MONTERREY, Mexico -- As the Red Sox finished Spring Training with the finale of their two-game exhibition series with Sultanes de Monterrey on Tuesday, some final decisions came into focus in the bullpen.
Manager Alex Cora announced that fireballing lefty Aroldis Chapman has won the closer¡¯s job, though he did leave some wiggle room for his usage on certain days.
One of those days could be Opening Day in Texas on Thursday, depending on the tightness of the game and when Corey Seager is due to hit late in the game.
¡°I think Chappy has been amazing,¡± Cora said. ¡°But if Corey Seager leads off the eighth, he could be used in the eighth. And there's certain times he's gonna pitch the eighth, but most [often], he'll pitch the ninth inning.¡±
Liam Hendriks has plenty of closing experience and can pitch the ninth on days Chapman is needed earlier for leverage. Justin Slaten and Garrett Whitlock are two others who could close on occasion.
Last week, Cora acknowledged that Chapman, Slaten, Whitlock, Hendriks and Justin Wilson were his five locks for bullpen spots.
The manager added two other names on Tuesday, acknowledging that righties Zack Kelly and Greg Weissert will make the club.
The final spot will likely come down to righty Cooper Criswell and lefty Brennan Bernardino, though there¡¯s always a chance the Red Sox could add someone from outside the organization in the hours leading up to Thursday¡¯s noon ET deadline to set rosters for Opening Day.
Right fielder Wilyer Abreu, who missed the first few weeks of Spring Training as he battled back from a gastrointestinal virus, is ¡°100 percent¡± sure to be on the Opening Day roster, Cora said.
While the Red Sox were in Monterrey, Abreu stayed in Fort Myers, Fla., along with Rafael Devers, Trevor Story, Romy Gonzalez and Ceddanne Rafaela to get at-bats in Minor League games.
Gonzalez had a minor right oblique injury last week, but Cora is confident he will be ready on Thursday. The right-handed hitter can play all four infield spots as well as the outfield, so he¡¯s a valuable presence on the club.
While there¡¯s been no official announcement, Cora acknowledged ¡°there¡¯s a good chance¡± that lefty Sean Newcomb will be the fifth starter to begin the season. Newcomb pitched in Fort Myers on Tuesday, as did righty Quinn Priester, who was optioned on Sunday.
Casas dodges scare
In Monday¡¯s 10-1 victory over the Sultanes, first baseman Triston Casas fielded a bad hop with his bare hand, as the well-struck ball caromed off of him and into right field.
X-rays were negative, and Casas was held out of Tuesday¡¯s lineup as a precaution.
¡°A little bit sore, his hand. He¡¯ll be ready for Thursday,¡± said Cora. ¡°He actually feels a lot better today.¡±
Best development of camp? Defense
What excited Cora the most about Spring Training? The improvement of the team¡¯s infield defense, which was the weak spot of the team last season. Having Story healthy again and adding Alex Bregman via free agency provides the team with natural upgrades on the left side of the infield.
¡°I think the defense is a lot better,¡± Cora said. ¡°Defensively, we're making plays, we're turning double plays and it's all over the place. I think Triston has made great strides at first base. It¡¯s a lot cleaner. The first step is a lot better. [Kristian] Campbell turning the double play has been solid, [David Hamilton], ball security has been better. Alex at third base, he is who he is.¡±