Opening Day – The start to the latest iteration of The over promising and underwhelming Red Sox disappointment tour other wise known as baseball season

Red Sox opening day

Line up                                                                                                 Bench

Roman Anthony                DH                                                          Connor Wong                    C

Trevor Story                        SS                                                           Isiah Kiner Falefa               INF

Jarren Duran                      LF                                                            Andruw Monasterio        INF

Wilson Contreras              1B                                                           Masataka Yoshida            OF/DH

Wilyer Abreu                      RF

Caleb Durbin                      3B

Marcelo Mayer                  2B

Ceddanne Rafaela            CF

Carlos Narvaez                  C

THE ATHLETIC - Anthony and Duran are expected to share left field and DH duties, with Masataka Yoshida perhaps getting some starts whenever Duran is in center field.

Mayer is going to platoon at second base, starting against righties and sitting against lefties (either Monasterio or Isiah Kiner-Falefa will play second against left-handers). Abreu, who’s been primarily a platoon bat to this point in his career, looks to be more of a true everyday option in right field, in part because the Red Sox no longer have Rob Refsnyder to platoon in the outfield corners against lefties.

Rafaela is the only right-handed outfielder on the roster, but Kiner-Falefa played more than 500 innings in the outfield in 2023 — left field and center field — and could go out there as needed. 

Monasterio had an .837 OPS against lefties last season, and Yoshida has a .795 career OPS against righties, and given those options off his bench, Cora said he plans to aggressively pinch hit this season, especially for his catchers. It’s a key reason Wong made the team despite his .129 average this spring.

Pitching Rotation

Garrett Crochet                 RHP

Sonny Gray                         RHP       

Jhan Oviedo (TBD)           RHP

Ranger Suarez                    LHP       

Bryan Bello                          RHP

The Red Sox have announced every rotation spot except Game 3 (Suarez and Bello are really the Nos. 3 and 4 starters, but they’re being pushed to Games 4 and 5 because their workloads were limited in the World Baseball Classic).

There’s a chance the Red Sox could shift Oviedo to the bullpen and use 23-year-old lefty Connelly Early as a starting pitcher. The team optioned prospect Payton Tolle on Monday but kept Early, suggesting he’s made the team as either a starter or long reliever. Early had a 1.59 ERA in 17 innings this spring.

Patrick Sandoval and Kutter Crawford loom as other rotation options down the road, though both are almost certainly going to open the season on the Injured List. 

Bullpen

Aroldis Chapman              LHP

Garrett Whitlock               RHP

Justin Slaten                       RHP

Greg Weissert                    RHP

Danny Coulombe              LHP

Jovani Moran                     LHP

Ryan Watson                      RHP

Connelly Early                    LHP

Tommy Kahnle was reassigned to minor league camp. 

Kahnle signed late in spring training and expressed a willingness to go to Triple A — at least briefly — to start the season, but the Red Sox have coveted him for a while, and it might be a matter of time before he’s added to the roster. He impressed with a hitless inning on Saturday and is scheduled to pitch again on Tuesday.

“I saw a good pitcher the other day, throwing 94-95 (mph) and a good changeup,” Cora said.

36 years old plus 4.43 ERA last year in 63 innings. Career 3.61 ERA. 2023 – 2024 NYY 2.66 and 2.11 ERAs 40-50 games.

Noticeable players optioned to AAA

Payton Tolle

Kristian Campbell - .220 - .340 onbase % 1 HR 4 RBI in 18 games spring training

HEADLINES WITH THE OBVIOUS ONE

 Thank you there Richard 

•we are heading to Cincinnati and it’s not for that terrible skyline chili, it’s for opening day as the Red Sox take on the reds. First pitch is 4:10 

•the Celtics lost at home to the timber wolves for the first time since 2005, simpler times, happier times, ahhhhhhhhh

Next up a home date with defending champs OKC 

•12 games left in the nhl season and the bruins hold the 1st wildcard spot. They take on the maple leafs at home while we record (score update)

•and finally fuck the Florida gators for being the first 1 seed to lose and the team I picked to win the whole god damn thing and the shit I’ve been getting because of it, fuck you too Iowa 

This has been headlines with the obvious one 

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