Red Sox manager Alex Cora comfortable starting Ceddanne Rafaela in center field

On paper the Red Sox outfield looks more or less set. Two-time Gold Glove winner Tyler O’Neill projects as the starting left fielder with Jarren Duran in center and rookie Wilyer Abreu in right, Masataka Yoshida should serve as the primary designated hitter and Rob Refsnyder will come off the bench.

But that alignment isn’t set in stone, and Red Sox manager Alex Cora gave his clearest indication yet that top prospect Ceddanne Rafaela will have an opportunity to win the starting center field job.

“At the end of the day we can’t hide the situation with Rafaela,” Cora said Thursday in Fort Myers. “If he’s the guy then we have to make decisions in the corners and obviously roster-wise.”

Cora said they have to be patient with Rafaela as he continues to develop offensively, but that he already possesses a number of traits that could help impact the major league club. He raved about the 23-year-old’s defensive talents, particularly in center field, but that his versatility shouldn’t be overlooked either.

“We understand the center field thing is real and he can impact that, but at the same time understanding that if you need something else at one point during the season you can move him to second, move him to short, and he can help us out in other areas,” Cora said. “But I think everything starts there.”

If Rafaela were to make the Opening Day roster it could have a dramatic effect on the rest of the outfield, likely bumping Duran to left field and potentially relegating O’Neill or Abreu into a platoon. The clearest path to Rafaela getting a spot might be an injury, but Cora pushed back by noting the rookie is good enough to earn a spot on his own merit even without outside help.

“Even without injuries I’d feel comfortable with him playing center field,” Cora said. “Defensively we saw it last year, I know he had some tough games, right? Toronto for example. But he moves well, he moves fast, he has a great arm, he has great instincts, I think it’s more about repetitions at this level. The game is a little bit quicker, they hit the ball a little bit harder and decision making comes into play.”

Whether or not Rafaela makes the Opening Day roster could prove among the most interesting spring training storylines, and his performance will warrant close watching in the coming weeks.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/vU8cQ4K