Red Sox’ Garrett Whitlock may not be ready for Opening Day, Alex Cora says

Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock may not be ready for the start of the season, manager Alex Cora indicated to reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) on Monday.

Having undergone right hip surgery in September, Whitlock came into camp this spring still in rehab mode. While the 26-year-old has been throwing bullpens like the club’s other pitchers in Fort Myers, he has not yet been cleared to face live hitters or participate in fielding practice, which requires additional movement.

Because the Red Sox are still waiting for that clearance, Cora admitted that Whitlock could have to start the season on the injured list if he is not ready for Opening Day against the Orioles on March 30.

“His next bullpen is up and down again. He’s throwing the ball well, he’s moving well. Not yet doing PFPs. We’re not concerned. We’ve got a plan,” Cora said. “We’ll see where we’re at in the upcoming weeks. If he’s ready for Opening Day, he’s ready. But if he’s not, he’s not going to lose too much time. If he’s not there [for Opening Day], it’s not because he’s hurt or whatever. It’s just the progression of where we’re at, especially moving around.”

In addition to Whitlock, the Red Sox have six other candidates vying for five starting rotation spots this spring in Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, Nick Pivetta, James Paxton, Brayan Bello, and Tanner Houck. So, if Whitlock were to miss a few starts to begin the season, they at least have some insurance there.

Though Whitlock has primarily been used out of the bullpen in his first two big-league seasons, the Red Sox have remained adamant that they want the righty to become a full-time starter in 2023. The four-year, $18.75 million contract extension he signed last April that includes significant incentive clauses based on the number of innings he pitches reflects that notion.

Whitlock is not the only Boston starter whose progress has been slowed since camp began earlier this month. Bello was shut down on February 17 due to forearm tightness, but has since been cleared to throw off a mound again. Pivetta has been on the mend following a recent bout with COVID-19 and bowed out of pitching for Canada in the World Baseball Classic as a result.

While the status of those three will remain in question until they can get into games, Kluber will make his spring debut against the Marlins in Jupiter on Tuesday. Houck and Paxton are scheduled to start on Thursday and Friday while Sale is getting close to game action after facing hitters for the first time this year over the weekend.

(Picture of Garrett Whitlock: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Jarren Duran homers, Kutter Crawford tosses two scoreless innings as Red Sox top Twins, 4-1, in first meeting of spring

The Red Sox improved to 2-0-1 in Grapefruit League on Monday afternoon by taking down the Twins in Game 1 of the 2023 Chairman’s Cup. Boston defeated Minnesota by a final score of 4-1 at JetBlue Park.

Kutter Crawford, making his first start of the spring, provided the Sox with two scoreless innings out of the gate. The right-hander gave up two hits and no walks to go along with a pair of strikeouts in the process of retiring six of the eight batters he faced.

Both of those hits came in the top of the second. But Crawford escaped any further damage by getting Austin Martin to ground out to Enrique Hernandez deep in the hole at shortstop. Hernandez, in turn, made an impressive crossbody throw to Justin Turner over at first base to record the out.

In relief of Crawford, fellow righty Durbin Feltman received the first call out of the Boston bullpen. Feltman faced the minimum in the third despite giving up a one-out single to Max Kepler. Kepler attempted to steal second base while Ryan Jeffers was at the plate, but he was instead gunned down by Reese McGuire as part of an inning-ending strike ’em out, throw ’em out double play.

After Chase Shugart and Taylor Broadway each put up zeroes in their respective innings of work, the Red Sox got on the board in their half of the fifth. Jarren Duran, who had already doubled in the third inning, led things off by clubbing his first home run of the spring over the faux Green Monster in left field.

The Twins, however, quickly got that run back in the following inning. After putting runners on the corners with one out in the sixth, minor-league Rule 5 pickup Joe Jacques allowed Kyle Farmer to score from third on an RBI groundout off the bat of Trevor Larnach to pull Minnesota back even with Boston at 1-1.

