The equipment truck has arrived and with it, many of the players, even though the mandatory report date isn't until later this week.
Ordinarily, the start of spring training is an occasion to foster hope for the upcoming season. For the Red Sox, however, that optimism may be difficult to embrace. Coming off a last-place finish in 2022, the team lost free agent shortstop Xander Bogaerts and many -- though not all -- of its moves this winter were of the complementary variety.
The Sox may be slightly better than a year ago, but it's difficult to see that translating in much progress in the highly competitive AL East, where three teams qualified for the postseason and a fourth posted a winning record.
Then again, the sport offers plenty of surprises. Teams with modest expectations can sometimes be a pleasant surprise and others of whom much is expected can faceplant.
With that in mind, let's get to 20 questions, in no particular order, for the 2023 Red Sox:
1. What can be expected from Chris Sale?
Short answer: Who knows?
Sale's 2022 was a nightmare from start to finish, punctuated by no fewer than three significant injuries: a broken rib incurred during the lockout; a broken pinkie in his second start back; and a fractured wrist, the rest of a freak bicycle spill.
Last month, at the team's Winter Weekend get-together in Springfield, Sale expressed cautious optimism about the upcoming season, though he was all but searching for some wood on which to knock as he spoke. Sale was gratified that he had completed a normal offseason and highly motivated to make up for lost time. He joked that while he's about to turn 34, his left arm is actually just 31, thanks to the inactivity of the last three seasons.
Indeed, Sale has thrown just 48.1 innings since the end of 2019 and the hard truth is, no one knows what that will mean to his future performance. Can Sale still be a No. 1 starter? Can he regain his 95 mph-plus velocity? For a start, the Red Sox would be grateful to just see him take the mound close to 30 times.
Unless Sale can invite comparisons to his past self, the Red Sox don't have anyone who could be classified as a legitimate front-of-the-rotation starter.
2. How will the catching duties be split?
It appears that Reese McGuire will be the primary catcher, and if he can perform the way he did in the two months after arriving at last summer's deadline, that should be sufficient. McGuire doesn't offer much power -- 12 homers in 230 games -- but he showed a knack for going the other way and provided competitive at-bats. Moreover, in an admittedly small sample size, he gunned down five of 12 would-be base stealers. And despite arriving in August, he seemed to learn the staff quickly.
There's less certainty about his catching partner. Connor Wong will get a chance to win the job in spring training. Wong turns 27 in May, and even at a position in which players tend to bloom later, his time is now. He's improved defensively over the last few years, but there's a lot of unknown when it comes to offense. He has just 61 career at-bats. In reserve waits Jorge Alfaro, who has flashes of power and a strong throwing arm, but not much in the way of consistent contact.
Odds are, Alfaro, signed to a minor league deal with some mid-season opt-outs, will be stashed at Triple A for a while and Wong will be given a chance to secure the No. 2 spot. If he stumbles, Alfaro will get the call.
3. Can Kiké Hernandez handle shortstop fulltime?
Hernandez is both versatile and athletic, but the fact remains that, over nine seasons, he's started just 64 games at the position. It's true that Hernandez hadn't started much more than 100 games in center before taking over that position in the second half of 2021, and he proved to be an elite defender there. But shortstop is a more intricate and demanding position and Hernandez will begin the year somewhat under the microscope.
It's not as if the Sox have many alternatives at the position, at least for the first half of the season. Christian Arroyo is needed at second and Adalberto Mondesi may not be ready to start the season thanks to knee surgery last April.
It's a given that Hernandez won't produce the level of offense that his predecessor Bogaerts did, and the Red Sox understand that. But he does need to play an adequate shortstop and provide some stability to the position.
4. How will Masataka Yoshida make the transition to MLB?
Yoshida was the club's biggest acquisition of the winter, with the Red Sox outbidding every other suitor on the first day he was posted. Several other organizations have questioned the wisdom of the Sox' $90 million outlay - plus another $15.4 million in posting fee. The Sox were steadfast in their belief, confident that Yoshida will be more than worth his investment.
Already, we know he's below-average outfielder with no discernible speed. But the Sox are betting big on his bat-to-ball skills and ability to consistent get on base. For a lineup that struggled at the top of the order last season, finding a table-setter would be a major victory. ZIPS projection has Yoshida slashing .305/.372/.489 with 29 doubles and 20 homers. That sort of offensive production would absolutely thrill the Red Sox.
There's a lot for him to overcome, of course, including cultural adjustments, a longer schedule and learning a new league. And there will be a lot riding on his performance.
5. Can Triston Casas make good on his potential?
Casas arrived in September and quickly showed an innate ability to work counts, get on base, control the strike zone and field his position well. He occasionally flashed some power, but in limited playing time, hit just .197. He'll need to make more consistent contact and adjust more quickly to how teams pitch to him.
The Sox have gone all in on Casas, designating Eric Hosmer for assignment, leaving Bobby Dalbec as the only other obvious option at first. Casas doesn't lack for confidence, but he'll need to produce.
