The Boston Red Sox open their spring training schedule with a matchup against the Northeastern Huskies on Friday afternoon before facing off against Corbin Burnes and the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora joined WEEI’s “Gresh & Fauria” on Friday and talked about the team’s focus on defense in spring training, where Ceddane Rafaela might play, and his excitement for newcomer Vaughn Grissom.
“I do believe we’re more athletic. We should be able to play better defense. It starts with Trevor (Story) at short, but in the outfield with (Tyler) O’Neill, (Wilyer) Abreu, (Jarren) Duran, (Ceddane) Rafaela. You got to see (Rob) Refsnyder, he looks really good,” Cora said. “One of the main goals this spring, obviously, is play better defense, move a lot better out there as a unit. So far it’s been good.”
Cora explained that the Red Sox are taking a more individualized approach to the defensive side of things, even at the major league level.
“We have changed a lot of things about our defensive program, more individualized work, more one-on-one work, trying to make these guys better,” he continued. “Raffy, we got to keep helping him develop as a player, get the whole package. That’s one of the things that Craig has talked from Day 1. The player development part of it doesn’t stop at the big-league level; we got to continue to make these guys the best version of themselves, and if we accomplish that we’re going to be in a good spot.”
The Red Sox have a bit of a logjam in the outfield, as Cora alluded to by naming five guys that could be playing out there. Even with Masataka Yoshida instituted as the designated hitter, Boston needs to put the puzzle pieces into place.
“We got to make decisions, especially in the outfield. Everybody knows that we have to decide what we’re going to do with Ceddanne Rafaela,” Cora said. “Is he going to break camp with us and play center field or is he going to go to Triple-A and keep getting better as a hitter?”
Rafaela hit .294 with six home runs and 18 doubles in 60 Double-A games last season before moving up and dominating Triple-A with 14 home runs and 13 doubles while batting .312 in 48 games. In total, Rafaela hit .302 with an .869 OPS across 444 minor-league at-bats last season.
Unfortunately, that success didn’t translate to the major-league level as Rafaela went 20-for-83 (.241) with two home runs and a .666 OPS after being called up in late August.
“Whatever we decide there, it’s the whole domino effect, it’s the puzzle,” Cora continued. “OK, Rafaela’s here, what are we going to do with the corner outfielders? Are we going to platoon with certain guys? So those are tough decisions but I feel like going to Seattle the outfield unit is going to be a good one, a more dynamic one, and one that is going to first things first play good defense, second the offensive side of it we’re going to be very aggressive. We’re going to have some good athletes that are going to put pressure on the opposition, especially on the basepaths.”
The Red Sox also have another young player they’re excited about in camp in Vaugh Grissom. The former Braves prospect was the odd man out in Atlanta’s infield and was flipped to Boston in the Chris Sale trade.
“The one I’m very excited about, we got him in that big trade for Chris Sale, is Vaughn Grissom. Very physical, good athlete,” Cora said. “We do believe with time he’s going to hit for average.
“I saw him today at second base finally outside. We were talking about slowing him down because he felt something in his hamstring, so we’ve been slow taking care of him, but today he was at second base, he was moving well. This is a guy that if we get the player that we envision, the infield is going to be stable, and good things are going to happen.”
Grissom hit .330 at the Triple-A level last season with eight home runs and a .920 OPS. In 75 major-league at-bats, Grissom hit .280 with a .659 OPS with the Braves. He’s shown he can hit for average and a consistent spot in the lineup may help him find his groove.
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