With less than a week and a half before pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers for the start of spring training, the Red Sox are a team in limbo.
They do not have a manager, and for the time being, it's unknown whether their best player, Mookie Betts, will head to Fort Myers later this month or instead report to his new team somewhere in Arizona.
As such, it's difficult to project the Red Sox roster, since any trade of Betts would likely return at least one major league-ready player and scramble the team's outfield picture in a big way. If the Sox get Alex Verdugo in a package from the Los Angeles Dodgers, does he take over in right? If Wil Myers comes from San Diego, could the Sox put him in left, shift Andrew Benintendi to center and Jackie Bradley Jr. to right?
The options are seemingly endless.
But ignoring the uncertainty surrounding Betts, there are still some position battles and jobs open for competition separate from his status. Here's a look at how they might play out:
1. SECOND BASE/UTILITY INFIELDER
The Red Sox have every intent of giving Jose Peraza the chance to win the second base job. Signed as a free agent from Cincinnati, Peraza has the ability to fill in at short and third and can play the outfield, too. But, for now, he'll be the primary second baseman. He may have to improve his offensive game to retain that role, however.
If you cede Peraza the second base job for now, that slides Michael Chavis into a hybrid role, splitting time between first and second. Chavis showed surprising athleticism at second last year -- as demonstrated by some defensive metrics. One issue: while it might make sense to have Chavis and prodigal first baseman Mitch Moreland in a rather strict platoon at first, that becomes complicated by the fact that Chavis performed slightly better against righthanders (.774) than against lefties (.742).
Beyond Chavis, the Red Sox can afford to carry another middle infielder. That spot could go to Tzu-Wei Lin, who would probably qualify as the team's best defender at short. Lin can also play second and third. Importantly, he's out of options, which means the Sox could risk losing him on a waiver claim if he didn't make the team out of spring training.
There's also Rule V pick Jonathan Arauz, who is advanced defensively but likely to be highly overmatched offensively, having played just 28 games above Single A. Arauz will have to display his defensive versatility to stick. It would seem a longshot that a team with designs on contending would carry a 21-year-old with little professional experience for the entire season, but maybe Arauz will surprise the Sox with his instincts and ability to learn quickly.
Another longshot option is C.J. Chatham, who is viewed by some as something of a sleeper. Chatham has hit at every level of the minor leagues and it's not impossible that he could be the team's starter at second at some point in 2020. Whether he can crack the roster as a backup in the spring -- he also has experience at short -- is another matter altogether.
2. BACKUP OUTFIELDER
For the past two seasons, the Sox have essentially gone with DH J.D. Martinez as their fourth outfielder. Martinez started a third of the games (57) in 2018, but that number dropped to just 37 last year as he battled some nagging back issues.
While Martinez enjoys contributing in the field, he remains a defensive liability and given the importance of keeping his bat in the lineup -- a priority that would only be enhanced by a trade of Betts -- there's the sense that the Sox would like to reduce his time in the field.
Problem is, there isn't a proven backup outfielder currently on the 40-man. Lin has played center field extensively at Pawtucket and could presumably handle either of the corner spots, too. But he's yet to demonstrate that he can hit at the major league level (.706 OPS in 75 games).
Marcus Wilson is another possibility. Athletic, he profiles -- for now -- as the perfect fourth outfielder, with strong defensive skills and above-average speed. He may not hit a lot initially, but as the fourth (or fifth) outfielder, that wouldn't be much of an issue. And with 18 homers last year between Single-A and Double-A, he might run into one every once in a while.
3. LAST TWO BULLPEN SPOTS
Admittedly, there will be lots of fluctuation in the bullpen over the course of the season and the relievers who make the Opening Day roster are hardly guaranteed permanent spots. No roster spots undergo more churn then the back end of a major league bullpen.
Let's concede that as many as six spots are spoken for: Brandon Workman, Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree Darwinzon Hernandez, Marcus Walden and Josh Taylor. Workman and Barnes are self-explained locks and both Hernandez and Taylor flashed lefty power arms over the second half of 2019. Hembree is out of options and Walden took a quantum leap forward with his performance a year ago.
That likely leaves two spots open for competition from among Ryan Brasier, Colten Brewer and Mike Shawaryn and a group of newly-acquired relievers from this winter: Chris Osich Chris Mazza, Austin Brice, Matt Hall and Jeffrey Springs.
Osich has the most experience from the group of newcomers, but with Taylor and Hernandez, the Sox don't necessarily need a third lefty -- especially given the new three-batter minimum rule which might limit the appeal and utility of a lefty specialist like Osich.
Many of the remaining newcomers are, frankly, fungible. Look for most -- if not all -- to see some time with the big league club at some point over the course of the season. To project one over the rest, however, would be an exercise in futility. They're each here because the organization saw something -- velocity; the action on a certain pitch; a repeatable delivery -- that made them attractive as low-cost options.
For now, beyond that, who knows?
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