Like most everything in the coming' months, the Red Sox' 2021 spring training is somewhat of a mystery.
For starters, would they try some positional shuffling such as trying Rafael Devers out as first base.
"I don't think so, not that I know," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora when asked about Devers moving across the diamond on the latest Bradfo Sho podcast.
This we do know: Cora's third stint at running a Red Sox spring training will look different this time around.
Still stung by the 2019 slow start, the message the Red Sox' manager is passing along centers on doing whatever it takes to hit the ground running. (Unfortunately for some of the regulars, that might mean some extra Grapefruit League miles.)
"Each spring training ... '18 was one way, '19 was different, '20 was going to be different, this year is going to be different," Cora said. "We finished fifth, man. The Boston Red Sox was the fourth-worst team in the big leagues. Do I believe that? I don't believe that. I don't think we are the fourth-worst team in the big leagues. But we are right now and we have to do a lot of things better. From drills to meetings to games. There is going to be more action. Don't be surprised to see Raffy (Devers) somewhere on the East Coast, playing over there. Going to West Palm. Don't be surprised Xander (Bogaerts) doing the same thing. I'm not saying we will, but don't be surprised. It's not that we have to win Florida, but one thing that worried me in '19 was that we didn't play fundamentally sound in '19 going into that road trip. Going to Arizona, Seattle and Oakland and Arizona. ... It was tough going into it and it got tougher because we didn't play well. And we didn't play well in spring training.
"It's not about winning the games. It's about playing well, and we didn't. That's something we are going to ask these guys to do. Regardless of the results ... As you know, spring training games are decided in the last third of the game. The (minor-league outfielder Aneury) Tavarez and all those guys in '18 won games for us and we were like 22-9. No, we weren't 22-9. Yeah, we were, but we weren't. We need to play better and that's something we're going to ask these guys to do."
It's hard to argue with the difference in momentum coming out of Fort Myers (or lack thereof) in 2019 compared to the year before. Following their world championship the Red Sox stumbled to a 12-17 Grapefruit League mark on the way to digging themselves a hole with that 3-8 season-starting road swing.
"Not only with players but with coaches and the whole baseball department, it's something we want to do," Cora explained. "We want to do a better job in spring training regardless of the results. Play better defense or if today's about the running game who cares about the results we are going to run the bases the right way. You get on, try and get a jump and steal. Let's work on stuff. Let's take advantage of every day and if we do that when the season opener comes we should be in a good position.
"You look at the division the last three years, that team that teams off just keeps going. You have to avoid the separation or be the one that separates yourself from everybody else. We'll see."