Major League Baseball spring training is a special time for all players, but it has provided something more for a pair of Boston Red Sox pitchers.
Some could even called it a union of sorts.
Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck, a pair of young pitchers hoping to play valuable roles on the 2023 club, are rooming together at the Red Sox's spring training site in Fort Myers, Fla. As any young adult knows, the pair play very specific roles as roommates.
"I'm for sure the sloppy one," Houck admitted, per NESN's coverage of Red Sox spring training. "I'll take that all day. I leave stuff everywhere and I forget where I leave it."
How does Whitlock feel about his teammate's messy tendencies?
"Well, we like to joke that I'm his work wife," Whitlock joked.
Whitlock's place on the Red Sox's roster is far more clear than Houck's at this point. The Red Sox have made it clear they intend on utilizing Whitlock as a starter this season in an attempt to maximize his usage. Houck is hoping to be used in the same role, but will likely be used in a hybrid role as he has over the course of his three MLB seasons. That's good enough for the 26-year-old to enter 2023 with a chip on his shoulder.
No matter the roles Whitlock and Houck play in 2023, the Red Sox will certainly be looking to them to provide major contributions.
