It’s almost February, which also means it’s almost the start of spring training.
Accordingly, here are 10 questions facing the Red Sox with the official kickoff to spring now less than two weeks away:
1. Are the Red Sox done adding to the roster?
Probably not. There are still more than a hundred free agents remaining on the market, and with camps about to open, time is running out for those players to secure contracts. That will likely result in some affordable deals that many teams will be unable to resist.
But don’t expect much in the way of impact signings, as with few exceptions (Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso), the marquee players are largely signed by now. Could a deal still be worked out between the Red Sox and Bregman? In theory, yes, but having had all winter to arrive at one, that seems highly improbable. Indeed, with each passing day, the likelihood of an agreement dips further: if the Red Sox really wanted a deal, it would have been done already.
2. How healthy are the pitchers returning from surgery?
The pitching staff features three important members who have yet to appear in games since undergoing major elbow surgeries: Lucas Giolito, Liam Hendriks and Garrett Whitlock.
At various points over the winter, each has claimed to be completely on track for a full recovery. Giolito and Whitlock said so at this month’s Fenway Fest, both claiming they’ll report to Fort Myers, Florida without any physical limitations or restrictions. Hendriks has maintained that he could have pitched in the final few weeks of the season had he needed to.
But as is always the case with players returning from surgical procedures, we won’t know the recovery is successful until we see the pitchers perform on the mound.

David Hamilton is one of the players who will compete in spring training to be the Red Sox Opening Day starter at second base. Charles Krupa/Associated Press
3. Who will be the starting second baseman?
Since Dustin Pedroia’s fateful 2017 injury, the Red Sox have cycled through a long list of second basemen, with few demonstrating much long-term staying power. Last year, the Red Sox were dead last in the majors in OPS (.532) at second base, utilizing almost a dozen players at the position, none with any great success.
David Hamilton, Vaughn Grissom and Kristian Campbell are among the contenders this spring, each with something to prove.
4. What can the Red Sox expect from Masataka Yoshida?
Yoshida’s second season with the Red Sox was a bust, as he dealt with a shoulder issue (since repaired through surgery) and had difficulty driving the ball (just 10 homers, .415 slugging). He also played exactly one inning in the outfield in the first month of the season, then never appeared there again.
There were rumors during the winter that the Red Sox were trying to find a taker for Yoshida, who has $55.8 million remaining over the next three seasons. Obviously, his value is at an all-time low as he comes off both a down year and major shoulder surgery; the Sox would have to swallow a good portion of the remaining money to facilitate a trade.
For now, he remains the principal DH. But if his production doesn’t improve, can they afford to pay $18.6 million annually for a glorified singles hitter? Having Yoshida clog up the DH spot also limits their roster flexibility — they can’t entertain, say, upgrading third base defensively and moving Rafael Devers to DH while Yoshida is still taking up space (and salary) on the roster.
5. How will the Red Sox use their six starters?
At the risk of resorting to cliche….”These things have a way of working themselves out.”
Currently, the Sox have six established big league starters: Giolito, Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler, Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello and Kutter Crawford.
Of course, that’s presuming that they’re all healthy throughout the spring, which, even without the qualifying factor of several pitchers dealing with past injuries (see: Question No. 1), would be something of a long shot.
The spring schedule — with split-squads, “B” games and so forth — allows for plenty of opportunities to get everybody plenty of work. If the Red Sox get to March 27, Opening Day, and everyone is healthy, they can figure out how to keep everybody involved.
6. Whose contract may be extended during spring training?
Most obviously, Crochet should be priority No. 1. He’s under control through the end of 2026, but history has shown, the closer a player gets to free agency, the harder it is to extend him.
Crochet has made it known that he’s amenable to an extension and his representatives have already had preliminary discussions about a long-term deal. The Red Sox should make an extension with Crochet their main focus; nothing else is as important. Having done the hard part of acquiring a No. 1-caliber starter, the Red Sox need to take the next step and lock him up for a handful of seasons. Otherwise, sacrificing four prospects — including two of their Top 5 — will have been waste.
Beyond Crochet, look for the Red Sox to explore some extensions with the likes of Campbell, Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer. None has had a single at-bat in the big leagues, but it’s not uncommon in the industry for teams to try to lock up their best prospects. Milwaukee did it with Jackson Chourio and Arizona with Corbin Carroll.
It would also be smart for the team to try again on the likes of Jarren Duran, Triston Casas and Tanner Houck, though to date, those efforts have yielded little movement.

The Red Sox hope Liam Hendriks is healthy enough to compete to be their closer. Reed Hoffman/Associated Press
7. Besides second base, which other jobs are up for grabs?
For one: the closer’s spot. Much will probably depend on the health of Hendriks and his readiness to handle the demands of the job. When healthy, Hendriks has proven to be a top closer. From 2019-2022, he amassed 114 saves with a 2.26 ERA and an .883 WHIP. The Red Sox would dearly love for him to return to that level of dominance. But it’s important to remember that since that run, Hendriks has overcome cancer and also undergone Tommy John surgery.
If Hendriks can’t fill the role, there are, for now, two other possibilities: Justin Slaten and Aroldis Chapman.
Chapman, too, has a track record of success in the major leagues, with 335 career saves. But like Hendriks, it’s been a while (2021) since Chapman has handled the closing duties for an entire season. Slaten, a Rule 5 find for the Red Sox last year, would seem to have that stuff to get the job done, but he lacks the track record.
8. Who will be the backup catcher?
Not long ago, the Red Sox had a succession plan in place for behind the plate: Connor Wong would open the year as the starter, with Kyle Teel gradually taking over the No. 1 job. But that was before the Sox had to include Teel as part of the package to get Crochet.
Since then, the Red Sox have been stockpiling back-up catcher options. They traded for Carlos Narvaez, who has upside. Narvaez has good blocking and framing skills and may be able to contribute some offensively. His performance with the bat in winter ball has been encouraging.
The Sox also dealt for Blake Sabol, who has more big league experienced (121 games with the Giants the last two seasons) and also has the advantage of hitting lefthanded, offering the potential for some balance with the righthanded-hitting Wong.
9. Who will come off the bench?
With second base unsettled, it’s tough to know whom the Red Sox will carry for depth in the infield. But Romy Gonzalez performed well last year, and adds versatility with his ability to play the outfield. Veteran outfielder Rob Refsnyder returns as a fourth outfielder, and either Sabol or Narvaez will serve as the No. 2 catcher. That leaves a host of players in the running to be an extra bat off the bench, including Hamilton and Grissom.
It’s hard to imagine either Roman Anthony or Campbell making the Opening Day roster as a reserve; if they’re not playing every day, the Red Sox will want them to continue their development at Triple A.
10. Which areas will be worked on in spring training?
The spring can be a useful time for instruction, and for what seems like the third or fourth year running, upgrading the infield defense will be a priority. The Red Sox spent a lot of time on that area last spring, too, then led the majors in infield errors and unearned runs. Perhaps the arrival of first base coach Jose Flores, promoted from the Worcester staff, will have the desired impact.
Another area that could use some work: cutting down on strikeouts. Only two teams (Colorado and Seattle) struck out more than the Red Sox last season, so hitting instructor Pete Fatse will be making that a point of emphasis, stressing the value of putting the ball in play and making more consistent contact.
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