The Roster of Who The Hell Knows

I remember in 2013 just before the season opened Will Middlebrooks suffered a minor injury.  It was one of those where it could have been a lot worse and MCoA said it kind of felt like a litmus test for the season.  A healthy WMB meant the baseball gods were with us, if it was serious we were in for another difficult year.  I was thinking of that this weekend as we watched COVID descend on the Sox clubhouse, Eduardo Rodriguez came down with dead arm and Christian Vazquez took a throw to the melon.  At the moment the 8 players in the protocol are not being revealed (save Matt Barnes and Matt Andriese) and the general prognosis for EdRod and Vazquez is pretty good.  Still the roster is suddenly in flux.  With that in mind I figured I’d play around with what the roster might be looking like in 75 hours.

INFIELD: Bobby Dalbec, Kike Hernandez, Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts, Christian Arroyo, Michael Chavis, Marwin Gonzalez

Dalbec (finger) and Arroyo did not play yesterday.  The Dalbec issue sounds more precautionary than anything.  Arroyo didn’t play yesterday and doesn’t look to be in the lineup today so I wonder if he is one of the eight.  Everyone else played yesterday.  Jonathan Arauz is on the 40 and has looked good this spring so I won’t be shocked if he gets the call in the event Arroyo or someone else can’t go.

OUTFIELD: JD Martinez, Alex Verdugo, Franchy Cordero, Hunter Renfroe

All four guys played yesterday and/or today so the outfield looks pretty set to go.  Cordero seems to be ramping up quickly (he hit a long homer yesterday) and this looks like the group ready to start the season.  It’s potentially a little thin in theory but the infield depth covers the outfield with Hernandez and possibly Gonzalez able to move to the outfield.  If Cordero can’t go Yairo Munoz would seemingly be the guy.  I wouldn’t bet on it but given his strong spring and the May start for minor league baseball I think Jarren Duran getting out there for a few games has to be considered possible.  But I’d expect it to be Munoz.

CATCHER: Christian Vazquez, Kevin Plawecki

Vazquez is expected to be ready for Opening Day.  Roberto Hernandez and Connor Wong both are guys who don’t seem to be ready to go yet so unless there is something substantial at work on Vazquez I’d expect him to be on the Opening Day roster.  If he can’t go my guess is the Sox would squeeze either Jett Bandy or Chris Hermann who both have MLB experience onto the 40 man to act as Plawecki’s caddy.

STARTERS: Nathan Eovaldi, Martin Perez, Garrett Richards, Nick Pivetta

RELIEVERS: Adam Ottavino, Josh Taylor, Darwinzon Hernandez, Hirokazu Sawamura, Garrett Whitlock, Kevin McCarthy, Austin Brice, Colten Brewer, Philips Valdez

The pitchers are in flux. From the reporting I read this morning it looks like Rodriguez will skip his first turn in the rotation but the Sox are not planning to go with openers.  That opens up spots in the bullpen and Brewer and Valdez are already on the 40 so until Barnes and Andriese are cleared (and/or Ryan Brasier is ready to go) I expect they’ll be here.  Tanner Houck starts today and if he pitches well it wouldn’t stun me to see him added particularly if the Sox have concerns that neither Andriese or Rodriguez would be ready to go when a fifth starter is needed.  Connor Seabold seems to have been getting some good praise this spring but only has one official appearance.  Don’t sleep on him.