FORT MYERS, Fla. - Spring training can be a tricky proposition.
It’s so easy to be seduced by player’s performances, thinking that March excellence is going to seamlessly translate into regular-season success. (It’s called the Cesar Crespo Reminder.) And sometimes it is just the opposite, with panic setting in as Opening Day draws closer and closer. We know it’s not wise to overreact, but we do it anyway.
Here we are again. Except this time, the conclusion-jumping has become even more convoluted thanks to this condensed exhibition season. So be it. We only have what is right is in front of us. So, with that in mind, here are a few things that need to be clarified with the Red Sox before April 7 rolls around …
WHAT TO DO WITH GARRETT WHITLOCK
It’s nice to have some certainty, and that’s exactly what most would suggest Whitlock represents. The question is where Alex Cora wants to plop down that peace of mind.
Up until Sunday, the belief was that Whitlock would be the fail-safe in a bullpen full of question marks, perhaps even living the life of the Red Sox’ closer. But then Cora starts introducing the prospects of starting the second-year righty, giving him a taste of the life at Hammond Stadium against the Twins.
In a world where you knew what awaited at the end of games from a relief-pitching perspective, the idea of integrating Whitlock into the rotation would be tantalizing. It’s always more satisfying trying to uncover the next ace of a starting staff. But the Red Sox seemingly don’t have that luxury. Why? Well …
SORTING OUT THE BULLPEN
The positive for the Red Sox is that they have potential pieces. No closer was better for the first three months than Matt Barnes last year. Ryan Brasier has consistently been a late-inning option for the majority of his tenure with the Sox. Jake Diekman is a veteran whose resume certainly suggests he is a plate-inning option. Matt Strahm has opened eyes, starting with his workout prior to signing and continuing in spring training performances. Darwinzon Hernandez’s stuff hasn’t gone anywhere.
But …
The last time we saw Barnes in real games he couldn’t make the postseason roster. Brasier’s velocity started in the low-90’s this spring, leading to some pointed analysis from Cora. Diekman just walked more batters (3) than he managed outs. Strahm pitched just four times last season. Hernandez’s most recent outing served as just another frustrating exhibit of inconsistency. And we haven’t even talked about Hirokazu Sawamura, who hasn’t looked like a major league pitcher this month.
All of this can change in a hurry, with the understanding that these relievers have had to force in a lot in a little amount of time. Still, if there is one piece of this entire Red Sox puzzle that lends itself to the most uneasiness in the here and the now, this is it.
WHO ELSE IS GOING TO PLAY OUTFIELD
The plan right now is for Jackie Bradley Jr. (who hit a missile shot over the right field fence Saturday) to play right field against right-handers, with J.D. Martinez serving as potentially the primary option to man the outfield the lefties throw. That doesn’t seem all that sustainable, leading one to search for another rght-handed-hitting outfield option.
Christian Arroyo would seemingly be a solid solution if he can quickly learn the position. (He dd look capable when playing there Sunday.) There is also non-roster Rob Refsnyder, who has major-league experience and continues to turn in a solid camp. This would also seem to be an area where Chaim Bloom might explore a trade, with the A’s Ramon Laureano (suspension and all) representing an intriguing conversation.
This is probably a dilemma that - as long as Alex Verdugo, Kiké Hernandez and Bradley Jr. do their parts - can wait a bit. That, however, doesn’t mean t won’t be a hole to fill at some point.
CONTRACT TALK
It’s wild to think how much turnover the Red Sox could have after this season.
Xander Bogaerts. J.D. Martinez. Nathan Eovaldi. Christian Vazquez. Hernandez. And there is the Rafael Devers reality, which has him eligible for free agency after the 2023 season.
Eovaldi, Bogaerts and Devers have all said they don’t want to talk contract once the season begins. Well, that leaves about 1 1/2 weeks. Considering at least check there wasn’t a whole lot of evidence of engagement regarding extension discussions, that doesn’t leave much time for resolution.
WHERE WILL TREVOR STORY HIT?
That is a nice problem to have. (See, not all questions have to be anxiety-inducing.)
