Spring training is officially underway and excitement is buzzing around the Boston Red Sox highlighted by a big offseason that saw the club land Alex Bregman in a mammoth three-year contract.
There is a bit of drama based on the fallout of that signing, but strong play on the diamond solves all woes. Nonetheless, the organization is committed to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2021 and maintain sustained success in the coming years.
That means roster turnover is inevitable. With that in mind, let's look at several players who are experiencing their final Spring Training in Boston.
1. Triston Casas, 1B
During the offseason, Triston Casas was rumored to be on the outs when the Red Sox were looking for starting pitching. Casas addressed said rumors with Ian Browne of MLB.com.
"I try not to get too caught up in it… I [try] to disassociate with the emotion of the business part of baseball, so I feel like it’s just part of the nature to check in on guys and constantly want to bolster your roster, and sometimes it takes shaking up an organization to do so."Ian Browne, MLB.com.
As recently as last week, Casas may have made my list because he is one more left-handed bat in the team’s left-handed-dominant lineup. However, this week Craig Breslow signed former Houston Astros third baseman Bregman, the top remaining right-handed bat in free agency, to help balance the lineup.
The signing of Bregman does bring challenges for Casas. During Bregman's entire career, he has been one of the best third basemen in the league. Last season at the plate, he finished with a .260 batting average with 26 home runs while driving in 75 runs. And in the field, Bregman won the American League Gold Glove.
Bregman’s fielding prowess combined with the fact that the team’s current third baseman, Rafael Devers, is arguably the worst-fielding third baseman in baseball, means that either Devers or Bregman will need to move from third base. If Devers is moved to first base at any time during the season, Casas will not have an everyday role in the Red Sox lineup and may be used as trade bait to upgrade another position on the roster.
2. Aroldis Chapman, RP
This offseason, the Red Sox signed left-handed flamethrower Aroldis Chapman to a one-year deal to help bolster the backend of the team’s bullpen. This addition became even more important after the Sox lost two important bullpen arms, Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen, in free agency.
Chapman will turn 37 before the season starts and at this point in his career was signed more for his name than his recent performance. Last season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chapman finished the campaign with a 5-5 record and a 3.79 ERA with 14 saves. While these stats are fine, they are a far cry from the mid-late 2010s when Chapman was one of the best closing pitchers in the league.
Given Chapman’s age and declining performance over the last few years, I would not be surprised if the Red Sox prioritized getting younger in their bullpen and did not re-sign him after this season.