It’s been a bit of a wait, but we might soon see Franchy Cordero in action.
The new Boston Red Sox outfielder was acquired in the trade that sent Andrew Benintendi to the Kansas City Royals. Upon landing with the Red Sox, Cordero was in the mix to be in the outfield on Opening Day. However, he landed in the COVID-19 protocols, which delayed his start to spring training.
Cordero since has joined the team for workouts, though, and a Grapefruit League debut is upcoming.
Sox manager Alex Cora indicated Friday morning that Cordero played in a “B” game Wednesday and took seven at-bats in a simulated game Thursday. The next step for Cordero is making his spring debut Saturday against the Atlanta Braves as the designated hitter before playing in the field during Monday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The hulking 26-year-old, who measures in at 6-foot-3, 226 pounds, has 96 games of big-league experience between the San Diego Padres and Royals. He’s a power bat who historically has struggled with consistency, but he features blistering speed and is on the radar of J.D. Martinez, who can see himself mentoring Cordero.
If Cordero is not ready for April 1, the Red Sox outfield likely will consist of Marwin Gonzalez, Alex Verdugo and Hunter Renfroe. The addition of Cordero should turn Boston’s outfield into more of a platoon situation, especially since, for the most part, each Red Sox outfielder can play each position.