That stalemate did not last long, though. With one out in the bottom of the sixth, the pinch-hitting Bobby Dalbec laced a hard-hit double to left field off Simeon-Woods Richardson. Enmanuel Valdez and Caleb Hamilton followed by taking ball four to fill the bases for Ceddanne Rafaela, who — in the place of Duran — plated Dalbec with a seeing-eye single through the left side of the infield. Greg Allen then provided some insurance by driving in Valdez with a sacrifice fly to make it a 3-1 game in favor of the Sox.

Left-handers Cam Booser and Brendan Cellucci each kept the Twins off the board in the top half of the seventh and eighth innings. In the latter half of the eighth, Hamilton reached base via a one-out double. He then scored all the way from second when Rafaela lifted a sacrifice fly to deep center field. Minnesota showed very little urgency in getting the ball back to the infield, which allowed Hamilton to accomplish the rare feat.

Taking a newfound 4-1 lead into the ninth, Jake Thompson closed things out for Boston to record his first save of the spring and secure a three-run victory. All told, Monday’s contest took a swift two hours and 24 hours to complete.

Other notable numbers:

Duran, who went 2-for-2 with two extra-base hits, is now batting .330/.378/.592 with five homers and 11 RBIs in 54 career Grapefruit League games dating back to 2019.

Alex Verdugo also recorded two hits on Monday. The left-handed hitter has kicked off his spring by going 4-for-5 (.800) in his first two Grapefruit League games of the year.

Next up: Kluber makes his 2023 debut

The Red Sox will hit the road and head to the east coast of Florida for their next two games. They will be taking on the Marlins in Jupiter on Tuesday evening. Veteran right-hander Corey Kluber is slated to make his first start for Boston opposite Miami left-hander Trevor Rogers.

First pitch from Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. eastern time on NESN+ and MLB Network.

(Picture of Jarren Duran: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Brayan Bello throws off mound for first time since being shut down earlier this month

For the first time since being shut down with forearm tightness earlier this month, Red Sox starter Brayan Bello threw off a mound at the Fenway South complex on Sunday.

As part of a 20-pitch bullpen with pitching coach Dave Bush looking on, Bello threw strictly fastballs and changeups. The right-hander told reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) that he did not feel any discomfort and will feature all of his pitches in his next side session.

“I feel good. I’m pushing myself to be ready for Opening Day,” Bello said through a translator, via The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham. “In the beginning I was worried because I didn’t know what it was, but I’m fine now.”

After debuting for the Red Sox last July and posting a 4.71 ERA (2.94 FIP) with 55 strikeouts to 27 walks over 13 outings (11 starts, 57 1/3 innings) as a rookie, Bello came into camp this spring with the hopes of competing for a spot in Boston’s Opening Day starting rotation. But the 23-year-old hurler was shut down on February 17 due to experiencing soreness in his right forearm.

Following a brief hiatus, Bello resumed throwing on flat ground last Monday. Shortly thereafter, he told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith that he was optimistic he would be able to avoid the injured list and would be ready for the start of the 2023 season.

“Of course I’m ready,” Bello said through translator Carlos Villoria Benitez. “The (tightness) that set me back, it wasn’t that much of a time. So for me, I’m ready, hopefully, to be the No. 5 starter in that rotation.”

Although he has graduated from his prospect status, Bello — who turns 24 in May — is still considered to be the top young pitching talent in the Red Sox organization. He is one of seven candidates competing for a spot in Boston’s five-man rotation to begin the year. The other six starters are Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, Nick Pivetta, James Paxton, Garrett Whitlock, and Tanner Houck.

“I feel way better than last year. I feel more prepared,” said Bello. “I know I’m competing with other pitchers for a spot in the starting rotation. For me, that’s my goal. My goal is to try to make the team out of camp as a starter.”

If Bello does not experience any setbacks following Sunday’s bullpen and his next side session, the next step will presumably be for him to face live hitters. The Red Sox, of course, will exercise caution and patience. One would have to assume that the club would need to see how Bello fares in competitive action (i.e. in Grapefruit League Games) before determining if he will indeed be ready for Opening Day or not.

