For Eduardo Rodriguez (and many members of the Boston Red Sox, for that matter), this spring training will feel awfully different from those of years prior.
Alex Cora’s exit as manager significantly affected Rodriguez, who developed a close relationship with the former Red Sox manager. And, with Mookie Betts and David Price reportedly heading to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Rodriguez understandably feels like something is missing at in Fort Myers.
“I mean, I think the difference right now is we lost three people who were a really big part of us, which is Mookie, DP and AC,” he said Monday afternoon. “That’s what I think is a big difference right now. But like I said, this is part of the business. This is how baseball is, and we’ve got to get ready for Spring Training and the season.”
Added Rodriguez: “It’s kind of hard, especially for me because (Cora) was pushing me every time. As he got here, he was with me all the time. He knew what I was able to do and he showed me how to do it every time, every day. It’s kind of hard for us. He was like a father for me, he was a Latin person, too. He spoke to me in Spanish all the time, so it was a lot easier to understand what he tried to tell me and all that. It’s going to be hard for us, but like I say, we’ve got to look forward and start Spring Training and get ready for the season.”
Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez reflects on starting Spring Training without Mookie Betts, David Price & former manager Alex Cora. https://t.co/CRukEiNRjn pic.twitter.com/SpNEHWskuM
— NESN (@NESN) February 10, 2020
All pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report for the Red Sox on Tuesday, with position players set to arrive Sunday.
The first full-squad workout is scheduled for next Monday.
