FORT MYERS, Fla. -- It would certainly be unconventional.
Meeting with the media prior to his team's Grapefruit League game against the Twins at JetBlue Park, Alex Cora suggested that there is a scenario where his final 25-man roster doesn't possess a single lefty reliever.
"No. It doesn't matter to me," he said when asked about the necessity to possess at least one southpaw in the bullpen.
"We talked about it last week, somebody asked me about it, I'm a big believer if you get people out, you get people out. Just like if you hit lefties, you hit righties – if you can do that, you'll play. Yes, there's some strategy involved especially in the National League when you have a lefty and you've got a pitcher and you think about who you're going to pinch-hit and they've got a lefty up, do you want him to face him? But at the end of the day, the goal is to get 27 outs in a nine-inning game and if you can get them out, it doesn't matter. I'm not saying this is going to happen on this team. If you have to carry four lefties, you carry them as long as they get people out. If you don't have to carry them, you don't have to carry them. If your righties can get lefties and righties out, you do that. So it's just a matter of who can get people out."
The consensus has been that left-handed reliever Robby Scott had the inside track on a bullpen spot considering is effectiveness against lefty hitters, holding them to a .121 batting average last season. Craig Kimbrel was the next most effective reliever vs. lefty hitters (.178) with Joe Kelly coming in with a .222 batting average against. After that, few of the relief pitchers expected to have the inside track on making the team stood out in terms of controlling hitters from the left side.
Other candidates who throw from the left side include Brian Johnson and Roenis Elias, both who are seemingly also vying for a spot at the end of the rotation until Eduardo Rodriguez and/or Steven Wright returns.
A wild card in the scenario would seem to be non-roster invitee Bobby Poyner, who Cora once against singled out for his spring training performance thus far.
The lefty-throwing Poyner was dominant during his 43 games between Single- and Double-A last season, combining for a 1.49 ERA and .177 batting average against. He also struck out 80 and walked just 17 in 60 1/3 innings. His splits against lefty and righty hitters were both well above-average.
"You see his numbers in the minor leagues and the way he throws the ball, it's not a coincidence," Cora said. "He's caught my eye, yeah."
- The Red Sox continue to get good news regarding Drew Pomeranz.
The lefty starter, who left his first Grapefruit League appearance after 17 pitches due to forearm tightness, began playing catch again Wednesday, reporting no pain.
Another player easing his way back from injury, Eduardo Nunez, was slated to get his first official spring training start Wednesday but due to some early-morning rain Cora decided it would be best to wait another day. Nunez will get his first chance at testing his knee in Grapefruit League action Thursday, getting the start at second base, with another scheduled start in the field coming Saturday.
Brock Holt, who was scratched from his start Tuesday due to abdominal soreness, is targeting a Friday return to game action.
- Cora has routinely said that he won't have a problem bringing in Kimbrel prior to the ninth inning, leaving the ninth inning for another reliever. But who? He offered some hints Wednesday.
"There's a few of them. They have the experience," the Sox manager said. "The one guy with his stuff and uniqueness that has caught my attention and we saw him at the end of the season last year from the other side is Carson Smith. Joe, obviously, with his stuff that plays, Barnes, we've got options. And I think at the end of the day, those last three outs, when Craig is not available we'll see who matches up better with that part of the lineup. If it's people that have trouble with balls down in the zone, we'll go to that guy. If they have trouble with pitches outside of the plate, we'll go to the other guy, if they have trouble with velocity, well, obviously, you know where we're going. It's just a matter of mixing and matching and knowing who's coming up and with the information that will be provided, we'll go from there."
