What the Red Sox lineup, rotation and bullpen could look like in 2023 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Red Sox won’t be unrecognizable when they take the field for Opening Day 2023, but they’ll take some getting used to.
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Chaim Bloom and the Red Sox front office have made a handful of noteworthy additions to the roster, but there’s more work to be done before next year’s campaign kicks off. Until then, here’s what Boston’s roster projects will look like when it takes the field on March 30.
(This post will be updated as moves are made leading up to opening day.)
Queue
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L. F. Masataka Yoshida
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SS Kike Hernandez
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DH Justin Turner
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1B Triston Casas
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CF Adam Duvall
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RF Alex Verdugo
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2B Christian Arroyo
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C Reese McGuire
Trevor Story will miss time after elbow surgery. That makes the situation in midfield even more dire after Bogaerts’ departure. According to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe, manager Alex Cora said there have been “more conversations”. about Hernandez taking over at shortstop, a scenario that seems more likely after Boston signed a deal with outfielder Adam Duvall, who will likely perform midfield duties.
Still, before Opening Day, the Red Sox could benefit from additional help in the middle of the field.
Bank
CConnor Wong
1BBobby Dalbec
BY Rob Refsnyder
2B/SS Adalberto Mondesi
Wong will share time behind the plate with Reese McGuire if the Red Sox don’t sign or trade a catcher for Opening Day.
Dalbec was reportedly placed on the trading bloc this offseason, but will serve as backup first baseman/DH if he stays with the club. Refsnyder fits in as a solid fourth or fifth outfielder after being a pleasant surprise in 2022. The oft-injured Mondesi should split time at second base with Arroyo when healthy and can replace Hernandez at shortstop if needed.
Start rotation
LHP Chris Sales
RHP Nick Pivetta
R. H. P. Garrett Whitlock
RHP Corey Kluber
R. H. P. Brayan Bello
L. H. P. James Paxton
Right now, Sale can’t be counted on to anchor the workforce, even though he’s healthy. The addition of Kluber brings much-needed depth to the rotation, but the absence of a reliable No. 1 starter is conspicuous. Lots of “what ifs” in this group.
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Whitlock is scheduled to start the season in the rotation, where he saw mixed results in 2022. Bello will try to take a step forward after showing flashes of his high side as a rookie. Paxton has been plagued with injuries in recent years and is far from certain to impress.
Bullpen
LHP Joely Rodriguez
RHP Ryan Brassier
R. H. P. Tanner Houck
R. H. P. Kutter Crawford
RHP John Schreiber
RHP Chris Martin
RHP Kenley Jansen
The Red Sox have made a concerted effort to improve their bullpen this offseason. They have signed left-hander Joely Rodriguez, veteran right-hander Chris Martin and three-time All-Star closer Kenley Jansen. That’s a significant improvement from last season when the back of the bullpen was a mess.
