Every year, it seems, there’s someone who emerges from relative obscurity to push for an Opening Day roster spot during Red Sox spring training. And oftentimes, those players are non-roster invitees.
This season, there are several candidates to check that annual box. And they’re easier than usual to identify based on both Boston’s current roster construction and their own major league résumés.
These four players, each of whom isn’t on the Red Sox’s 40-man roster but has been invited to major league spring training, theoretically could break camp with Boston.
Jorge Alfaro, C
The Red Sox could roll with Reese McGuire and Connor Wong behind the plate to start the year. The duo performed well last season, after Boston traded veteran backstop Christian Vázquez to the Houston Astros, and both already are on the 40-man roster, thereby eliminating one logistical hurdle. McGuire, a left-handed hitter, and Wong, a right-handed hitter, also offer balance, though Red Sox manager Alex Cora acknowledged Wednesday it wouldn’t be a strict platoon situation with them in tow.
That said, Alfaro, with 478 games (1,658 plate appearances), has far more big league experience than Wong, who also has a minor league option remaining. And that ultimately could tip the scale in Alfaro’s favor, provided the Red Sox are willing to entertain an open competition.
Niko Goodrum, IF/OF
The return of infielder Yu Chang lessens the probability of Goodrum — or a comparable non-roster invitee — being the one to hold down a spot until Adalberto Mondesi comes back from his torn ACL. Still, we’re talking about a team thin on middle-infield depth in wake of Xander Bogaerts’ free agency departure and Trevor Story’s elbow injury, and Goodrum also can play the outfield while adding a speed component. Goodrum, who turns 31 next week, has appeared in 402 major league games, most with the Detroit Tigers, and offers valuable versatility.
Raimel Tapia, OF
Let’s assume the Red Sox’s starting outfield consists of Masataka Yoshida, Adam Duvall and Alex Verdugo, from left to right, with Kiké Hernández moving to shortstop. Rob Refsnyder, a non-roster invitee in 2022, likely fills the role of a fourth outfielder, but Tapia can’t be ruled out, either. Tapia and Jarren Duran — both left-handed hitters — seemingly are the next outfielders up, with the former having appeared in 567 games across seven major league seasons. The Red Sox, in theory, could carry both Refsnyder and Tapia if someone like Bobby Dalbec doesn’t make the Opening Day roster.
Ryan Sherriff, LHP
Cora recently suggested there still are openings in Boston’s bullpen, which underwent a significant overhaul this offseason. How the rotation situation shakes out — with Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, James Paxton, Nick Pivetta, Brayan Bello, Garrett Whitlock and, to a lesser extent, Tanner Houck vying for five spots — could go a long way toward shaping the unit, but there’s a path for someone to force the Red Sox’s hand with a strong spring.
Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin, Joely RodrÃguez, Richard Bleier and John Schreiber feel like bullpen locks, with Ryan Brasier a strong candidate, as well. The non-roster bullpen contingent includes the likes of Jake Faria, Dan Altavilla, Taylor Broadway and Oddanier Mosqueda, among others, but we’ll note Sherriff for the purpose of this exercise. The 32-year-old didn’t appear in the majors last season but owns a 3.65 ERA in 44 1/3 career big league innings and would give Cora another lefty with which to work.
