Projecting the Red Sox' Opening Day Roster

It's officially March, which means Spring Training is well underway and Opening Day of the 2024 MLB season is around the corner. With that comes roster cuts; the 40-man roster will ultimately be slashed to 26 by Opening Day.

The Boston Red Sox enter this phase of the preseason with some amount of roster certainty, but there are some difficult decisions looming. Center field, second base, and spots in the starting rotation are all up in the air, as well as utility-style infield spots. With that being said, here are my predictions for the 2024 Boston Red Sox opening day roster:

Infield

Catcher (2): Connor Wong, Reese McGuire

Not too much in the way of controversy here - Wong and McGuire caught well enough last year, and the only other catcher on the 40-man roster is Tyler Heineman, who seems very unlikely to unseat either one. Star prospect Kyle Teel could very easily make a foray into the bigs at some point this season, but it'd be somewhat of a shock if he made the roster out of camp. Wong and McGuire are virtual guarantees.

First base (2): Triston Casas, C.J. Cron

Between Casas, Cron, and Bobby Dalbec, there are three guys competing for what will likely amount to two spots. Casas is the easiest pick here - the 24-year old finished third in last year's Rookie of the Year voting, and was one of Boston's most consistent hitters. Cron was signed just days ago to a minor-league contract, but his Major League pedigree and 187 career home runs seem likely to beat out Dalbec's checkered major league history.

Second base (1): Vaughn Grissom, Enmanuel Valdez*

There's room for speculation here, especially given the recent news of Grissom's groin injury that could keep him out through Opening Day. If healthy, the 23-year old can be penciled in with some certainty; although he's only played 64 games at the big league level, his offensive talent is apparent and the Sox took a major gamble to get him in the Chris Sale trade this winter. The 24-year old Valdez is a trickier case - his bat is solid (.764 OPS) but his glove is somewhat of a liability, making him something of an enigmatic case. *If Grissom is to miss extended time, Valdez is a roster shoo-in; if he doesn't, he'll have a much tougher path.

Shortstop (2): Trevor Story, Pablo Reyes

Assuming he can stay healthy, 2024 is a massive year for Trevor Story. The shortstop has not lived up to his 6-year, $140 million dollar contract, but his defensive importance and (hypothetical) right-handed power bat make him invaluable to the Sox. Reyes, on the other hand, came out of nowhere to be an important piece for the 2023 team, hitting to the tune of a .287 average and providing excellent defense at three infield positions. Both of these guys will make the Opening Day roster, barring something surprising.

Third base (1): Rafael Devers

There's not much to say here - Rafael Devers is the team's best hitter, and a 10-year, $315 million contract inked before the start of last season ties him to this roster for the foreseeable future. Look for Devers to improve defensively at third base, though, or he could quickly find himself as the everyday DH.