Yesterday Alex Cora started telling some players that they would not be a part of the Red Sox ALDS roster. Brian Johnson and Hector Velasquez are two that Cora has already told, but it’s still unknown who else the rookie manager is going to have to bring into his office.
Cora has said that he is going to go with 11 pitchers and 14 hitters. Not my favorite strategy. The pitching is the weakest part of this team but whatever, I guess. With that in mind, here are my predictions for the Red Sox ALDS Roster
Catchers: Christian Vasquez, Sandy Leon
Infielders: Ian Kinsler, Rafeal Devers, Eduardo Nunez, Mitch Moreland, Xander Bogaerts
Outfielders: J.D. Martinez, Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr.
Utility: Brock Holt, Blake Swihart, Steve Pearce
Starters: Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello, Nathan Eovaldi
Relievers: Craig Kimbrel, Matt Barnes, Eduardo Rodriguez, Joe Kelly, Ryan Brasier, Steven Wright, Heath Hembree, Brandon Workman
Notes:
- Steven Wright has pitched well and figures to be a weapon out of the bullpen.
- Swihart makes the roster which I think is a mistake. He will probably start between 0- 1 games for the Sox postseason. Why not carry another reliever instead?
- It appears Cora prefers E-rod to come out of the bullpen rather than Nathan Eovaldi. It probably has something to do with the right-handedness of both the Yankees and the A’s.
- Joe Kelly gets left off. He is way too inconsistent for Cora to trust. He could put him out on the mound any given moment just so he can puke all over himself.
- It will be interesting to see how much time Steve Pearce gets in this series. Mitch Moreland really struggled down the stretch and even though Pearce has just been used as a platoon for the Sox, I think it is completely possible that his playing time picks up.
-Jarrod Ribaudo (@Jribs53)
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