(Picture of Brayan Bello: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Ryan Fitzgerald caps off comeback with walk-off single as Red Sox top Rays, 7-6, for first Grapefruit League win

The Red Sox opened the home portion of their Grapefruit League schedule on Sunday afternoon by walking off the Rays in thrilling fashion at JetBlue Park. Boston defeated Tampa Bay by a final score of 7-6 to notch its first official win of the spring.

Josh Winckowski got the start for the Sox. The right-hander allowed one hit and one walk to go along with three strikeouts over two scoreless innings of work. He retired the side in order in the first before running into some trouble in the second by issuing a one-out walk and giving up a two-out double to Tristan Gray.

With two runners in scoring position, Winckowski kept the Rays off the scoreboard by fanning Greg Jones for his third and final punchout of the day. Following a Tampa Bay pitching change that saw Braden Bristo take over for Taj Bradley, Boston was able to plate the game’s first run in the latter half of the second.

Masataka Yoshida led off the frame by lacing a double to deep right field for his first hit of the spring. He then promptly scored from second base on an RBI single off the bat of Alex Verdugo that deflected off the faux Green Monster in left field.

Taking a 1-0 lead into the top of the third, left-hander Chris Murphy faced the minimum in his lone inning of work by hitting a batter with one out and inducing an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. Bryan Mata took over for Murphy and maneuvered his way around a two-out walk in an otherwise clean fourth inning. Brandon Walter, too, had little trouble in the fifth, as the intriguing lefty struck a pair in a perfect frame.

In the sixth, Rio Gomez served up a game-tying solo shot to Luke Raley. But the Red Sox quickly responded in their half of the inning. Ryan Fitzgerald, Nick Sogard, and Narciso Crook all drew walks to fill the bases with two outs. The Rays then brought in right-hander Jaime Schultz to face Matthew Lugo, but that move did not pan out as Lugo blooped a bases-clearing double that evaded second baseman Osleivis Basabe and right fielder Ruben Cardenas in shallow right field.

As a result, all three of Fitzgerald, Sogard, and Crook scored, and the Red Sox suddenly found themselves up by three runs. That lead would not last long, however, as Skylar Arias was tagged for one run on two walks in the seventh. In the eighth, Jacob Webb issued three consecutive one-out walks before yielding a go-ahead grand slam to Basabe that gave the Rays a 6-4 advantage.

After Luis Guerrero put the flames out in the top of the eighth, the Red Sox again responded in the bottom half. With two outs and runners at the corners, Lugo came through once more by ripping a two-run triple off Hector Perez that nearly left the yard in the right field corner.

Lugo’s second run-producing hit of the day pulled the Red Sox even with the Rays at six runs a piece. Ryan Zeferjahn kept things that way by retiring the side in order in the top of the ninth. In the bottom half, Stephen Scott and Enmanuel Valdez each took ball four to lead off the inning. Fitzgerald then ended it by scoring Scott on a walk-off single through the left side of the infield.

Fitzgerald, who went 1-for-2 with a walk on Sunday, is now batting .290/.405/.774 with four home runs and 14 RBIs in 21 career Grapefruit League games dating back to the spring of 2019.

Other notable numbers:

Sunday’s contest took two hours and 39 minutes to complete. Justin Turner and Adam Duvall each went hitless and their respective Red Sox debuts while Verdugo went 2-for-2 with one run batted in.

Lugo, who is the youngest player on Boston’s current spring training roster, went 2-for-3 with a three-run double and two-run triple en route to recording a game-high five RBIs.

Next up: The race for the 2023 Chairman’s Cup begins

With their first Grapefruit League victory of the year in tow, the Red Sox will next host the Twins in the opening game of the 2023 Chairman’s Cup on Monday.

Kutter Crawford will get the start for Boston in the opener of this five-game series while fellow right-hander Pablo Lopez will do the same for Minnesota.

First pitch from JetBlue Park is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Ryan Fitzgerald: Elsa/Getty Images)

Red Sox top prospect Marcelo Mayer forges bonds with English- and Spanish-speaking teammates on back fields of Fenway South

One day before the Red Sox took on Northeastern in their spring opener at JetBlue Park on Friday, three of the organization’s top prospects were in the spotlight on the back fields of the Fenway South Complex in Fort Myers.

