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Boston Red Sox Opening Day Roster is Final, Steve Selsky Earns Final Spot

By Logan Jakubajtys

Sep 24, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts (50), second baseman Dustin Pedroia (15), shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) and teammates congratulate each other as they beat the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Boston Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 6-4. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 24, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts (50), second baseman Dustin Pedroia (15), shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) and teammates congratulate each other as they beat the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Boston Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 6-4. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Boston Red Sox Opening Day roster is now set ahead of the team’s first game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday at Fenway Park.

First baseman and outfielder Steve Selsky has earned the final Opening Day roster spot for the 2017 Boston Red Sox. He edged out Marco Hernandez, likely due to his experience on the first base bag.

The Red Sox have a number of players beginning the season on the 10-day disabled list, including pitcher David Price. Reliever Tyler Thornburg and starter Drew Pomeranz are also on the DL.

The Red Sox are actually playing it extremely smart with the new 10-day DL rule, as they can backdate Pomeranz DL stint three days, allowing him to return in time for his first scheduled start. The move will allow Boston to carry an extra reliever up until that point.

Starting Lineup

  1. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
  2. Andrew Benintendi, LF
  3. Mookie Betts, RF
  4. Hanley Ramirez, DH
  5. Pablo Sandoval, 3B
  6. Mitch Moreland, 1B
  7. Xander Bogaerts, SS
  8. Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
  9. Sandy Leon, C

This should be your Opening Day lineup for the Boston Red Sox. The only question is whether or not Mitch Moreland will actually be ready to play. If he’s not, slide Brock Holt into the 1B spot. John Farrell will likely tinker with the lineup a bit over the course of the season, but this is how it should start.

Bench

Brock Holt, UTIL

Christian Vazquez, C

Chris Young, OF

Steve Selsky, 1B/OF

Again, Holt could be in the lineup for Opening Day, but on the regular, he’s a versatile bench player. Vazquez is the better defensive catcher and will catch his fair share of games. He’ll also come in during later innings to close things out defensively. Chris Young and Steve Selsky will aid in giving players a few rest days.

Starting Rotation

Rick Porcello, RHP

Chris Sale, LHP

Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP

Steven Wright, RHP

The Sox will technically start the season with a four-man rotation. Drew Pomeranz should be back in time for his first start, though. Rick Porcello will get the Opening Day start while new ace Chris Sale will pitch in the second game of the season.

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Bullpen

Fernando Abad, LHP

Matt Barnes, RHP

Heath Hembree, RHP

Joe Kelly, RHP

Craig Kimbrel, RHP

Robbie Ross Jr., LHP

Robby Scott, LHP

Ben Taylor, RHP

The Red Sox have a perfect balance of lefties and righties in the pen. Tyler Thornburg will eventually join this crew, and Carson Smith may as well. For now, it looks like Joe Kelly will be the setup man for closer Craig Kimbrel.

Next: 2017 Boston Red Sox Preview and Predictions

The Red Sox, even with injuries, are in a good spot heading into the 2017 campaign. Let’s hope it ends with a World Series title.

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