Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox still have several logjams in their outfield and within their pitching corps.
Triston Casas could be on the outside looking in at regular reps once he’s cleared for game action. Barry Chin/The Boston Globe
The Red Sox entered the offseason with plenty of question marks and several segments of the roster gridlocked with too many players.
Some of those headaches haven’t alleviated themselves now that the Red Sox have opened camp in Fort Myers.
As spring training commences down in Florida, here’s a look at a few players who could be on the outside looking at the Red Sox’ roster come Opening Day.
Triston Casas
At this point, it’s all but a given that Triston Casas will be on the outside looking at the big-league roster in April, due in large part to his health.
After he ruptured his patellar tendon last May, it remains to be seen if Casas will even be available to play in late March or early April once Boston’s ‘26 campaign gets underway. He admitted at Boston’s fan fest event last month that being ready for Opening Day might be a “tight squeeze.”
But, even if Casas was healthy, a starting role at first base has fallen to the wayside for the talented slugger.
Boston’s full-time first baseman in 2026 and beyond will be veteran Willson Contreras, while Casas still has plenty to prove after missing most of the last two seasons due to injury.
The 26-year-old Casas has some minor-league options, so it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if he opens the 2026 season with Triple-A Worcester once he’s cleared for game action.
If Casas can get healthy, there’s still a lot to like about his upside as a power hitter with strong plate discipline, as evidenced by his 2023 season where he slugged 24 home runs and finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting.
If he can get back on the field and mash in Worcester, he could put himself in position to vie for a regular role as Boston’s DH, where his power and ability to get on-base would be properly utilized.
Of course, there are several other players who are also in the running for that DH spot.
Kristian Campbell
The first of Boston’s blue-chip prospects to arrive on the scene in 2025, Kristian Campbell now finds himself in no-man’s land entering the 2026 campaign.
The promising slugger had an impressive start to his big-league career, breaking camp with Boston out of spring training last March.
Along with signing an eight-year, $80 million contract extension last spring, Campbell took home AL Rookie of the Month honors in April after batting .313 with eight doubles, four home runs, and 12 RBI over his first 28 games in the majors.
Kristian Campbell spoke on his new mechanics at the plate and the reasoning behind them:
“Last year, I felt like I had a lot of trouble getting to the low pitches — low and inside specifically. So moving my hands down helped me to be able to get to all pitches and get to that… pic.twitter.com/YWmFINsYGI
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) February 12, 2026
But, Campbell’s play plummeted after that. He batted .154 with two home runs, nine RBI, and 42 strikeouts over his next 39 games (144 plate appearances). His defense also left a lot to be desired at second base, as he posted a minus-16 defensive runs saved.
Campbell was eventually assigned to Triple-A Worcester in the middle of June and spent the rest of the year in the minor leagues.
The 23-year-old Campbell is looking for a fresh start in 2026, with his long-term contract and track record of dominating in the minor leagues offering up hope that he can find his game at the big-league level.
But, his defensive deficiencies limit just where Alex Cora and Co. could slot him on this roster, with a potential spot at DH also far from a guarantee given Boston’s other options, including MLB locks like Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida.
The writing is on the wall that Campbell will begin the year in Worcester, where ample playing time should be available for him.
Payton Tolle and Connelly Early
The Red Sox’ once-dormant pipeline of pitching prospects received a shot in the arm with the rapid development of both Tolle and Early in 2025.
Tolle — who opened the season in Single-A — made it all the way to the big leagues by the end of the year, with the lefty showcasing plenty of swing-and-miss stuff with a blistering fastball.
While Tolle also took his lumps (6.06 ERA in 16.1 innings) with the Red Sox, Early was a game-changer down the stretch, with the southpaw posting a 2.33 ERA and 1.086 WHIP across his four starts before getting the ball in Game 3 of Boston’s wild-card round against the Yankees.
There’s a lot to like about how both Tolle and Early can eventually develop into key cogs in Boston’s pitching corps, be it in the starting rotation or as weapons in the bullpen.
But, both youngsters might be the odd men out on Opening Day, given the glut of other pitchers Boston already has on the roster.
Barring injuries, the Red Sox seemingly have their starting rotation set between Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suarez, Sonny Gray, and Brayan Bello, with former Pirates starter Johan Oviedo likely the first man up for the No. 5 spot.
Even if Oviedo falters or other pitchers struggle, the Red Sox also have both Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval in the mix with Tolle and Early.
There’s a lot to like about both Early and Tolle’s upside, and it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if they are key contributors down the stretch as Boston’s roster settles itself for the stretch run.
But, barring a dominant stretch in spring training, both Early and Tolle seem destined for regular innings in Worcester to open a new baseball season.
Masataka Yoshida
The Red Sox weren’t able to alleviate themselves of their current four-man outfield conundrum, with only three spots available for four capable players in Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and Jarren Duran.
Barring a late trade, it looks as though Cora and the Red Sox’s best path moving forward is to cycle one of those four players through the DH spot in order to allocate regular at-bats for that quartet.
Where does that leave Yoshida?
Yoshida stands as a square peg in a round hole within Boston’s roster composition, with Boston unable to find a taker for the remaining two years and $36 million left on his contract.
Yoshida’s poor fielding and baserunning also limits how Cora can utilize him outside of the DH spot, while he struggled in 2025 by slashing .266/.307/.388. He fared better in September and during Boston’s brief playoff run, but Yoshida’s profile as a contact hitter who doesn’t necessarily get on base isn’t exactly what Boston is looking for at DH.
It feels like something’s got to give between the Red Sox and Yoshida, especially with players like Duran, Anthony, or even players like Casas and Campbell offering more upside at the DH spot as the season carries on.
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