As highlighted by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, infielder Marcelo Mayer was joined by outfielders Miguel Bleis and Roman Anthony behind an L-screen while waiting to jump into the box for live batting practice as part of a minor-league mini-camp on Thursay.

Mayer, 20, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the top prospect in Boston’s farm system. Bleis — who turns 19 on Wednesday — and Anthony — who turns 19 in May — come in at No. 5 and No. 9, respectively. Both Mayer (No. 10) and Bleis (No. 88) are included in the publication’s top 100 prospects list as well.

Of the three, Mayer has the most professional experience. The left-handed hitting shortstop split the 2022 season between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville and batted .280/.399/.489 with 30 doubles, 13 home runs, 53 RBIs, 61 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases over 91 games and 424 plate appearances. He is arguably the top hitting prospect in the system and is expected to return to Greenville for the start of the 2023 campaign.

Bleis, who has been tabbed as Boston’s best international prospect since Rafael Devers, is in a similar position to where Mayer was at this time last year since he is preparing to make the jump to full-season ball in 2023. The right-handed hitter out of the Dominican Republic enjoyed an all-around great year in the Florida Complex League by slashing .301/.353/.543 with 14 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 27 RBIs, 28 runs scored, and 18 stolen bases in 40 games (167 plate appearances) for the FCL Red Sox. He consistently made hard contact and would have received a late-season promotion to Salem were it not for a minor back injury.

Anthony was who the Red Sox selected with the 79th overall pick in last year’s draft. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Fla.) product signed with the club for $2.5 million. He showed flashes of his potential in the Florida Complex League by hitting .429/.475/.486 in 10 games before slowing down in Salem (.189/.279/.243 line in 10 more games) to close out his debut season. Like Bleis, Anthony is expected to be in Salem’s everyday outfield mix to start the year.

“The trio represents part of an impressive group of young players who have a chance to transform the big-league roster a few years down the road,” Speier wrote of Mayer, Bleis, and Anthony. “The most noteworthy part of the afternoon was not what the players did on the field in a practice setting but how they interacted with each other.”

Mayer, a native of Southern California, is bilingual (his mother is from Mexico). As such, he has the ability to engage and connect with both English- and Spanish-speaking teammates. It also helps that he has been described by Red Sox officials and players as “a natural leader.”

On Thursday, Mayer put his fluency in the two languages on full display. According to Speier, he “happily pinballed between Anthony and a small group of English-speaking teammates and Bleis and other Spanish-speaking teammates, breaking down pitch types in English in one moment and then playfully turning around to take some righthanded dry swings (Mayer is a left-handed hitter) while coaxing Bleis (a right-handed hitter) to show off his left-handed hacks.”

It may not carry much significance at present, but as noted by Speier, these kinds of interactions offer a glimpse of what the next homegrown core for the Red Sox could look like in the not-so-distant future.

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Bobby Dalbec homers, Raimel Tapia doubles twice as Red Sox’ Grapefruit League opener against Braves ends in 6-6 tie

The Red Sox opened Grapefruit League play with a 6-6 tie against the Braves at CoolToday Park in Northport, Fla. on Saturday afternoon.

Half of Boston’s six runs came within the first three innings of this contest. In the top of the second, Bobby Dalbec led off with a double and promptly moved up to third base on a Narciso Crook groundout. He then scored from third on an RBI single off the bat of Caleb Hamilton that got the Sox on the board first.

An inning later, Dalbec struck again. With two outs and a runner at second following a Raimel Tapia double, the slugging first baseman cranked a two-run shot to right field off veteran right-hander Jesse Chavez for his first home run of the spring.

The Braves, however, quickly responded in their half of the third by getting those two runs back. After left-handers Matt Dermody and Richard Bleier each tossed a scoreless frame to begin things for the Red Sox pitching staff, Kaleb Ort ran into some trouble. The hard-throwing righty yielded a leadoff single to Ronald Ocuna Jr. and followed that up by serving up a blistering two-run blast to Matt Olson, which brought Atlanta back to within one run at 3-2.

