Red Sox arrive in Fort Myers early for spring training

The Boston Red Sox haven’t officially started camp yet but most of the players have already arrived for workouts at Jet Blue Park.

The Boston Red Sox won’t require pitchers and catchers to report until Tuesday but many players couldn’t wait to get started.

Players began gathering at Jet Blue Park in Fort Myers at least a week ago, with David Price, Matt Barnes, Steven Wright and Sandy Leon among those spotted last Monday. The rest of the roster has started to trickle into the Red Sox spring facility over the last several days, putting them at near full attendance on the eve of the first official reporting date.

New manager Alex Cora has arrived to get a look at his pitching staff. Spring training will provide the players with an opportunity to interact with Cora and get a feel for the rookie manager’s style. Developing a relationship with this roster early on will be key given his reputation for communicating and relating to players.

Rick Porcello was among the pitchers throwing early Monday morning. The former Cy Young winner is coming off a disappointing campaign but looks eager to get back to work. He was seen playing catch with Drew Pomeranz, who enters a pivotal season before hitting the free agent market next year.

Catcher Christian Vazquez will have plenty of opportunities to work with his pitching staff behind the plate but this morning he was in the batting cages working on his swing. He’s coming off a career year in which he hit .290 with a .735 OPS. Vazquez hit a scorching .348 at home last season. He should feel right at home at Jet Blue Park where the dimensions are a replica of Fenway.

Pitchers and catchers aren’t the only ones getting an early start. A few position players have already strolled into camp.

Andrew Benintendi arrived on Monday sporting the short hair he revealed at the Red Sox Winter Weekend last month. Let’s hope Benny’s flowing locks weren’t the source of his power. If he gets off to a slow start this spring then at least there’s time for him to grow his hair out before Opening Day!

Benny was joined by fellow outfielder Mookie Betts. The 25-year old has established himself as the premier defensive right fielder in the game. He’s won consecutive Gold Glove awards and finished top-6 in MVP voting in each of the last two seasons. He’s coming off a 2017 campaign that was well below his lofty standards at the plate. With a pair of bats in hand as he arrived, Betts looks ready to begin a bounce-back season.

After all, this is the time for optimism. The time when everyone in camp claims to be “in the best shape” of their lives. The start of a new season is an exciting time. A chance to wipe the slate clean of the goals they failed to live up to last year. That’s in the past now.

Next: What Darvish deal means for Martinez

We are still over a month away from Opening Day, yet fans can still get a rush of excitement seeing their favorite players back on a baseball field.