Red Sox roster battle for bench spots coming down to the wire
The starting lineup is pretty much set entering into the final full week of spring training. The same cannot be said for who will end up with the four bench spots to start the season.
Realistically there are seven guys battling for the four spots, so who ends up on the major league team?
The seven guys battling for the bench spots seem to be Connor Wong, Bobby Dalbec, Yu Chang, Rob Refsnyder, Raimel Tapia, Jarren Duran, and Jorge Alfaro.
You could argue that all of them have had very productive springs besides Wong and Refsnyder. Wong suffered a hamstring injury early in the spring that has limited him to three games, and Refsnyder started his spring 0-21, so his numbers are a bit behind what we saw last season.
Chang has yet to play a game for the Red Sox this spring, but he has used the WBC to his advantage in making the Red Sox roster.
Chang went off for Chinese Taipei in Pool A action, despite finishing in last place in their pool. His efforts landed him the Pool A MVP award.
With Chang being a lock for the roster at the moment, that leaves three others spots up for grab. The catcher position has seemed to be a hot topic as camp is coming to close.
Wong looked to have the inside track for the spot until a hamstring injury slowed him down.
Alfaro has looked good this spring in his time with Columbia in the WBC, and during his time in a Red Sox uniform. He is 9-14 with a .646 batting average in Grapefruit League action.
It may be coming down to if Wong is healthy and ready to begin the season on time. If that answer is that he is, this is a much harder decision to make. Wong has put in his time in Worcester and has built a nice relationship with some of the younger pitchers on the staff. The backup catcher role will be a tough one for Chaim Bloom & company.
Refsnyder started this spring very cold, yet it still feels like he is the safest to make the roster. The 31-year-old carried an .881 OPS and played all three outfield positions. Tapia has done nothing but hit this spring, as he is 13-32 with a 1.191 OPS. Carrying both a left and right outfield bench bat makes a lot of sense, and both are above average defenders that can spell any of the three starting outfielders any given night.
That leaves Dalbec and Duran on the outside looking in. Dalbec has been playing a ton of shortstop recently, which could mean it will either help his case to make the roster with more versatility or be showcasing his ability to play more positions in a potential trade. Duran has looked very improved at the plate this spring, which is encouraging after a rough stretch in 2022.
Have Duran and Dalbec done enough to earn a spot on the opening day roster? Will Tapia or Alfaro be added to the 40-man roster and play in Boston this year? Nine more days until opening day to find out.
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