Red Sox: Five storylines in the first week of March in spring training
As we get closer and closer to Opening Day, let’s take a look at five important headlines around Red Sox spring training.
As we get going with spring training games and as March gets going as well, headlines can be few and are between for not just the Boston Red Sox, but around baseball as well.
At times, with the obvious exhibition nature of spring training games and with deadlines and words to write, writers are often tasked with fishing for posts, having to really formulate content at a time when the well is almost dry.
Nonetheless, here are five storylines about the Red Sox as we move forward in March with Opening Day nearing one month away.
For a man that has all but written himself off as part of the Red Sox future plans, or likely any MLB team’s future plans at this rate, Rusney Castillo sure has not had a warming first week in trying to impress the Red Sox coaching staff and front office.
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After not running out a ground ball in the team’s first spring training games against Northeastern, Castillo again caught the ire of fans, reporters covering and John Farrell as well.
With the bases loading following a Castillo single in a spring training game against the Rays on Feb. 26, which the Red Sox lost 4-3, Castillo made another head-scratching base running blunder, this time where Castillo represented the tying run. After Castillo singled, the next two batters were unable two reach.
The blunder came after a single to left field. Castillo overran second base and headed for third, easily being thrown out to end the frame.
In what has been a dismal situation for Castillo since he seemingly arrived in a Red Sox uniform, the outfielder has played his way back into the headlines, albeit, for the wrong reasons. This takes away from the fact that outside of the blunders, Castillo has had a solid start to the spring, going 3-for-5 in four games of action thus far.
Fernando Abad and Tyler Thornburg
Some players are historically bad in spring training. Tyler Thornburg has a track record of doing so.
After an underwhelming first part-season in a Red Sox uniform, Fernando Abad has also struggled this spring. After going through his first two outings this spring while only giving up a run, Abad surrender a three-run home run to former Red Sox farmhand Sean Coyle, who’s listed generously at 5’8, 175 pounds.
Thornburg on the other hand, the shining silver to the crown jewel of the Red Sox offseason, had consecutive appearances in which he did not complete the inning. His ERA to start the spring training is a 47.25 with a WHIP of 6.75.
Granted, though, Thornburg has a career track record of historically bad spring trainings, with a 1-5 record to go along with a less-than sparkling 6.79 ERA.
Lastly, expect Thornburg to come back from these issues in his firs season hurling baseballs on Yawkey Way. In last year’s recognizably good season for Thornburg — 8-5, a 2.15 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 67 innings pitched — he had a glaringly bad spring training as well, finishing with a 9.77 ERA.
Sam Travis
Coming off a torn ACL that wiped out what seemed like a promising 2016 campaign, first baseman Sam Travis sure has come back into spring training following up on the strong spring he had a year ago.
Through four spring training games, the young pick from Indiana University has gone 3-8, including this bomb a bomb of a home run off of Yankees prospect Justus Sheffield.
.@DoctorChill6 put a charge in this ball for his first #SoxSpring homer. https://t.co/XCal5BylfY pic.twitter.com/L66BvrjwBj
— Red Sox (@RedSox) March 1, 2017
For Travis, the solid to this years’ spring is furthering off of what he built last spring, in which he hit .469 with two homers and 13 RBIs.
As the month of March rolls on for Travis and the Red Sox, Travis will surely be a player to watch. Along with Travis, watching how Moreland handles offensive, and maybe speculating a bit, but maybe how Sandoval plays third base as well. With Sandoval still a question mark in a position of need, the Red Sox could and have in the past shown willing to throw different players into the fire on the fly.
In the wake of the news regarding David Price‘s elbow soreness, it also came out that Ramirez would not be playing in the World Baseball Classic for his native Dominican Republic.
During the early parts of the spring, Ramirez started to feel discomfort in his right shoulder, the opposite shoulder of which has bothered him throughout his career.
It appears that the move is in precautionary measure, as the Red Sox do not want to risk Ramirez trying to play through the injury for national pride and end up injuring it worse, and possibly requiring surgery.
Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello
One of the major storylines regarding the Red Sox entering the spring was also one of the most positive possible debates an organization can have, as to who’s going to be the Opening Day starter:
David Price, the ace of the staff coming into last year after being awarded largest contract in Red Sox history, who after finishing with a lackluster year in Price’s standards (17-9, 227 hits in 230 innings), feels much more confident coming into his second spring with the team.
Rick Porcello, the reigning AL Cy Young Award Winner, deserves every right to be the starter on the mound Opening Day, though some raise the question of whether or not straying away from Price as the unquestioned ace will be good for the team and both Price and Porcello in the long run.
And finally, Chris Sale, the crown-jewel of the MLB offseason, who will come into the commonwealth with fireworks and passion to win that will be an integral part to any postseason success, and not to mention that along with Price, is among the top-tier of left-handed starters in the entire league.
Well, as it appears, Porcello is going to get the nod during the opener, as with scheduling and rest periods for the three at the top of the rotation, the spring training schedule has Porcello, Price and Sale pitching in consecutive fashion, which would line Porcello to throw April 3 against Pittsburgh, with Price and Sale following on the fifth and sixth following the off day.
Though this is in flux, as Price underwent an MRI on Wednesday after experiencing forearm soreness that John Farrell described as “greater intensity” than forearm issues Price has encountered in the past.
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Price and the Red Sox are seeking a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews, who is currently in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine, and as is habit with those seeking opinions from Andrews, the Red Sox have heightened reason for concern that there may be something seriously wrong with the left elbow of Price, making the presence of Porcello and Sale, and likely Steven Wright, Drew Pomeranz, and Eduardo Rodriguez all that more crucial.