The Boston Red Sox are running into a problem plenty of teams would love to have: there’s more talent than room. Injuries pushed a wave of role players into bigger jobs this season, and a handful of them answered the call. Mickey Gasper, Nick Sogard, Anthony Seigler, Eli White, Jahmai Jones, Patrick Sandoval and others all helped fuel Boston’s push back into the playoffs.
Now the calendar has flipped, the regulars are healthy again, and the roster math is getting ugly. Someone is going to be squeezed out when the playoff group gets set.
Jahmai Jones looks like one of the first names on the chopping block, even after making a real case for himself. Boston picked him up on July 14, and he wasted no time making noise.
In 26 games, he’s hit .421 with a 1.348 OPS, and he’s absolutely punished left-handed pitching. His 268 WRC+ against lefties is the best mark among any player with 40 or more plate appearances since he joined the Red Sox.
The issue isn’t performance. It’s fit.
Jones is an outfielder, and the Red Sox already have a crowded group there. Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and Jarren Duran are expected to soak up most of the postseason outfield work.
Eli White is also in the mix as a speed option off the bench, assuming he’s healthy in time. There’s just no practical reason for Boston to take six outfielders into October when only four can really play.
Andruw Monasterio is in a similar spot, only his slide has been more visible. The utility infielder caught fire in July, posting a 185 WRC+ that ranked seventh among all players with 70 or more plate appearances that month.
He was a big part of Boston’s wild turnaround, even if the defense never fully came around. But since August 1, the bat has gone quiet, and his 47 WRC+ in that stretch has changed the picture fast.
The infield is crowded now, too. Trevor Story and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are back, which tightened things immediately.
Once Contreras returns, he and Caleb Durbin are expected to handle the corners. Story is set at shortstop, and Nick Sogard has done enough to lock down a playoff spot on merit.
With all of that in place, Monasterio’s recent slump makes him look like the odd man out.
Patrick Sandoval’s case is different, but the result may be the same. His Red Sox debut, after more than two years away from the mound, was worth celebrating.
He followed that up by pitching well, too. Through his first six outings, while still working his way back stamina-wise, he posted a 3.30 ERA.
Lately, though, the numbers have gone in the wrong direction. Over his last five starts, he’s at a 6.12 ERA, and even if you strip out the seven-run disaster in Pittsburgh, it’s still 4.29.
The postseason picture makes his path even tougher. The rotation shrinks to three or four arms depending on the round, and Gray and Tolle are already locked in.
There’s also a current debate about who gets the third spot for the Wild Card round, and Sandoval isn’t in that conversation. Sometimes a fifth starter can slide into the bullpen as a bulk option, but Brayan Bello has handled that role well for most of the year.
That leaves Sandoval looking like the likely odd man out on the pitching staff.
In Other News...
Ceddanne Rafaela Update Gives Red Sox A Needed Stretch Run Boost
Ceddanne Rafaela has been on the Injured List since Sept. 2 with a right quadriceps strain, and the next step in his return is set for the Red Soxs upcoming series in Texas. The plan is for him to ramp up his running progression there, a sign that Boston is moving him closer to game action at a time when every healthy body matters.
The timing could work out well for the Red Sox, who are hoping to get him back as soon as next weekend against the Rays. If that holds, Rafaela would have roughly nine games to get back to full speed before the postseason begins, giving Boston a chance to reintroduce one of its most important defenders and athletes before October pressure arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Former Yankees Castoff Is Giving Red Sox A Timely Boost
Mickey Gaspers arrival in mid-August has given the Red Sox an unexpected lift at just the right time, and it comes with a familiar twist for this franchise. The former Yankees draft pick has quickly made his presence felt after the call-up, producing at a level that has put him near the top of the league in key offensive categories during that stretch.
It also fits a larger pattern Boston has seen before, with former Yankees players sometimes finding new life in a Red Sox uniform. Gaspers path has not been a straight line, either, as he came to Boston through the minor-league portion of the 2023 Rule 5 draft and has already traveled through trades and waiver claims along the way, making this latest burst feel like another notable turn in a career that has taken plenty of detours. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Suddenly Face A New Worry With Kristian Campbell
Kristian Campbell had started to look like one of the more obvious next-man-up candidates in the Red Sox system, especially with recent performance building and the big-league outfield thinned by injuries. His name had moved into the conversation for a promotion as Boston looked for help, and that alone made him a player worth tracking closely as the season pushed forward.
Now the focus has shifted for a different reason. Campbell was placed on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Worcester with a left foot contusion, which makes an immediate call-up unlikely and introduces a new layer of uncertainty to his path. For a Red Sox club already dealing with outfield instability, the pause is a frustrating one, because the potential solution was just starting to come into view. [Read more 🡒]