NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Spring training usually brings questions, but it doesn't always provide answers. This year, due to the late start and compressed length, those questions may be harder to answer than usual.
Still, let's give it a shot:
1. When will Chris Sale make a start for the Red Sox?
Figure on it being June before Sale is part of the rotation again. Let's do the math: it's the first week of April and Sale has yet to so much as play catch. He'll need a progression that includes catch, long toss, bullpens, live BP and simulated games...and that's before he begins a rehab assignment that's likely to consume a few weeks. As was the case last year, the Sox aren't going to rush his return, especially with three more guaranteed seasons remaining on his deal after the current one.
2. How will Trevor Story adapt to second base?
Story is a tremendous athlete and there's a belief that if you can play shortstop, you can play almost anywhere. That's likely true in Story's case, but he hasn't played an inning at second in the big leagues. He'll make the transition and upgrade the infield defense all by himself. But don't be surprised if he takes a while to get comfortable. It takes time to gain familiarity with a new double-play partner, and Story will be doing so from the other side of the bag.
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3. Which position in the field offers the most concern?
That would be right field. Jackie Bradley Jr. will handle the shift from center without an issue and provide his usual stellar defense. How much he'll hit is another matter altogether. If the Sox could get a .750 OPS and double-figures in homers from him as part of a platoon, they'd be ecstatic. The unknown is his platoon partner. The emergence of Christian Arroyo as a viable option is encouraging. Arroyo is athletic enough to handle the position, though getting comfortable with right field in Fenway will be a handful. The bigger issue is Arroyo's injury history. Meanwhile, the less the Sox subject J.D. Martinez to the outfield in general -- and right field at home, in particular -- the better off both he and the team will be.
4. After RF, what else is a potential trouble spot?
The bullpen. Other than Garrett Whitlock -- in a multi-inning role, or piggybacker -- it's hard to feel completely confident in anyone among the relievers. Matt Barnes has to regain the form he showed in the first half of last season, and someone -- Jake Diekman? Ryan Brasier? Hansel Robles? -- has to emerge as a dependable eighth-inning set-up option. A certain amount of volatility is to be expected from most bullpens, but the Red Sox would seem to have the potential for most than most. And this season, especially, that's troubling.
5. Which prospects who won't make the Opening Day roster could still contribute in a big way?
Let's start with the obvious: Triston Casas. How to fit Casas into the mix will represent a challenge, especially if Bobby Dalbec hits the way he did in the second half of last year. But Casas is too good a talent to not force his way into the lineup in some way -- likely after June 1, when he's had the benefit of some additional development time at Triple A. Among pitchers, let's focus on three: Brayan Bello, Frank German and Josh Winckowski, each of whom could contribute in relief.
6. Will contractual uncertainty impact the team?
The Red Sox have a number of important players heading into their final year of team control, including Nathan Eovaldi, Kike Hernandez, Xander Bogaerts, Christian Vazquez and J.D. Martinez. That's a good chunk of the everyday lineup, plus, the team's Opening Day starter. It's possible, I guess, that one or more could be extended before Thursday's opener, or soon after, but there's been no chatter about the Sox making progress on any extension talks, so the presumption is, the start of the season will come and go without anyone getting locked up. That's hardly rare in today's game, and players - with few exceptions -- seem capable of compartmentalizing and not allowing that to impact their play. It will be Cora's job to make sure it stays that way, and he has an uncommonly good feel for clubhouse dynamics, so it shouldn't be an ongoing distraction.
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7. If the Red Sox fall out of contention by midseason, who's most likely to be dealt?
The easy answer, of course, is one of the free-agents-to-be, since that's the way the business operates. I'd expect that the Sox will try to re-sign Eovaldi, Hernandez and Bogaerts, so that leaves Martinez and Vazquez. The former is an aging DH whom the Sox would be unlikely to commit to beyond this season, and the latter's disappointing play a season ago had the Sox discussing 1) the potential of not picking up his 2022 option and 2) looking elsewhere for catching help. Maybe he can bounce back and stay, but for now, Martinez and Vazquez are the best bets for trade bait in an admittedly unlikely season-off-the-rails scenario.
8. Which player(s) have the potential to make the most improvement?
From the position player side, I'd go with Alex Verdugo, who said recently that he hasn't begun to realize his full potential. He's aiming for 40 doubles, which, in that ballpark and in that lineup, might not be out of reach. More success against lefties -- something he enjoyed until 2021 -- would go a long way toward reaching that goal. From the pitching side, while it's not often wise to put much faith in spring training performances -- especially for relievers, who are often facing minor leaguers by the late innings -- Kutter Crawford has been eye-opening, with a lively fastball consistently hitting 97 mph. If he doesn't break camp -- and I believe he will -- he'll be up at some point, and could contribute as a multi-inning reliever, or, eventually, in the rotation.
9. Will the defense be better?
If only because, in the infield, it could hardly be worse, the answer is: yes. On the right side, Bobby Dalbec is more sure of himself and more comfortable in general. Story, unfamiliar with second base as he might be, is athletic enough and a terrific defender, regardless of where he's placed. Watch for the Sox to shade him more toward Bogaerts, which should allow the shortstop to get to more balls in the hole. Bogaerts has changed his pre-pitch approach and concentrated on first-step quickness. Finally, there's Devers, who has worked diligently this spring at his position, to the delight of the staff.
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10. Can the rotation keep their heads above water until Sale returns?
For the third straight year, the Sox will be without their lefty ace at the top, but this time, the Sox are better prepared for his absence. Nathan Eovaldi has emerged into an almost 1A starter. A big key will be for further improvement from Nick Pivetta, who starts the season as the No. 2. Tanner Houck needs to harness his control and throw more strikes. Michael Wacha is an intriguing reclamation project and will test the coaching staff's ability to get the most out of talented if erratic arms. Finally, the tandem of Rich Hill and Garrett Whitlock should offer plenty of contrasts to opposing hitters. It's not as sexy a rotation as, say, Toronto's or Chicago's, but it's solid enough, and the return of Sale will provide more options.
11. How soon will we have a sense of how the Sox stack up within their own division?
Pretty quickly, I would bet. Of the team's first 20 games, 13 will come against the iron of the East: the Yankees (three), Rays (three) and Blue Jays (seven). With the Twins and Tigers, two improved teams from the Central, also part of the early-season schedule, the Sox don't have a truly easy opponent until the final weekend in April, when they travel to Baltimore for a series with the Orioles.
12. What happens behind the plate?
The onus is on Vazquez, who is in his final year. He has to hit lefties far better than a year ago (.555 OPS), or else cede more playing time to Kevin Plawecki. Plawecki already is the preferred receiver for Eovaldi. Plawecki is a nice backup, but few envision him as a No. 1 catcher. So if Vazquez doesn't hit more, or gets into one of his defensive funks, to whom do the Sox turn? Could Connor Wong inject himself into the mix after a couple of months? The Sox love his athleticism and aptitude for the position. If he can contribute offensively, he could push the two catchers ahead of him on the depth chart for playing time.