Following a scoreless fourth inning from Wyatt Mills, Ryan Sherriff surrendered the tying run to Eli White in the bottom of the fifth. Eddie Rosario reached base on a fielding error committed by Niko Goodrum and then scored all the way from first on a double from White (who was pinch-hitting for Ozzie Albies) that split the gap in right-center field.

Jake Faria took over for Sherriff in the sixth and worked his way around a leadoff walk before Norwith Gudino faced the minimum in the seventh. In the top of the eighth, Wilyer Abreu ignited a three-run rally by ripping a one-out triple to center field. Ryan Fitzgerald broke the 3-3 stalemate by plating Abreu from third on a hard-hit double.

A wild pitch from Braves reliever Victor Vodnik allowed Fitzgerald to take third base. He then scored from third on a two-out double from the pinch-hitting Tyler McDonough. Ronaldo Hernandez followed by pushing across McDonough on an RBI single through the right side of the infield, which gave Boston a 6-3 advantage going into the late stages.

While Sterling Sharp was able to keep Atlanta in check in the eighth, the same cannot be said for Joey Stock in the ninth. The 25-year-old hurler gave up back-to-back hits with one out before yielding a run-scoring single to Magneuris Sierra. Stock then issued three consecutive walks, the latter two of which came with the bases loaded, allowing the Braves to knot things back up at six runs apiece.

Stock was given the hook in favor of Robert Kwiatkowski, who struck out the first batter he faced in Tyler Tolve. He then fell behind in a 3-2 count against Cal Conley before the Braves second baseman was called out on strikes by home plate umpire John Libka for not being set in the batter’s box with eight seconds left on the newly-implemented pitch clock.

The pitch clock was brought in by Major League Baseball in an effort to speed up games and hasten pace of play. Saturday’s bout between the Red Sox and Braves, which included 12 runs, 19 hits, and 17 runners left on base, lasted two hours and 39 minutes.

Other notable numbers:

Dalbec went 2-for-2 with that two-run homer and two runs scored. The 27-year-old is now batting .273/.362/.578 with 12 home runs and 34 RBIs in 70 career Grapefruit League games.

Tapia, who is competing for a spot on Boston’s Opening Day roster, went 2-for-3 with two opposite-field doubles and one run scored. He and infield prospect Matthew Lugo also had automatic strikes called on them for not being set in the batter’s box in time.

Next up: Winckowski and a plethora of pitching prospects

The Red Sox will return to Fort Myers on Sunday to host the Rays in their Grapefruit League home opener. Right-hander Josh Winckowski is slated to start for Boston while Chris Murphy, Brandon Walter, and Bryan Mata are expected to follow. Left-hander Taj Bradley, one of the game’s top pitching prospects, will get the start for Tampa Bay.

First pitch from JetBlue Park is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Bobby Dalbec: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Masataka Yoshida records sacrifice fly in spring debut as Red Sox top Northeastern, 5-3

The Red Sox opened their spring schedule with a 5-3 win over Northeastern at JetBlue Park on Friday afternoon.

Meeting for the first time in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 and the MLB lockout in 2022, Boston moved to 19-0 all-time against the Huskies in exhibition play.

All five of the Red Sox’ runs came in the first inning of this seven-inning contest. Jarren Duran got things started in the bottom of the first with a leadoff double off Northeastern starter James Quinlivan. Rafael Devers followed by plating Duran on an RBI single to right field to give his side an early one-run lead out of the gate.

A pair of wild pitches from Quinlivan allowed Devers to move up to third base. Following an Enrique Hernandez walk, Devers came into score on a sacrifice fly to left field off the bat of Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida. Quinlivan then walked three straight batters in Alex Verdugo, Jorge Alfaro, and Triston Casas, who brought in Hernandez from third by taking ball four.

Trailing by three runs now, the Huskies gave Quinlivan the hook in favor of Patrick Harrington out of the bullpen. Enmanuel Valdez promptly greeted the Northeastern reliever by ripping a two-run double to the gap in right-center field. That pushed across both Verdugo and Alfaro to give the Red Sox a commanding 5-0 lead.

