Boston Red Sox: Top Spring Training Storylines

Spring training is just days away. Truck day has come and gone, free agency is wrapping up and the stove has cooled down. The Boston Red Sox had a very solid offseason and look poised to rebound. Spring training will give us a glimpse of what is to come this season and there are some major storylines that should be followed.

The Outfield:

Even after moving Yoenis Cespedes for Rick Porcello, the Red Sox still have a crowded outfield that leaves many to question how everyone will get playing time. The only guy who I see as being guaranteed everyday playtime is Hanley Ramirez in left field. After that however, the Red Sox have Mookie Betts, Rusney Castillo, Shane Victorino, Allen Craig, Brock Holt, Daniel Nava and Jackie Bradley Jr.

The question remains however as to how John Farrell plans to handle this. Brock Holt will end up a super utility player so he won’t be a huge factor, but all of the other guys have proved themselves to some extent and likely will warrant some playtime. Jackie Bradley Jr. will most likely spend most of the season in AAA in the hopes that he can figure his swing out so I don’t think he will be stealing much, if any starts away from the other outfielders on the roster.

Shane Victorino was incredibly instrumental to the Red Sox World Series run and has a special place in every Sox fan’s heart. However, he seems to constantly be injured. Victorino is a talented outfielder and when healthy deserves play time, but the inconsistency of his health makes me question if “every little thing is gonna be alright,”

Allen Craig has struggled since his ankle injury in the 2013 season and hasn’t been able to bounce back. He does have the added advantage that he can play first, but Mike Napoli has that locked down for a majority of the games. So that won’t be an area that Craig can get consistent playtime. Daniel Nava profiles similarly to Craig, since he can also play first. However, he will most likely end up as a bench player who gets the occasional start.

Then there is Mookie Betts, who forced his way to the majors last season. Mookie is incredibly talented and an integral part of the Red Sox future, but the question is where to play him. He only played in 54 games while in AAA and he would likely benefit most from consistent playtime.

The Sox are paying Rusney Castillo a lot of money for a reason. Castillo has the ability to hit for a solid average, has strong power and solid speed to go with it. He is a guy who not only deserves everyday playtime, but will get that time.

Ramirez, Victorino and Craig all have struggled with injuries in their career but assuming they are all healthy the Red Sox are in a tough spot. Could we see a large outfield rotation to help get guys rest and hopefully stay healthy?

Regardless, with the roster the way it is today there is no way Farrell could make a six man outfield rotation work. So the question becomes what to do? Should Mookie Betts start the year in AAA? Will we see the Sox make a trade or two to free up play time? Only time will tell.

The Rotation

After missing out on the Jon Lester sweepstakes, the Red Sox rotation was completely up in the air. However, after making a couple moves both on the trade market and in free agency, the Red Sox rotation seems to be set.

The two guys that we know and are familiar with are Clay Buchholz and Joe Kelly. Having Buchholz as the number one makes me pretty uncomfortable, but then again, it is an odd year so Buchholz may have himself a respectable season. Joe Kelly on the other hand might not be anything to ride home about, but he is still a quality number five. He brings some serious heat, with his fastball touching 99 and he is only 26 so we could still sees some development from him

We have looked at the top and bottom of the rotation, what falls in between Kelly and Buchholz?

Rick Porcello in my mind is the ace of the Sox rotation. Granted, he doesn’t have much competition for the title. He is a young guy who will create a lot of ground balls and will benefit greatly from the Red Sox defense behind him. Wade Miley profiles as a similar pitcher, just without the same ceiling but he should be a very strong number three.

The final name in the rotation is Justin Masterson, who was one of the guys the Sox signed during the offseason. He had a horrendous year last year, which was highlighted by his 5.88 ERA. Masterson was dealing with some lingering injuries so the hope is that he is finally healthy and able to bounce back.

“I’d like to be in the rotation. I’m hoping I can win a job in the starting rotation but we’ll see how that goes. I’m doing everything I can right now to prepare for it and get ready to put myself in a good spot to compete for that job.” -Brandon Workman

The other guys that could potentially come into play are Brandon Workman and Alexi Ogando. Workman has expressed interest in starting for the Sox, but he has gotten some chances and seems to be more fit for the bullpen. Alexi Ogando was signed by the Sox for a one-year deal that tops out at 1.5 million dollars His career has been riddled with injuries but when healthy and playing his ERA is 3.35; If he could put it together and stay healthy he could be a potential wildcard.

Will the Sox make anymore moves before the season starts? Does Ogando have a legitimate shot at breaking into the rotation? Will Masterson and Buchholz have bounce back seasons? What type of development will we see from Porcello and Kelly? While spring training doesn’t hold all the answers, the picture should become a bit clearer as we draw closer and closer to opening day.

The Prospects

The final, and in my opinion most exciting aspect of spring training is getting a glimpse at some players that make up the Red Sox future. Expect many of the Red Sox top prospects to make appearances at spring training, including Henry Owens and Blake Swihart.

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Owen’s is a big left-handed pitcher who made himself a household name last year. I was lucky enough to see his AAA debut in which he took a no hitter into the sixth inning. He might not have incredible stuff but his command has really grown and he is able to use a deceptive delivery along with his strong command and pitches to generate strikeouts.

Owens only got in a couple months in AAA so don’t expect him to break camp with the team. However, he should get the call up sometime this season and when he does be ready, because he has the potential to be special.

The Red Sox should be set at the catcher position for the next decade or so with Swihart and Vazquez behind the backstop. Vasquez made it to the big leagues last year and profiles to see a majority of the starts this year and Swihart, like Owens, will most likely be up sometime this season. Swihart is the dream catching prospect. He’s got a great arm, frames pitches well and has a bat that will allow him to hit for both power and average.

MLB.com has Swihart and Owens as the number 18 and 19 prospects in all of baseball and this points to exciting things for the Sox future; just don’t expect that future to be here just yet.

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