Just like that, the Boston Red Sox are building a completely new outfield.
Easier said than done in one of Major League Baseball’s most intricate ballparks, certainly. But looking ahead at the fresh start, manager Alex Cora is confident in the athletes he has on the roster.
Between Alex Verdugo, Hunter Renfroe, Franchy Cordero, Kiké Hernandez, Marwin Gonzalez and even J.D. Martinez on occasion, Boston has quite the puzzle to piece together.
“I do believe (Verdugo) and (Renfroe), those two are pretty solid,” Cora said, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, when asked who the team’s best defensive center fielder was after Jackie Bradley Jr.’s recent departure.
“The more you see Hunter play and the way he talks defense, which is eye-opening because you only think about him as a home-run hitter. He’s a complete athlete and a complete player. The way he communicates and the way he sees the game defensively, he’s up there too. He’s a good defender.”
Cora revealed Boston’s approach to the lineup may depend on a game-by-game, opponent-by-opponent, and ballpark-by-ballpark basis.
“We’ll have a solid outfield trio on a nightly basis,” Cora said. “But you’ll see moving parts.”
