McAdam: With Franchy Cordero a long shot for Opening Day, Yairo Munoz could earn roster spot

Before the start of camp, it appeared as though 23 or 24 of the 26 Red Sox roster spots were already settled. Even for a team coming off a last-place finish, most of the jobs weren't up for grabs. The consensus was there would be one position player spot open on the bench and maybe one or two slots in the bullpen.

But as it almost always happens, other factors can result in unexpected competition.

Today's case in point: Franchy Cordero.

The outfielder was the centerpiece of the return package the Red Sox obtained in a three-team swap with the New York Mets and Kansas City Royals that landed Andrew Benintendi with the Royals last month.

But before he could even report to his first spring training with the club, Cordero was placed on the COVID-19 related IL. And more than two weeks after he was first placed on the list, he's yet to even be cleared to join the team for workouts.

Cordero is in Fort Myers and has been for about a week and is eager to get going, having fully recovered from the virus. But something -- additional testing and results is a logical guess -- is standing in the way of him being a complete go-ahead by Major League Baseball.

For the last several days, Alex Cora has made reference to "one more thing'' that needs to happen for Cordero to be officially activated.

"Still waiting on one more step out of this process,'' said Cora. "He's here, but he cannot join the group on the field, but not because of us. Somebody has to approve it. We're just waiting on that.''

Thanks to his inactivity, Cordero has fallen significantly behind the rest of the roster. Even if he were to be cleared in the next few days, he would still have to ramp up by taking live batting practice, then participate in a simulated game or two before getting into a Grapefruit League game.

With Opening Day three weeks from Thursday -- and a decision on the Opening Day roster due even shorter -- it would seem plainly obvious that Cordero won't be in uniform at Fenway on April 1.

"He's in great shape -- you've got to see this kid,'' said Cora of Cordero. "But he hasn't been able to do too much the last week, to be honest with you. We've got to be careful. We've got to be careful. It's going to be catch up, but I do believe we still have time for him to get going. But if it takes longer, then we have to regroup and see what we can do.''

If Cordero isn't ready in time, the Sox are suddenly in need of an another outfielder to start the season, and that could open the door -- if only temporarily -- for someone to grab an unexpectedly available roster spot.



The best bet would probably be Yairo Munoz, who impressed with his bat last September after getting a chance to be in the lineup more regularly.

This spring, Munoz has continued to tear it up at the plate. Though hitless in two at-bats as the Red Sox DH against Tampa Bay Tuesday, he's 8-for-16 with six RBI so far.

"I saw what he did last year,'' said Cora recently, "and I saw what he did from afar when he was with the Cardinals. He's a good baseball player. Yeah, he has work to do, (but) he's still young. He's only 26. You feel like he's a lot older because he plays like a veteran. He has an idea when he's at the plate, good baserunner, good defender. So far, he's done an amazing job.

"Last year, you could see the energy (he brought). He's in tune with the game. It's a joy to see him play. He's fun to watch and I'm glad that he's performed.''

Munoz has played enough outfield that he could certainly handle part-time left field duties for the first 10 days or so in the regular season. As an added bonus, in a spring when "defensive versatility'' seems to be the most desirable trait for Sox players, Munoz can also help out all over the infield, providing Cora with plenty of additional options.

Even if Munoz weren't enjoying a strong spring, he'd likely still be the frontrunner in this unexpected competition. The only other pure outfielder currently on the 40-man roster is Marcus Wilson. And Wilson has played just 62 games above Single A and struggled at Double A Portland.

The other possibility is Michael Chavis, who, for now, seems to have been squeezed out by the additions of Kiké Hernández and Marwin Gonzalez. Chavis has pop in his bat (23 homers in 137 games), but has struggled to make consistent contact. Also, Chavis has made just 11 outfield starts in the big leagues.

Chavis has options and could be sent to Triple A Worcester and the alternate site. But if the Sox want someone they can put in left field and not worry about his readiness to play the position and someone who has demonstrated the ability to hit big league pitching, Munoz would seem the logical choice.