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State of the Sox: A rival scout offers his thoughts on the 2026 Red Sox
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- State of the Sox: A rival scout offers his thoughts on the 2026 Red Sox
CINCINNATI — It's Opening Day for the 2026 season, which seems like a good time to chat with a veteran major league scout and get his thoughts on the Red Sox. This particular scout saw a lot of the Red Sox during spring training:
Q: You spent a lot of time watching the Red Sox this spring. What are your overall impressions?
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A: I think they're better defensively in the infield, which is helpful. I think while the front end of the rotation is very reliable, I think there are some unanswered questions about the back end. It's not like they don't have the bodies to fill those spots; it's just a matter of which ones step up. I do have a little concern with the bullpen from a middle innings standpoint. Is there enough there? I do like the (Justin) Slaten-(Garrett) Whitlock-(Aroldis) Chapman group toward the end, but I wonder about getting from the starters to those guys. That's a shaky group. The other thing is, they're going to need someone to step up from a power standpoint, just to give them the opportunity to hit that three-run homer. I don't think that was properly addressed in the offseason. Overall, you want to see the Roman Anthony s and Marcelo Mayers take the next step, but that sophomore slump is a real thing. And if they don't (progress), where does that put them at that point?
But overall, they're good. I can't say they're the favorite in the East, but they're right there with the Blue Jays, Yankees and Orioles. Out of that group, you're going to get a division champ and maybe two wild cards again.
Q: They've really remade the infield? What's your take on that?
I think Mayer's a big key to that. What we saw from him from a defensive standpoint in spring training was extremely encouraging. He gives them some range they were lacking. Mayer and (Caleb) Durbin give them two solid athletes who can cover ground. The one thing with (Willson) Contreras, is he going to be focused for 150 games at first? He can float mentally a little bit. There are times the lack of focus can rear its ugly head at times. He's good enough (defensively), better than what (Triston) Casas gave them. With Durbin, he's a nice complimentary piece, but if you're looking on him to carry your team offensively, I don't think he has those capabilities. I think they'll be fine with Story. You can live with it, especially if he has a good year offensively.
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Q: Can Jarren Duran handle the DH role?
A: That scares the hell out of me — not because he's not talented enough; he definitely is that. But it's well documented that he struggled with some stuff mentally, and it's really hard with what you do in-between at-bats . He's going to have find himself a routine to occupy himself mentally. In the first at-bat, if he punches out, he can't go beat himself up because it's going to be an hour before he gets another chance. If I were them, I would have major concerns. It's scary. That's why the veteran guys adapt so much quicker to the DH because they understand the process and that every at-bat isn't life and death. It's hard for someone younger to do that.
Q: Is too much being asked of or expected from Roman Anthony?
A: I would say yes with a normal player his age, but I don't think he's normal. I do think this guy is a true superstar. He has a drive about himself that's different. You either have it or you don't. He has it. It's a lot to ask, especially in a place like Boston . But at the same time, if there's anybody that can do it, it's him. And he's easy as hell to root for.
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Q: Is there a position player at a crossroads?
A: Yeah, I think maybe (Ceddanne) Rafaela. He's got to figure out who he is. I think that's been an issue — one year, it's 'I'm going to sell out for power.' Then the next year, it's 'I'm going to change my approach and try to make contact.' Man, you've got to figure out who you are. At some point, you've got to figure out what player you're going to be and roll with it. But you can't try to be someone you're not and change your approach every year. He's gotta find consistency at the plate. And when he does, he's going to be a really, really good player for a long time. But if keeps doing it this way....
Q: Could this be a real breakout year for Wilyer Abreu ?
A: People talk about him, but not to the extent of Roman and some other guys. But he could really blow up this year — in a good way. The strides that he's made offensively, the arrow's pointing up. He just keeps getting better.
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Q: What are some obvious holes?
A: I still think they need a backup catcher in the worst way. Carlos Narvaez is good, he's fine. I don't know if he's your four or five years down the road answer. But they've got to find somebody as a capable backup. I did not think (Connor) Wong looked good in spring at all. I thought defensively, he looked awful.
Q: There are two new veterans in the rotation. What are your thoughts on Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez ?
A: Sonny's always going to overachieve. Mentally, he's on a different level than most. He's got everything from a mentality standpoint. You just wonder how long that's going to hold up physically. He's thrown a lot of innings in a lot of different places. If he can stay healthy, going into the playoffs, I'd feel comfortable with him going to the mound in a Game 2.
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Ranger can flat out pitch. He flirts on the edge of disaster a lot. He can get into jams and get himself out of it. I feel comfortable with him in a big game because he's going to let hitters get themselves out. That's big. With guys like that, you just hope he still has the command.
Q: What are some question marks with the rotation?
A: I just don't know how much you trust (Brayan) Bello . I love the stuff, but I don't know about the "between the ears" part in a big situation. Can he get it done? Can he execute his pitches in tight situations. He needs to do it for a full season. He's had stretches, but it's time for him to start putting it all together.
Q: How the bench?
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A: I like the veteran presence that Kiner-Falefa brings, and I think someone like (Alex) Cora will like having some of that on the bench, where he doesn't have to rely on a young, unproven guy. Obviously, (Andruw) Monastero's got the tool set and has a little wow factor. but IKF gives you that steadiness. As the season progresses, I think you'll see them be active in upgrading the bench.
The hard part for Masa (Yoshida) is getting him enough at-bats to show what he can do. You hope that if one of your guys goes down and he has to fill in for 10-15 days, he'll be OK. You're not going to get good defense, and at the plate, I think the best you can hope for is that he does enough to put the bat on the ball and keep the line moving.
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