The Red Sox expanded their spring training roster Tuesday, adding nine non-roster invitees ahead of reporting to camp in 2021.
Here are the players Boston added:
Seth Blair, RHP
Raynel Espinal, RHP
Kevin McCarthy, RHP
Caleb Simpson, RHP
Stephen Gonsalves, LHP
Roldani Baldwin, C
Jhonny Pereda, C
Josh Ockimey, 1B
César Puello, OF
The five pitchers above theoretically could compete for spots in Boston’s bullpen and/or rotation, which remain in flux as the Red Sox look to rebound from a 2020 season doomed by inconsistent mound work.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox have four catchers on their 40-man roster (Christian Vazquez, Kevin Plawecki, Connor Wong and Deivy Grullón), likely blocking Baldwin and Pereda from cracking the big league club, but it never hurts to have depth at the position in camp.
Ockimey, a fifth-round draft pick in 2014, spent last season at the Red Sox’s alternate training site, and the 25-year-old could factor into Boston’s first base plans in 2020 if injuries or poor performance elsewhere become an issue.
Puello, who will turn 30 in April, totaled 11 plate appearances across five games with Boston in 2020 and represents a depth option for the Red Sox, who currently have six outfielders on their 40-man roster (Andrew Benintendi, J.D. Martinez, Hunter Renfroe, Jeisson Rosario, Alex Verdugo and Marcus Wilson).
