leave Verdugo here.

Center field: Kiké Hernández, Jackie Bradley Jr.

The return of the defensively gifted Bradley had some Red Sox fans wondering if Hernández would move back to second base, but Bradley is realistically a fourth outfielder at this point, so Hernández remains the best bet to remain in center.

That's fine. He took to the spot spectacularly last year, with one of the strongest arms in the big leagues and a controlled daring streak that made him a more consistent version of right fielder Hunter Renfroe, whose gambles frequently cost the Red Sox more runs than they saved.

Hernández also lived up to his billing as a clutch postseason performer by hitting .408 with five homers in 11 games.

Right field: Jarren Duran

Here's where things get interesting. The Red Sox have been linked to Japanese star Seiya Suzuki all winter and seem ready to make a play for the young slugger, though a reported preference to spend spring training in Arizona could doom their chances.

Regardless, the Red Sox need to do better than Duran. The youngster looked overmatched while tinkering consistently with his swing.

There are no shortage of free agent options, from Schwarber (who'd go to left, with Verdugo moving back to right) to Kris Bryant to Nick Castellanos to Braves postseason hero Eddie Rosario. While many of us focus on the robust shortstop market, it's more likely that the Red Sox address this glaring need in right.

Designated hitter: J.D. Martinez

Few expected Martinez to reach the end of his five-year deal when he signed it in 2018, what with a plethora of opt-outs. But market forces conspired to keep him here and unless the Red Sox decide to trade him to exploit a new National League market for designated hitters, Martinez will finish his Red Sox career as he started it -- as a linchpin in the lineup.

The Red Sox could re-sign Schwarber with the idea of giving him some DH at-bats in advance of handing him the job full-time in 2023. Or they could mix and match. But for now, this job belongs to Martinez.

Starting pitchers: Nathan Eovaldi, Chris Sale, Nick Pivetta, Michael Wacha, Rich Hill

The big question is whether youngsters Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck will earn a chance to start, or if manager Alex Cora will decide they're too valuable in the bullpen. With veteran options like Wacha and Hill available, the guess here is that the two young righties open the season in the bullpen and then see what happens.

The rotation has a chance to be very good, especially if Eovaldi repeats his All-Star performance and Sale returns to something approximating his pre-Tommy John form. There's also decent depth at Triple-A, as well as the possible return in August of left-hander James Paxton, who's recovering from Tommy John.

Bullpen: Matt Barnes, Garrett Whitlock, Josh Taylor, Tanner Houck, Ryan Brasier, Darwinzon Hernandez, Hirokazu Sawamura

Here's another area in need of upgrade. The Red Sox simply lacked firepower at the back of their pen and it finally caught up with them in the ALCS, where the Astros teed off on Brasier, Hernandez, Martin Perez and Houck, among others.

We still don't know if Barnes will be able to shake the funk the forced him off the ALCS roster or what roles Whitlock and Houck will fill. All-Star closer Kenley Jansen remains on the market, and there are no shortage of experienced middle relievers, too, like Ryan Tepera or former Red Sox right-hander Joe Kelly. The Red Sox have also already been linked to Collin McHugh of the Rays.

In any event, Cora's options dwindled rapidly last year, and Bloom needs to ensure that doesn't happen again.