Also, keep an eye on how Casas blends in. Some players were taken aback by his quirky pre-game habits (sunning himself in the outfield, pre-game naps in the clubhouse) and it will be interesting to see how that dynamic evolves.
6. Will the Sox hit for enough power?
Even as some rule changes encourage a renewed emphasis on athleticism and base-stealing, power is still important and the Red Sox didn't show nearly enough it last year. They finished 20th in MLB last year with just 155 homers.
Some of that diminished production can be attributed to injuries and underperformance by Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez, who combined for just 31 homers, or a little more than half of what might have been forecast for the two.
But other than Rafael Devers (27), no one projected to be on the Opening Day roster hit more than 13 homers last season. Sure, Justin Turner will probably be good for 20 or so in a more hitter-friendly environment, and Casas and Yoshida could both top the 20-homer mark and newcomer Adam Duvall can be counted on for 25 or more.
The Sox don't have to mash like they did in the late 1970s, but it would sure take a lot of pressure off the pitching staff if they could figure out a way to hit, say, 30 more homers than they did a year ago.
7. How will the rule changes impact the Red Sox?
Wouldn't you know it -- the one guy who stood to benefit the most from the banning of shifts won't be around to take advantage of it. Trevor Story has easily the most range of any Sox infielder, but is out for at least the first half of the season with an elbow injury.
As for the expected rise on steals -- somewhat shorter distances between the bases and limits on pickoff attempts -- it's unclear whether the Sox have the personnel to take advantage. Other than Story, there isn't a single player on the roster who has swiped double-figures in a single season.
Then there's the pitch clock. A number of the younger pitchers have already experienced it in the minors in recent seasons, but it should be interesting to see how it impacts closer Kenley Jansen, one of the slowest-working pitchers in the game.
8. Is there another gear for Alex Verdugo?
Verdugo has been the very definition of average in his three seasons with the Sox. He's an adequate outfielder who consistently makes contact, but hasn't shown much in the way of power or speed. He's under control for two more seasons and as the main piece in the Mookie Betts trade can safely be labeled an underachiever.
Alex Cora seemed to subtly call out Verdugo in the final days of the season and suggested the outfielder was at something of a career crossroads. Reading between the lines, Cora appeared to be challenging the outfielder to be better. It will be fascinating to see how he responds.
It seems remarkable that Verdugo has never hit more than 13 homers in a season. And it's more than a little troubling that his OPS has dipped in each of his last two seasons.
9. Who's the odd man out in the starting rotation?
Yes, yes, we know -- "these things have a way of working themselves out.'' But for the moment, the Red Sox have a minimum of six major league starters, not counting Tanner Houck, who, for the time being, is ticketed for the bullpen.
After Sale, there's James Paxton, Corey Kluber, Nick Pivetta, Brayan Bello and Garrett Whitlock. Assuming they're healthy and capable at the end of March, that's one too many.
There are options, of course. The Sox could go with a six-man rotation at the start of the year, but with additional off-days in the first month, it would be difficult to keep everybody on schedule. Maybe Paxton will be brought along slowly, or maybe the Sox will determine that Bello could use more time at Triple A, though the latter is doubtful. Either way, it's the proverbial nice problem to have -- for now.
10. What does the bullpen setup look like?
For the first time since the end of the Craig Kimbrel Era, the Red Sox have a legitimate closer and the last three outs are spoken for.
But who handles the eighth inning? The Sox can choose from among newcomer Chris Martin and holdover John Schreiber. Can either of the new lefties -- Richard Bleier and Joely Rodriguez -- be trusted to get out righties, too? And how will Houck be utilized? Will he be a high-leverage option for the eighth, or will be used more a bulk innings guy, capable of bridging the Sox from the starter to Jansen?
There's lots to be determined, but it seem rather obvious that the bullpen is significantly improved from a year ago. It had better be.
11. Will any rookies impact the roster?
Under Chaim Bloom, the Red Sox have been highly conservative in their player development timetable. Bloom likes to see a player dominate at Triple A before getting to the big leagues, so it's very difficult to envision anyone making the team out of spring training.
By midseason, however, Ceddanne Rafaela and Bryan Mata could be contributors. Rafaela is athletic enough to handle both the middle infield and center field and could turn out to be a valuable, versatile option off the bench in the second half. Mata might be utilized out of the bullpen before being given a chance to compete for a rotation spot, especially if his strike-throwing ability remains a question mark.
A few others -- Brandon Walter and Chris Murphy, to name two -- could get a look in relief.
12. How hot is the seat for Bloom?
Two last-place finishes in three seasons have the Bloom Era off to a bad start. A number of big trades, in which the returns have yet to impact the big league club, have also called into question his evaluating skills. And even with a payroll already well north of $200 million, a trip to the postseason still looks like a real longshot.
Bloom built his reputation as someone who could improve organization from top to bottom, and the minor league system has, indeed, gotten better. But at some point, fans and ownership want to see results on the field at the major league level, making 2023 a big test for him.
It's highly unusual for an executive to be fired after a poor start to the season, but if the Sox get to the trade deadline and aren't in contention, the questions about Bloom's job security will only get louder.