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Race to 25: Update on the Red Sox Roster Battles

By Max Sandgrund

Mar 9, 2016; Bradenton, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox infielder Travis Shaw (47) celebrates with his teammates after hitting a two run home run in the first inning of the spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at McKechnie Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 9, 2016; Bradenton, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox infielder Travis Shaw (47) celebrates with his teammates after hitting a two run home run in the first inning of the spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at McKechnie Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 27, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado (13) dives into second base as Boston Red Sox second baseman Brock Holt (back) defends during the sixth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 27, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado (13) dives into second base as Boston Red Sox second baseman Brock Holt (back) defends during the sixth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports /

THE BENCH

There are many moving parts right now on this Red Sox roster, which makes Spring Training so much more fun to watch.  Quietly, one of the biggest questions facing the team as they begin to construct the roster will be the makeup of their bench.  When it comes to roster construction, organizations try to optimize their flexibility.  That is why many believe Wright and Layne are favorites to make the final roster.  You maintain roster flexibility by keeping Wright and Layne and sending Barnes and Elias to Pawtucket, as the latter two have minor league options remaining.  In so doing, you get to keep all four strong arms, which goes a long way in a 162-game season where injuries occur frequently, rather than keeping only two.

The competition for the four bench spots seems to be evolving into a situation where the Red Sox are going to need to ask themselves that question: do we want the best players on our 25-man roster or do we want to maintain our roster flexibility?  Plus, in the cases of certain young players, such as Christian Vazquez and Travis Shaw, do you want them to be platooning this early in their career, or do you want them getting everyday at-bats, which is something they would only be able to get at Pawtucket?  So, that presents another wrinkle in the situation.

There is no doubt that Shaw and Vazquez are ready to contribute to the Red Sox right now.  However, they are unfortunately blocked from having a starting role on the team.  Shaw is blocked by Sandoval at third and Ramirez at first, and Vazquez is blocked by Swihart at catcher.  The assumption has been, especially for Shaw, that they will make the 25-man roster and be bench players.  However, does that make sense?  Do we want Shaw only getting 10 at-bats per week, maybe less?  Do we want Vazquez to catch two games per week coming off a lost 2015 season?  Should they not be getting more reps than that at this point in their career?

The Candidates

  1. Brock Holt
  2. Chris Young
  3. Ryan Hanigan
  4. Travis Shaw
  5. David Murphy
  6. Christian Vazquez

The State of the Competition

Holt has appeared in six games and has a .214 BA in 14 at-bats, with one HR, but his spot is safe.  He will provide insurance at second, shortstop, third and even the outfield.  He will once again be the Red Sox super-utility player.

Young, who just signed a two-year deal with the Red Sox this offseason, will be the team’s fourth outfielder.  Like Holt, Young has appeared in six games and is batting .214 over 14 at-bats, with one HR.

Hanigan has appeared in three games this spring, registering one hit in seven at-bats.  Vazquez has appeared in three games as well, registering zero hits in four at-bats.  As long as Hanigan remains on the roster, he will serve as Swihart’s backup.  Hanigan is  good defensively, and pitchers trust and rely on his experience, which will be important with this rotation.

As discussed in prior slides, Shaw has been fantastic this spring, but so has Murphy in his limited action.  Murphy has appeared in four games and registered 11 at-bats.  He is batting .364, has two RBIs, and has yet to strike out.

The Leaderboard

  1. Brock Holt
  2. Chris Young
  3. Ryan Hanigan
  4. David Murphy

Until Ryan Hanigan is traded, the bench competition will likely revolve around the fourth and final spot between Travis Shaw and David Murphy, especially if the latter continues to hit.  The Red Sox are going to hesitate putting Shaw in a position where he is only getting two to three starts per week, which is what would happen if he were kept on the final roster as a bench player.  At the same time, Shaw has earned a spot on this team with his performance last year and this spring.  With that said, if the Red Sox give the final spot to Shaw, Murphy likely walks, which hurts their roster flexibility.

As of today, with Murphy’s performance so far, I think the Red Sox surprise many by sending Shaw to Pawtucket and that is the right move if their plan for him, should he stay in Boston, is two to three starts per week.  He needs to be an everyday player, whether that is with the Red Sox or Pawtucket.  Plus, the Red Sox have Holt to cover every position that Shaw plays, so I am not sure how easy it would be to get Shaw those starts every week, especially when John Farrell has stated he wants Holt to get between 350 and 400 at-bats this season.  That will be difficult to do if Shaw is stealing starts from him at third base and Dustin Pedroia stays healthy this season.  In light of the foregoing, I project Murphy as the leader for the fourth spot.

Next: Projecting the Opening Day Roster

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