FORT MYERS, Fla. - Wheels up at 6 p.m.
That’s the plan for Tuesday. It’s the moment the Red Sox officially launch themselves into the 2026 season, heading for Cincinnati from Southwest Florida International Airport with the group they have decided will represent Alex Cora’s club for at least the first of 162 regular-season games.
It will punctuate the first part of what will undoubtedly be a complicated equation, having sifted through 1 1/2 months of spring training to offer the first wave of answers.
This we know …
- The only spot up for grabs among the position players has been filled by Andruw Monasterio, the 28-year-old utilityman who came over in the Caleb Durbin trade. Monasterio will help fill the void left by the injured Romy Gonzalez, joining Isiah Kiner-Falefa in serving as the right-handed complement to Marcelo Mayer at second base while also providing options at shortstop and first base. Monasterio impressed throughout camp, particularly in the field and on the basepaths.
- Rule 5 candidate Ryan Watson was informed he will be making the club, experiencing the emotional moment in the presence of former Rule 5 pitchers Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten. The decision to keep Watson in the organization meant the Red Sox were going to exercise their option of sending veterans Zack Kelly and Tommy Kahnle to Triple-A.
- It would appear as though Connelly Early, who impressed throughout his spring training starts, has made the team, leaving the Red Sox with six starters. The thought process is to protect the rotation early on with Ranger Suarez not entirely stretched out, necessitating both Early and Johan Oviedo being in the mix.
- Other than Aroldis Chapman, the other lefties will be Jovani Moran and recently-acquired Danny Coulombe.
- Connor Wong is the backup catcher, with Matt Thais accepting his assignment to Triple-A Worcester.
- With one game to go, Durbin tied with Braiden Ward for the most Grapefruit League plate appearances among Red Sox players (51). Both made the most of their chances, with Durbin hitting .356 with a .964 OPS and Ward not only stealing a record 19 bases, but also clocking a .378 batting average and .944 OPS.
- Three regulars managed OPS’s of greater than 1.000, with Jarren Duran landing at 1.344, Ceddanne Rafaela totaling a 1.235 OPS and Willson Contreras coming in at 1.172. Trevor Story led all Sox hitters with 18 hits.
All of this, we know. There are, however, questions that still need to be answered. Such as …
- How is Cora going to manage the crowded outfield group?
“We talked about it,” Masa Yoshida told WEEI.com when asked about what the manager said regarding the lefty hitter’s role. “He said he is going to use everybody.”
And that’s the plan. It’s a less-than-ideal plan, but it’s a plan.
Yoshida, who is healthier than he has been in the last two years, will somehow jump into a mix that sees Roman Anthony and Wilyer Abreu likely to play virtually every game, with Ceddanne Rafaela cemented for the majority of time in center field. That leaves the flexibility of the designated hitter spot, with Jarren Duran figuring to bounce between left field and DH. And then there is Yoshida.
As good a hitter as Yoshida is, that spot on the roster would undoubtedly be better served with a right-handed-hitting weapon along the lines of what Rob Refsnyder represented last season. Instead, other than Rafaela, there are no right-handed-hitting options among the outfielders.
Cora isn’t afraid to give regulars days off early in the season, as was evidenced in his first season as manager in 2018, when he juggled the dynamic of Hanley Ramirez, Mitch Moreland and J.D. Martinez, even giving Mookie Betts a day off on Game 5 of that season after the then-leadoff man hit a home run in Game 4. But this dynamic seems significantly more convoluted than the one faced by that first-year manager.
- Without the built-in lefty-killer, the Red Sox are taking a significant leap of faith that the likes of Abreu, Duran, Anthony and Mayer will be taking big steps forward in their ability to hit left-handers. It shouldn’t be forgotten that not only did Romy Gonzalez and Refsnyder represent valuable alternatives for when opponents brought in southpaws, but they also did it at an elite level. Gonzalez’s OPS against lefties was .978, with Refsnyder .959. It’s a change that might make mixing and matching when it counts the most uncomfortable for Cora.
The Red Sox’s best built-in option would have seemed to be Nate Eaton, who could have potentially found his way onto the roster with some integration into the infield. But once the Red Sox decided Durbin would be locked into third base, and Eaton wouldn’t be getting any taste of second throughout spring training, it left the Red Sox leaning on Monasterio, Kiner-Falefa, and Connor Wong as their right-handed-hitting bench options.
“I think all of our guys have worked really hard in their progression against lefties,” said Red Sox hitting coach Pete Fatse. “So, I think we’re in a good spot.”
- And, what about Triston Casas, Kutter Crawford, and Patrick Sandoval?
All three players have the potential to have significant impacts on the 2026 season, but all three won’t be getting on the aforementioned flight to Cincy. For the pitchers, the crowded rotation might ultimately lead them to bullpen options. For Casas, that scenario could be a bit more complicated.
The first baseman has looked good in participating in minor-league games, particularly when it comes to his overall fitness and mobility. The plan is to keep his progression going in Fort Myers and eventually ease his way back with a minor-league assignment. But if Casas exhibits the power potential he did in good chunks of his first full two seasons in the majors, the roster construction conundrum will only become more of a riddle.
They will say it’s a nice problem to have. It is … for a while.
