FORT MYERS, Fla. – The camp portion of Spring Training has officially ended for the Red Sox, and the Grapefruit League game schedule starts in earnest with Saturday’s matchup 6 miles down the road at Hammond Stadium against the Twins.
There will be games every day until March 11, when the Sox get their lone day off of the spring.
That gives manager Alex Cora and his staff ample opportunity to evaluate the battle for positions and roster spots.
Here are the top storylines to follow between now and Opening Day in Cincinnati on March 26.
Derby for final rotation spot
Given how loaded the Red Sox are in the first four spots (Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suárez, Sonny Gray and Brayan Bello) of the rotation, there is intrigue surrounding who emerges from the sizable derby competing for the final spot.
First out of the gate will be big lefty Payton Tolle, who gets the nod on Saturday. MLB Pipeline’s No. 19 prospect, who made his debut last August, has a defined mission of improving his offspeed stuff.
Connelly Early, another lefty who is part of Pipeline’s Top 100 (No. 56), is the other prospect in the mix and starts Monday against the Rays in Port Charlotte. Early certainly impressed with his cameo down the stretch last season, which included an 11-strikeout game in his debut at Sacramento.
Towering righty Johan Oviedo, a trade acquisition from the Pirates, might be the slight front-runner to win the job. His audition starts on Wednesday against the Twins in Fort Myers. The front office likes Oviedo’s under-the-hood numbers, which served as an impetus for the December acquisition.
Rounding out the competition are two veterans who didn’t throw a pitch in 2025 due to injuries in righty Kutter Crawford and lefty Patrick Sandoval. Crawford led the Red Sox in innings two years ago. Interestingly, Sandoval is the only one from the quintet who doesn’t have Minor League options. He could be an option as a long man for a bullpen light on lefties.
Rise of the Roman Empire
Though Roman Anthony’s stint in Spring Training will be shortened by his recent addition to the Team USA roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic, he is by far the player to watch in camp.
It would surprise nobody if Anthony emerges as one of MLB’s next stars in his first full season. The left-handed hitter has enormous raw power, which should play in the friendly climate that typically accompanies Spring Training games in Florida.
The infield puzzle
How will the pieces fit together in the revamped infield? The only certainties at this point: Willson Contreras will be the primary first baseman, while Trevor Story will again be holding down shortstop.
The general expectation is that scrappy trade acquisition Caleb Durbin will take over at the hot corner, while Marcelo Mayer will be the top option at second base. But those two players could flip positions, Cora has said several times. The manager also said that Mayer’s spot on the roster isn’t a given, and that he must earn it after an inconsistent and injury-marred first season in 2025.
With Romy Gonzalez (left shoulder) expected to open the season on the injured list, there are many combatants to be the team’s second utility player behind Isiah Kiner-Falefa. The group includes Nate Eaton, Nick Sogard, Andruw Monasterio and Mikey Romero, among others.
Can Campbell hit his way onto the roster?
Last year at Spring Training, there was much attention on Kristian Campbell as he worked on the nuances required to be a full-time second baseman. By May, Campbell somehow lost his strength as a player, which is his bat. He was back in the Minors for the rest of the season in June.
The plan this year is for Campbell to be used exclusively as an outfielder. Cora made it clear that the way Campbell can get back on the Major League roster is by getting his stroke back at the plate. The right-handed hitter worked tirelessly over the offseason on improving his setup.
How do Casas and Yoshida fit?
Four of the best players on the Red Sox (Jarren Duran, Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu) happen to all be outfielders. That leaves the DH spot as a fallback for the odd man out. But where does that leave Masataka Yoshida and Triston Casas, two mainstays in the past when healthy?
Yoshida comes into the season healthy for the first time since 2023, while Casas is in the final stages of his comeback from a ruptured patellar tendon in his left knee. It is unclear when Casas will be ready for Grapefruit League action. Yoshida, who is under contract for two more seasons, played Friday against Northeastern and will again be in Saturday’s lineup before heading out to join Team Japan’s WBC squad. Given how deep Japan is expected to advance in the tournament, Yoshida might not be back until the final week or so of camp.