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Red Sox make a batch of roster cuts, clearing way for trade addition to make the team
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- Red Sox make a batch of roster cuts, clearing way for trade addition to make the team
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Back at close to full strength after many of their players returned from the World Baseball Classic, the Red Sox made eight position player cuts — and settled part of their Opening Day infield picture Thursday.
Boston optioned infielders Nick Sogard and Tsung-Che Cheng to minor league camp and also sent down non-roster invitees Mikey Romero, Allan Castro, Nathan Hickey , Max Ferguson and Tyler McDonough. Most notably, the Sogard move paves the way for newcomer Andruw Monasterio to make the Opening Day roster as a second base platoon partner for Marcelo Mayer .
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“We’ll make a decision there, but Marcelo has played great,” Cora said about second base. “He’s played good defense and put good at-bats.”
With Willson Contreras at first base, Trevor Story at shortstop and C aleb Durbin now officially the starting third baseman , the Red Sox have one infield position left unsettled at second base. Mayer continues to be the heavy favorite to get the lion’s share of playing time there but the Red Sox will also carry a second utility/platoon option alongside Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Monasterio, who has played all four infield positions in the big leagues, is the favorite to take over the spot of the injured Romy Gonzalez after posting an .837 OPS against lefties last year.
“He’s a good athlete,” Cora said about Monasterio, who was acquired from the Brewers as camp opened. “He’s a good defender at shortstop. He played short the other day and he’s got good instincts. He’s a good hitter against lefties.”
Sogard and Monasterio were the top two candidates for the final position player spot on the roster with Nate Eaton , who has not played infield this spring, projected to begin the year in the Triple-A outfield. The Red Sox also have Vinny Capra (likely slated for Triple-A) and three injured infielders (Gonzalez, Brendan Rodgers and Anthony Seigler ) still in big league camp. Kristian Campbell has exclusively played outfield so far in spring training and is therefore not in the second base mix. A trade of someone like Masataka Yoshida to clear the outfield logjam would obviously open a spot for someone else.
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Sogard, a versatile switch-hitter who started two playoff games for the Sox last year, projects as a top depth option at Worcester. He will also get outfield reps at Triple-A.
“Like last year, just stay ready,” Cora said. “If somebody goes down, without any promises, he’s a guy we rely on and trust. Keep getting better offensively and keep doing new things defensively.”
The other cuts were players who did not seem to have a realistic shot to cracking the team. Cheng, who is on the 40-man roster, is a defense-first infielder who will be with the WooSox. Romero, a former first-round pick, is the 18th-best prospect in the system, according to Baseball America, and could debut as a fill-in this season after impressing Cora early in camp . Ferguson, McDonough, Castro and Hickey are all organizational types who will be in Worcester.
With the cuts, the Red Sox have 48 players left in camp, including non-roster invitees. There are 20 healthy position players remaining for 13 spots on the roster.
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