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.