Boston Red Sox
The Pink Sox nonetheless have a number of logjams of their outfield and inside their pitching corps.
The Pink Sox entered the offseason with loads of query marks and a number of other segments of the roster gridlocked with too many gamers.
A few of these complications haven’t alleviated themselves now that the Pink Sox have opened camp in Fort Myers.
As spring coaching commences down in Florida, right here’s a take a look at a number of gamers who could possibly be on the skin trying on the Pink Sox’ roster come Opening Day.
Triston Casas
At this level, it’s all however a on condition that Triston Casas might be on the skin trying on the big-league roster in April, due largely to his well being.
After he ruptured his patellar tendon final Might, it stays to be seen if Casas will even be obtainable to play in late March or early April as soon as Boston’s ‘26 marketing campaign will get underway. He admitted at Boston’s fan fest occasion final month that being prepared for Opening Day is perhaps a “tight squeeze.”
However, even when Casas was wholesome, a beginning position at first base has fallen to the wayside for the gifted slugger.
Boston’s full-time first baseman in 2026 and past might be veteran Willson Contreras, whereas Casas nonetheless has lots to show after lacking a lot of the final two seasons attributable to damage.
The 26-year-old Casas has some minor-league choices, so it wouldn’t come as a lot of a shock if he opens the 2026 season with Triple-A Worcester as soon as he’s cleared for recreation motion.
If Casas can get wholesome, there’s nonetheless lots to love about his upside as an influence hitter with sturdy plate self-discipline, as evidenced by his 2023 season the place he slugged 24 residence runs and completed third in AL Rookie of the 12 months voting.
If he can get again on the sector and mash in Worcester, he might put himself in place to vie for a daily position as Boston’s DH, the place his energy and talent to get on-base could be correctly utilized.
In fact, there are a number of different gamers who’re additionally within the operating for that DH spot.
Kristian Campbell
The primary of Boston’s blue-chip prospects to reach on the scene in 2025, Kristian Campbell now finds himself in no-man’s land coming into the 2026 marketing campaign.
The promising slugger had a powerful begin to his big-league profession, breaking camp with Boston out of spring coaching final March.
Together with signing an eight-year, $80 million contract extension final spring, Campbell took residence AL Rookie of the Month honors in April after batting .313 with eight doubles, 4 residence runs, and 12 RBI over his first 28 video games within the majors.
However, Campbell’s play plummeted after that. He batted .154 with two residence runs, 9 RBI, and 42 strikeouts over his subsequent 39 video games (144 plate appearances). His protection additionally left lots to be desired at second base, as he posted a minus-16 defensive runs saved.
Campbell was finally assigned to Triple-A Worcester in the midst of June and spent the rest of the year in the minor leagues.
The 23-year-old Campbell is searching for a recent begin in 2026, together with his long-term contract and observe file of dominating within the minor leagues providing up hope that he can discover his recreation on the big-league stage.
However, his defensive deficiencies restrict simply the place Alex Cora and Co. might slot him on this roster, with a possible spot at DH additionally removed from a assure given Boston’s different choices, together with MLB locks like Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida.
The writing is on the wall that Campbell will start the 12 months in Worcester, the place ample enjoying time ought to be obtainable for him.
Payton Tolle and Connelly Early
The Pink Sox’ once-dormant pipeline of pitching prospects obtained a shot within the arm with the speedy growth of each Tolle and Early in 2025.
Tolle — who opened the season in Single-A — made all of it the best way to the massive leagues by the tip of the 12 months, with the lefty showcasing loads of swing-and-miss stuff with a blistering fastball.
Whereas Tolle additionally took his lumps (6.06 ERA in 16.1 innings) with the Pink Sox, Early was a game-changer down the stretch, with the southpaw posting a 2.33 ERA and 1.086 WHIP throughout his 4 begins earlier than getting the ball in Sport 3 of Boston’s wild-card spherical in opposition to the Yankees.
There’s lots to love about how each Tolle and Early can finally become key cogs in Boston’s pitching corps, be it within the beginning rotation or as weapons within the bullpen.
However, each children is perhaps the odd males out on Opening Day, given the glut of different pitchers Boston already has on the roster.
Barring accidents, the Pink Sox seemingly have their beginning rotation set between Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suarez, Sonny Grey, and Brayan Bello, with former Pirates starter Johan Oviedo seemingly the primary man up for the No. 5 spot.
Even when Oviedo falters or different pitchers battle, the Pink Sox even have each Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval within the combine with Tolle and Early.
There’s lots to love about each Early and Tolle’s upside, and it wouldn’t come as a lot of a shock if they’re key contributors down the stretch as Boston’s roster settles itself for the stretch run.
However, barring a dominant stretch in spring coaching, each Early and Tolle appear destined for normal innings in Worcester to open a brand new baseball season.
Masataka Yoshida
The Pink Sox weren’t in a position to alleviate themselves of their present four-man outfield conundrum, with solely three spots obtainable for 4 succesful gamers in Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and Jarren Duran.
Barring a late commerce, it appears as if Cora and the Pink Sox’s greatest path transferring ahead is to cycle a type of 4 gamers by the DH spot as a way to allocate common at-bats for that quartet.
The place does that go away Yoshida?
Yoshida stands as a sq. peg in a spherical gap inside Boston’s roster composition, with Boston unable to discover a taker for the remaining two years and $36 million left on his contract.
Yoshida’s poor fielding and baserunning additionally limits how Cora can make the most of him outdoors of the DH spot, whereas he struggled in 2025 by slashing .266/.307/.388. He fared higher in September and through Boston’s temporary playoff run, however Yoshida’s profile as a contact hitter who doesn’t essentially get on base isn’t precisely what Boston is searching for at DH.
It appears like one thing’s acquired to present between the Pink Sox and Yoshida, particularly with gamers like Duran, Anthony, and even gamers like Casas and Campbell providing extra upside on the DH spot because the season carries on.
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