On the other side of things, non-roster invitee Oddanier Mosqueda got the start for Boston on the mound. The left-hander worked his way around a leadoff single off the bat of Spenser Smith by picking off the shortstop at second base to end a scoreless first inning. The two relievers who followed Mosqueda, Durbin Feltman and Taylor Broadway, faced the minimum in the second and third as well thanks to a pair of inning-ending plays.

Chase Shugart, another non-roster invitee, got tagged for two runs in the fourth. The right-hander issued a leadoff walk to Smith and immediately gave up an RBI double to Mike Sirota to put the Huskies on the board. Sirota then stole third base and scored from third on an RBI groundout off the bat of Danny Crossen.

Wyatt Olds took over for Shugart in the fifth and walked two of the first three batters he faced. That first batter, Harrison Feinberg, successfully stole third base with one out and then scored on a throwing error by catcher Elih Marrero. Olds avoided any further damage by getting Sean McGee to ground into another inning-ending, 6-4-3 double play.

From there, a pair of lefties wrapped things up out of the Boston bullpen. Rio Gomez, who will soon be pitching for Colombia in the World Baseball Classic, struck out one in a scoreless sixth inning. Brendan Cellucci followed by stranding one runner in the seventh to notch the save and put the finishing touches on a 5-3 victory.

Next up: Grapefruit League play begins

The Red Sox will kick off the Grapefruit League portion of their spring schedule on Saturday afternoon as they travel to North Port, Fla. to take on the Braves at CoolToday Park.

Left-hander Matt Dermody will get the start for Boston opposite fellow southpaw Kolby Allard for Atlanta. Richard Bleier, Kaleb Ort, Wyatt Mills, Ryan Sherriff, Jake Faria, and Norwith Gudino are also scheduled to pitch for the Red Sox.

First pitch on Saturday is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Masataka Yoshida: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox sign slugging first baseman/outfielder Daniel Palka to minor-league deal

The Red Sox have signed free agent first baseman/outfielder Daniel Palka to a minor-league contract, the club announced on Friday. The deal comes with an invite to major-league spring training.

Palka, 31, spent the 2022 season in the Mets organization. The left-handed hitter batted .263/.344/.506 with 18 doubles, 26 home runs, 79 RBIs, 68 runs scored, 48 walks, and 105 strikeouts in 109 games (445 plate appearances) with Triple-A Syracuse.

“Power. Controls the strike zone,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Palka when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) on Friday. “For as much power as he has, he doesn’t strike out as much. So he’s here. He says he’s ready to play. … He’s another guy who has big-league experience and is a good bat. And I’m glad that we got him.

A native of South Carolina, Palka was originally selected by the Diamondbacks in the third round of the 2013 amateur draft out of Georgia Tech. He was traded to the Twins in 2015 and was claimed off waivers by the White Sox in November 2017 before debuting for Chicago the following April.

As a 26-year-old rookie, Palka burst onto the scene in 2018 by slashing .240/.294/.484 with 15 doubles, three triples, a team-leading 27 home runs, 67 RBIs, 56 runs scored, two stolen bases, 30 walks, and 153 strikeouts across 124 games (449 plate appearances) for the White Sox. He finished fifth in American League Rookie of the Year voting that fall.

For whatever reason, Palka took a step backward in 2019. He appeared in just 30 games for the South Siders that year and mustered a .107/.194/.179 slash line to go along with two homers, four runs driven in, four runs scored, eight walks, and 35 strikeouts over 93 total trips to the plate. The White Sox designated him for assignment that November and released him in July 2020.

Since being cut loose by the White Sox, Palka has not gotten back to the major-leagues. He played for the Samsung Lions of the Korean Baseball Organization during the latter half of the 2020 season before returning to affiliated ball with the Nationals in 2021.

All told, Palka is a lifetime .218/.277/.433 hitter with 29 home runs and 71 RBIs in 154 career big-league games (all with the White Sox). At the Triple-A level, he owns a career line of .261/.349/.486 with 98 home runs and 293 RBIs in 477 games across four different organizations.

