3 Red Sox who won't be on the roster by May 1
A 5-4 start isn’t so bad of a beginning for the Boston Red Sox. They have been scoring runs with frequency to begin the year. It has been a must considering how poorly some of their pitchers have performed.
Now in the second leg of April, the front office must begin to think about future moves. The leash on certain players has already tightened. It’s these three players who are feeling the biggest strain and should be gone by May 1.
1) Red Sox catcher Connor Wong will not be on the roster by May 1
Connor Wong is a constant reminder of the awful Red Sox trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers which ended Mookie Betts’ tenure here. We cannot fault him for this. It was a bad trade he happened to be a big part of.
Where we can point the finger is at how poorly Wong has started this season. He’s 3 for 20 and the owner of a .150/.190/.250 slash line. Compared to the output the Red Sox are getting from Reese McGuire at .308/.357/.462, it’s easy to see who should start the bulk of the games.
The Red Sox should already start to think about demoting Wong and replacing him with Jorge Alfaro or even Ronaldo Hernandez. The irony with Hernandez is that he came to the Red Sox in another increasingly poor trade by this ball club. Back in February 2021, the Red Sox acquired him in a deal that sent Jeffrey Springs to the Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox are scheduled to see him pitch against them this week when they visit the Rays.
We’re unlikely to see a matchup of Hernandez and Springs. However, by the time the Red Sox return home next weekend, a move at the catcher spot could happen if Wong fails to start contributing.
2) Red Sox pitcher Kutter Crawford will not be on the roster by May 1
Red Sox pitching has given fans the most grief through the first nine games of the season. One guy who has pitched poorly and can be optioned to the minors is Kutter Crawford. He is 1-1 with an 8.00 ERA after two starts. With remaining minor league options, it already appears that he’ll be either moved to the bullpen or to the minors when Garrett Whitlock is active from the IL.
Whitlock returning to the Red Sox will be a welcomed addition with the state of this pitching staff. Corey Kluber has lost both of his starts and has managed to log just 8.1 innings in them. Chris Sale has been an even greater mess. Despite the 1-0 record, he continues to carry with him an 11.25 ERA. At least he’s healthy? Maybe not so much if this is the kind of performance he’ll offer.
Crawford will remain an important part of the Red Sox equation this year as a sixth starter of sorts. They used him in the rotation and out of the bullpen last season when he was 3-6 with a 5.47 ERA. Keeping him lengthened to give them some innings as a starter should be the plan for Boston this year.
From the start, Crawford seemed to be fighting a losing battle to stay on the roster. He has pitched himself out of even being a bullpen contender. He’s a sixth starter who could be gone and back again by the time we get to May considering the questionable health of his teammates.
3) Red Sox pitcher Kaleb Ort will not be on the roster by May 1
The Red Sox have a couple of early slumpers who haven’t earned their roster spot just yet. But does demoting Triston Casas and replacing him with Bobby Dalbec solve any problems?
A much more realistic candidate to be off the roster by May 1 is reliever Kaleb Ort. An optional reliever who hasn’t gotten off to a good start this season, Ort is likely to get sent down to Triple-A for a couple of reasons.
The most obvious reason is performance. After allowing 4 earned runs in his first 6 innings of work, Ort is already on the bubble. He had a horrendous spring featuring a 9.58 ERA in 10.1 innings of work. When we look at his numbers from last year and see the 6.35 ERA, we know this might be what he is.
There is no patience needed with Ort who at 31 is simply an innings eater for the bullpen. A turnaround is possible and yet the need for the Red Sox to swap him for a more-rested arm should have him heading down to Triple-A at some point before the month is over.
It’s going to be a while before the Red Sox have a day off. April 27 is their next day off. That’s a long time to go without having to shuttle a few pitchers between the majors and minors.
Next. 10 worst trades in Red Sox history. dark