Breaking news: Alex Cora Backs This Top Red Sox Prospect

December 8, 2023 Sports Gist Baseball, Boxing, MLB 0

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - OCTOBER 2: Manager Alex Cora #13 of the Boston Red Sox speaks to the media during an end of season press conference on October 2, 2023 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Alex Cora Strongly Supports This Top Red Sox Prospect

The Red Sox made a splash trade during winter meetings, and it made the club’s outfield outlook clearer.

Boston traded Alex Verdugo to the New York Yankees in exchange for three pitchers. It was a deal general manager Brian Cashman envisioned alongside his team’s trade for Juan Soto. And for the Red Sox, they continued their goal of adding pitching talent to the roster, and it opens the door for a pair of prospects.

Wilyer Abreu likely will get the first nod at right field. It will be a challenge to replace a Gold Glove finalist, but it’s one the team is confident he can step up to. Also, there is hope the 24-year-old can produce his 132 OPS+ production in a larger sample than 28 games.

Rob Refsnyder has his role against left-handed batters, which leaves Jarren Duran, Masataka Yoshida and potentially Ceddanne Rafaela. Duran is preferred at left field by some in the Red Sox organization, according to The Athletic.

Rafaela is versatile enough to play in the infield and outfield, but late last season, Alex Cora noted he preferred Rafaela in the outfield.

“I think he can impact the center-field position like the (Kevin) Kiermaiers of the world,” manager Alex Cora said on MLB Network Radio this week, per The Athletic.

Rafaela played 28 games following his September call-up. He hit two home runs and collected five RBIs on a 78 OPS+.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow told reporters at the winter meetings this week Boston isn’t set in stone at any position, and there are reports they’re interested in free agents like Lourdes Gurriel Jr., but the youth movement could be continuing for Boston next season.

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Red Sox Reportedly ‘Aren’t Ruling Out’ Return Of Fan-Favorite Slugger

It sounds like there still is a chance a former Red Sox fan-favorite could return

The Boston Red Sox have a lot of work they still need to do this offseason.

To this point, the biggest move the Red Sox have made this offseason is trading away outfielder Alex Verdugo. The free agent market has been extremely slow to this point likely because two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and young phenom Yoshinobu Yamamoto have not signed a contract yet. Once they do, things are expected to heat up.

Boston needs to make multiple additions this offseason if it wants to make it back to the postseason. The Red Sox have been linked to every big-name player in some way to this point. Boston mainly needs to fix the starting rotation, but also needs to fill the designated hitter spot.

Two-time All-Star Justin Turner filled the role well last season, but now is a free agent. There have been rumblings that he would sign elsewhere, but there still reportedly is a chance he could return to Boston, according to The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey and Chad Jennings.

“(Craig Breslow) also said the Red Sox are maintaining contact with Justin Turner’s agents and given the need for a right-handed bat aren’t ruling out a return,” McCaffrey and Jennings said. “‘It would certainly be silly to close off communication,’ he said.”

Turner would be a solid player to bring back into the fold but would be just a short-term fix. He is 39 years old and although he was impressive last season, is nearing the end of his big league career. Boston has made it known that it is looking for flexibility from the designated hitter spot as well so a move still should be considered unlikely with Turner.

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