Plus, updates on Rafael Devers, Tanner Houck, and Fenway Park food options
On a podcast during the dark, early days of this past offseason, after Xander Bogaerts left and in the middle of a stretch during which it seemed unlikely that Rafael Devers and the Red Sox would agree on a contract extension, I idly speculated that if Devers left, the face of the Red Sox franchise would be . . . Alex Verdugo. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. Raffy is here for a long time. (Julian McWilliams, Boston Globe)
We almost have a set 26-man roster for Opening Day. Bobby Dalbec and Jorge Alfaro have been sent to Worcester, meaning Yu Chang and Connor Wong have made the team. The final bench and bullpen slots are now the only outstanding questions. (Peter Abraham and Julian McWilliams, Boston Globe)
Dalbec, for one, is taking the demotion in stride, though. He seems to be in a good mental space to try to fight his way back up. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
Tanner Houck has not been made to fight for a roster spot, and that’s a good thing for him, because his Spring has been brutal. He doesn’t sound worried, though. (Gio Rivera, NESN)
If you’re wondering what other names we might see in a Red Sox uniform, here’s a roundup of prospects who could conceivably make their Major League debuts this year. It seems certain that we’ll see Enmanuel Valdez at some point, but how about Ceddanne Rafaela? (Ricky Doyle, NESN)
The Red Sox bullpen was a major problem last year, and obvious area of focus for Chaim Bloom this past offseason. At least one evaluator thinks it’s now a top 10 pen. (Eric Longenhagen, FanGraphs)
New Fenway park food options! Don’t fall for the maple burger — it’s almost certain be cooked well done. But the spicy watermelon margarita seems like it could be worth whatever ungodly sums of money it costs on a hot August afternoon. (Frank O’Laughlin, Fox 25)