March 11, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Fort Report: Position battles heat up; SoxProspects crew set to arrive
Injuries lead to roster uncertainty
With Opening Day just over two weeks away, injuries continue to cloud what the roster will look like on March 27 against the Rangers. On the infield, Rafael Devers is slated to make his spring training debut on Saturday. Alex Bregman figures to get time at second base with Devers back, but Kristian Campbell (pictured), David Hamilton, and Vaughn Grissom have seen time there, as well. What the Red Sox ultimately decide to do with Devers will ripple across the rest of the lineup.
In the outfield, it is looking more likely that Wilyer Abreu opens the season on the injured list. Abreu still hopes to be ready for March 27, but reports are that he has not yet been cleared to swing. Additionally, Masataka Yoshida has only appeared as a designated hitter this spring and it is not clear if his arm is ready for game action after shoulder surgery. These injuries have led to Campbell getting more innings than expected in the outfield.
Two players who were not on the outfield radar a few weeks ago have put their names in the running with some great performances thus far. The most notable is Trayce Thompson who is dominating the Grapefruit League. Through 11 games he has six home runs and three stolen bases to go along with a .391/.533/1.261 batting line. Nate Eaton's .259/.394/.741 line seems pedestrian by comparison, but he has been another bright spot for Boston. Eaton has options remaining while Thompson does not, which may give Eaton the upper hand if the Red Sox feel they need a player for a week or two.
Virus sweeps through clubhouse
Several of Boston's top young players have been sidelined due to a virus. Triston Casas, Romy González, Seby Zavala, Roman Anthony, and Marcelo Mayer have all missed time over the last week. Anthony seems to have taken the worst of it, losing 10 pounds.
SoxProspects crew set to arrive in Fort Myers
The first members of the team will be arriving on Wednesday, with Chris and Ian slated to attend the Spring Breakout game on Thursday. The roster for the Spring Breakout game was released, with the Red Sox sending most of their top prospects.
On the Podcast front, early last week Ian was joined by former Red Sox infielder and current NESN primary color analyst Lou Merloni to discuss all the happenings thus far at spring training. Ian was then joined by Chris on Sunday night to discuss the latest from MLB camp, while also previewing minor league camp.
Mikey Romero's impressive spring
It is not often a former first-round pick would fly under the radar, but with Anthony, Campbell, and Mayer taking up a lot of the media coverage, Mikey Romero's strong spring has not been a top story. He's only accumulated seven plate appearances over four games, but he is 4 for 6 with a walk, double, and home run. He was the focus of Ian Browne's newsletter on MLB.com, with quotes from Romero as well as Alex Cora.
First round of cuts from major league camp
The Red Sox have cut seven players from major league camp, with Luis Perales and Jhostynxon Garcia being optioned to minor league camp, while Yovanny Cruz, Jovani Moran, Robert Stock, Brian Van Belle, and Jacob Webb were all reassigned to minor league camp. Garcia had a rough start to game action, going 1 for 21 with 10 strikeouts. Cruz also struggled on the mound, giving up six runs over two innings.
Transactions
- While this is procedural in nature, the Red Sox did agree to terms with 23 players on one-year contracts. These are players on the 40-man roster who are not yet arbitration eligible, including Casas, Connor Wong, and Abreu. Full salaries are updated on our Payroll page.
- While still not official, reports are that the Red Sox have agreed to a minor league deal with José De León. A former top prospect with the Dodgers, De León has missed most of the last two years after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery in July 2023. He returned to play winter ball in Puerto Rico this offseason, striking out 15 and walking 10 while pitching to a 1.32 ERA over 13 2/3 innings.
Where are they now?
- Mo Vaughn's time in system predates this website, but he is a member of the Pawtucket Red Sox Hall of Fame after appearing in 216 games for the PawSox in the early 90s. Vaughn was featured in an article by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, where he discussed how he has rediscovered his passion for the game after a long estrangement from the sport. He has his own baseball academy, and his 12-year-old son has dreams of following in his father's footsteps. Vaughn does discuss being named in the Mitchell Report and his HGH use during his post-Boston playing days.
- Jose Iglesias, who was originally signed by Boston out of Cuba in 2009, signed a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres.
- A strong spring that has seen him hit .348/.360/.478 has given Mickey Gasper a chance to make Minnesota's Opening Day roster.
- Jalen Beeks signed a minor league deal with the Houston Astros. He split last season between the Rockies and the Pirates.
Minor leaguers in major league games
In the Fort Report, we track players who are not in major league camp that appeared in major league spring training games. The numbers in parentheses list the player's current SoxProspects ranking.
Pitchers: Jose Adames, Jonathan Brand, Brendan Cellucci, Grant Gambrell (47), Christopher Troye
Position players: Marvin Alcantara (51), Franklin Arias (5), Miguel Bleis (6), Juan Chacon, Zach Ehrhard (40), Max Ferguson, Blaze Jordan (27), Abrahm Liendo, Andy Lugo, Justin Riemer (31), Mikey Romero (13), Corey Rosier, Phillip Sikes, Karson Simas, Will Turner (57)
Photo Credit: Kristian Campbell by Kelly O'Connor