Outfield
Andrew Benintendi, Mike Tauchman, Austin Slater, Zach DeLoach
Benintendi's salary mandates he is the starting left fielder.
The Sox just signed Tauchman and Slater to likely platoon in right. However, if LRJ is traded, Tauchman can player center.
If Luis Robert Jr. is not traded, then DeLoach does not make the Opening Day roster.
Picking DeLoach over Dominic Fletcher and Oscar Colas is because of two reasons. The first is the front office seems to prefer players who can get on base. That is one of the strengths of DeLoach's game with his career .377 on-base percentage in the minors.
The other reason is Getz did not speak too highly of Fletcher and Colas.
Asked if Colás is still part of the Sox' future, Getz said: "Oscar is someone we expect to come into spring training, we'll see how he looks."
— Vinnie Duber (@VinnieDuber) December 10, 2024
That is not to say Fletcher should be ruled out as the fourth outfielder considering he provides an elite glove. It will be interesting to see what they decide to do there.
Also, Cal Mitchell, who was signed off the scrap-heap, could have a shot. Corey Julks might also make a case.
Teel has played some right field, so if Quero and him rake in spring training, making him the fourth outfielder and rotating the four outfielders around is not out of the question.
Still, it would make more sense to have Teel and Quero battle it out for catcher, and whoever losses go to Triple-A to get everyday at-bats.
Designated Hitter/Plays All Over
Bryan Ramos
He should get a runway to prove he can be a major league contributor. Ramos also has the talent to be an impactful hitter. The problem is where to play him. It is not because he is a terrible fielder.
He has played third base throughout his minor league journey and during his brief time up with the Sox. The front office seems intent on giving Vargas another shot at third base. Also, the jury is still out on whether Montgomery can be an everyday shortstop, so he might have to move to third.
Ramos showed he might be the better defensive option there, but Vargas has been terrible in the outfield and at second. The thinking is that it might be better to see what Ramos can do in the outfield as he started to take fly balls at the end of the season.
Spoke to Bryan Ramos about the work behind his offensive turnaround, and how he feels about being asked to take outfield reps.
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) September 12, 2024
“Obviously I prefer third base, that’s my base, I love it. But I’m going to keep working at both.”https://t.co/2BgQe1UPiI
It would not be a surprise to see him get some action in the outfield. It cannot hurt to see if he can man first base if Vaughn needs a day off.
He is still a blank canvas defensively, so it makes sense to see where else he can contribute. At the very least, his bat must be in the lineup every day. With Gavin Sheets gone, it opens up the DH spot to get him in the batting order.
Plus, if he can play some outfield and get some third base reps, it will allow Quero's bat to get in the lineup on the day he is not catching.