LAS VEGAS -- The start of the regular season is still more than three months away, but already, Alex Cora is contemplating changes in the Red Sox batting order.
Cora revealed Tuesday that he'll flip-flop the top two players in his lineup, with Andrew Benintendi moving from second to leadoff and American League MVP Mookie Betts dropping from first to second.
It was only a year ago that Cora, in one of his first moves after being hired by the Red Sox, installed Betts as his leadoff hitter, urging the outfielder to become more aggressive and to become a quick-strike option at the top of the Boston batting order.
As requested, Betts did just that, with a .438 on-base percentage and plenty of power (84 extra-base hits and an MLB-best slugging percentage of .640).
But that was last year.
"We've been thinking about and we're going to maximize Mookie in a different spot,'' said Cora. "We're going to flip-flop them. I've talked to them. It just makes sense. You guys saw what happened at the end of the season -- (Betts) become very passive again. It's not that I don't like that; we know what type of hitter he is.
"But I think doing this, Benny can be aggressive, too. He's a good runner, he gets on base. I put it this way to Mookie: if you play 162 games, you're going to come up (at least) 162 times with nobody on (in his first at-bat of the game). Last year, what I wanted from (Betts) in the leadoff spot, we accomplished and now it's a different season and we have to make adjustments. We can't expect it's going to be the same thing next year.''
In recent years, teams have often put their best offensive player in the second spot in the order. Mike Trout, whom Betts beat out to be MVP, frequently hits second in the Los Angeles Angels lineup. Batting second, Betts will have many more RBI opportunities with Benintendi on base.
"It's a new season and we have to turn the page,'' said Cora, "and this is a good way to do it.''
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