How Red Sox roster could shake out by Opening Day

BOSTON ¨C Who will start at second base on Opening Day? Who will be Connor Wong¡¯s backup behind the plate? Will manager Alex Cora deploy a six-man rotation? How will the bullpen shape up?

These are just some of the questions worth tackling in this first crack at projecting the 26-man roster the Red Sox will take to Texas for Opening Day on March 27.

Catcher (2): Connor Wong, Carlos Narvaez
The starting position is solidified for Wong, and it could be his for a while following the December trade that sent highly-touted prospect Kyle Teel to the White Sox. Wong had a strong first half at the plate last season before tailing off. He is looking to improve his blocking skills this season. Narvaez, who played his first six Major League games for the Yankees last year, will try to win the backup spot. He is known for his defense. Blake Sabol, who has some pop in his bat and 121 career games under his belt for the Giants, is also in the mix.

First baseman (1): Triston Casas
After a winter full of trade rumors, it appears the left-handed slugger isn¡¯t going anywhere. Casas missed four months due to torn cartilage in his left rib cage last season and looks to get back to the form that helped him finish third in the 2023 American League Rookie of the Year voting.

Second base (1): Vaughn Grissom
A forgotten man due to injuries and ineffectiveness last season, Grissom will have to win back his job this spring. Kristian Campbell, MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 7 overall prospect (No. 3 for Boston), has fans buzzing after his breakout season in the Minors. The versatile defender will push Grissom in what should be the best positional competition of camp.

Shortstop (1): Trevor Story
Just like last spring, Story comes to camp in full health. His goal this year is to stay that way all season. Last year, Story severely dislocated his left shoulder in the eighth game of the season and didn¡¯t return until September. A healthy Story would mean big things for Boston defensively, offensively and in the clubhouse.

Third baseman (1): Rafael Devers
At one point, the ¡¯24 season looked like it was going to be the best of Devers¡¯ career. But both of his shoulders barked at him, hampering his bat for the final two months. Devers should get back on track after a winter of rehab.

Outfielders (4): Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Rob Refsnyder
Duran emerged as a star on offense and defense in ¡¯24. He will again lead off while getting reps in left and center. The Red Sox hope to keep Rafaela in center most of the time, but he has the versatility to play second, short and third as well. Abreu is coming off a rookie season in which he won the Gold Glove Award in right field, but he will strive for more consistency at the plate. Refsnyder, per usual, will play against all lefty starters.

DH (1): Masataka Yoshida
Heading into his third MLB season, Yoshida hopes to demonstrate the best version of himself for the first time since he left Japan. The left-handed hitter is coming off right shoulder surgery and is projected to be ready for Opening Day.

Bench/Utility (2): David Hamilton, Romy Gonzalez
Hamilton has blazing speed and improved with his bat and glove last year. Hamilton can bounce between second and short, and Cora said in January the left-handed hitter should see some time in center in the coming season. Gonzalez had an underrated season off the bench in 2024 and gives the club another threat against lefties.

Starting Pitchers (6): Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck, Brayan Bello, Walker Buehler, Lucas Giolito, Kutter Crawford
A six-man rotation makes some sense, at least for the start of the season, when the Sox play 19 games in 20 days. Crochet gives the club the ace it lacked a year ago. Houck and Bello should both take another step forward without the pressure of needing to anchor the rotation. The veteran presence of Buehler and Giolito should help to make the rotation much improved.

Relief Pitchers (7): Liam Hendriks, Justin Slaten, Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock, Justin Wilson, Greg Weissert, Josh Winckowski
Hendriks goes in as the slight favorite to be the closer, but he could get a push in camp from Slaten and the hard-throwing Chapman. Whitlock should be a weapon in the multi-innings role. There are several others who will try to win the final couple of spots, including Brennan Bernardino and Luis Guerrero.