A standout spring has earned Ceddanne Rafaela a spot on the Opening Day roster for the Boston Red Sox for the first time in his burgeoning career.

“He’s very dynamic, athletic, versatile, he’s a good kid, too,” Red Sox Manager Alex Cora said Saturday afternoon.

Rafaela is considered a stellar defensive center fielder, but the Sox wanted to see him do more offensively. The 23-year-old’s improved plate discipline has been on display throughout spring training. He entered Saturday 14 for 51 (.275) with a .896 OPS, six doubles, three home runs, seven runs scored and eight RBI. Only Nicky Lopez of the White Sox and Coby Mayo of the Orioles have more doubles this spring. Rafaela is 2 for 3 in stolen-base attempts, has drawn four walks, and has struck out 12 times.

Rafaela, ranked the organization’s No. 4 prospect by MLB Pipeline, debuted last Aug. 28. The Curaçao native spent most his time with the Red Sox playing center field and has seen limited time at shortstop and second base. He was primarily a third baseman and shortstop early in his minor league career, but started playing the outfield in 2021 and excelled as a center fielder for the Portland Sea Dogs in 2022 and 2023. He spent most of the spring in the outfield, and Cora previously said that if he made the team, it would be as Boston’s center fielder.

Jarren Duran has also officially made his first Opening Day roster, though that was to be expected after Cora named him the team’s leadoff hitter the week before the first full-squad workout.

THE RED SOX are in agreement with right-hander Chase Anderson on a major league contract, a source told MassLive. The deal is pending a physical, which will likely be completed by the end of the weekend. Anderson is expected to be on the 26-man Opening Day roster when the season begins Thursday in Seattle.

Anderson, who opted out of a minor league deal with the Pirates, will join the Red Sox as a multi-inning reliever who has the ability to make a spot start. On Friday, Cora said he hoped to have two multi-inning options in the bullpen to start the season; it appears Anderson and Josh Winckowski, who Cora confirmed would be on the team, will take those roles.

Anderson, 36, is a veteran of 10 major league seasons with seven clubs. He was a mid-rotation piece for the Diamondbacks and Brewers from 2014-19, but has struggled with consistency since 2020, appearing with five clubs in the last five years. In 2023, after spending the first month with the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate, he was purchased by the Rays and pitched five scoreless innings for Tampa Bay in early May. Despite the success in a small sample, he was designated for assignment, then claimed by the Rockies days later. He spent the remainder of the year in the rotation for the last-place Rockies, pitching to a 5.75 ERA (and 5.89 FIP) in 811/3 innings. He hit free agency after the season and inked a minor league deal with Pittsburgh in February but didn’t make the Pirates after holding opponents to three earned runs in 11 innings (2.45 ERA) and striking out nine batters in four spring outings.

IN HIS FINAL spring training start, Brayan Bello looked ready for the real thing.

Armed with what the Pirates broadcast described as “an absolute voodoo sinker,” the Red Sox right-hander pitched 51/3 innings. In his last turn before his first career Opening Day start, he allowed one earned run, walked three and struck out seven. He threw 91 pitches, 56 for strikes (61.5%), and induced five groundouts.

It was Bello’s third consecutive outing of at least five innings, something he did more than any other Red Sox pitcher last season. In his first full season in the majors, he went five or more innings in 21 of 28 starts; Tanner Houck was second on the roster with 15.

Though Bello didn’t pitch a single clean inning – he allowed at least one hit or walk in each frame – he was able to work around them through five frames. The 24-year-old righty got himself into a bigger jam in the bottom of the sixth when he gave up back-to-back singles before recording an out, and his day was done one batter later when he issued a walk to load the bases. One run scored on a sacrifice fly, but Greg Weissert was able to mitigate further damage.

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