Defensively, Palka has past experience at first base and all three outfield spots. With the Syracuse Mets last year, the 6-foot-2, 230-pounder logged 354 2/3 innings at first, 58 2/3 innings in left, and 160 innings in right.

Palka, who turns 32 in October, has been assigned to Triple-A Worcester. There, he figures to provide Boston with some power-hitting depth who is capable of playing fist base and both corner outfield spots when needed. It does not appear as though the club signed him out of necessity or to address a specific need, but rather to fill in the gaps when other players at camp leave for the World Baseball Classic next month.

“I think this is more about the scouting department just adding to the equation,” said Cora. “It’s not needs or whatever. It’s just getting deeper. And that’s the most important thing. I don’t know how much we’re going to add in the upcoming weeks.

“But I know they’re working hard to see who’s out there, what we can bring to the equation or who wants to come here,” he added. “At the end of the day, all those guys that have some big-league experience but don’t have contracts, it’s up to them sometimes. And I’m glad that he’s here.”

With the addition of Palka, the Red Sox now have 64 players at major-league spring training. They will need to trim that number down to 26 by Opening Day.

(Picture of Daniel Palka: Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Alex Cora likes what he has seen from prospects Enmanuel Valdez and Wilyer Abreu in spring training

Enmanuel Valdez will bat eighth and get the start at second base when the Red Sox take on Northeastern in their first spring training game at JetBlue Park on Friday afternoon.

Boston acquired Valdez and outfield prospect Wilyer Abreu from the Astros in exchange for catcher Christian Vazquez last August. Both players were added to the Red Sox’ 40-man roster back in November.

Valdez is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 19 prospect in Boston’s farm system. Abreu, on the other hand, is ranked 22nd. The pair are both attending their first big-league camp and have had the chance to make an impression on Red Sox manager Alex Cora since arriving in Fort Myers, Fla. earlier this month.

“He can hit,” Cora said of Valdez when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) at the Fenway South complex on Thursday. “This kid, he can hit. He controls the strike zone. He can hit. So we’ll try to help him defensively. More comfortable at second than other places. Both of them, Abreu and Valdez, they control the strike zone. They do damage in the strike zone. I’m excited to see them.”

Cora added that Valdez and Abreu will both be in the starting lineup when the Red Sox travel to West Palm Beach and go up against the Astros in Grapefruit League play next Wednesday.

Valdez, 24, batted .296/.376/.542 with 35 doubles, two triples, 28 home runs, 107 RBIs, 92 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 64 walks, and 124 strikeouts in 126 games (573 plate appearances) between Double-A and Triple-A last year. After getting traded over the summer, the left-handed hitter slashed .237/.309/.422 with nine doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 30 RBIs, 26 runs scored, three stolen bases, 19 walks, and 48 strikeouts in 44 games (195 plate appearances) with Triple-A Worcester.

Defensively, Valdez saw playing time at five different positions last season. With the WooSox alone, the 5-foot-9, 191-pounder out of the Dominican Republic logged 330 innings at second base, 24 innings at third base, and 25 innings in left field.

“He can [play outfield],” said Cora. “But I think here, we’ll move him around in the infield.”

Valdez, meanwhile, spent the entirety of the 2022 campaign at Double-A, batting .247/.399/.459 with 29 doubles, 19 home runs, 73 RBIs, 106 runs scored, 31 stolen bases, 114 walks, and 153 strikeouts over 129 total games (579 plate appearances). Upon switching organizations for the first time in his career, the left-handed hitting Venezuelan posted a .242/.399/.375 slash line with five doubles, four homers, 19 RBIs, 25 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 36 walks, and 45 strikeouts in 40 games (168 plate appearances) for Double-A Portland.

On the other side of the ball, Abreu made starts at all three outfield spots last year. With the Sea Dogs specifically, the 6-foot, 217-pounder logged 141 innings in left, 121 innings in center, and 73 innings in right while registering one outfield assist.

“I think we really got a guy who’s an incredible defender,” Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham said of Abreu in a separate conversation with Smith. “Probably at times undersold in a lot of ways. He can play center field. He has a plus arm and moves really well. Not really fast but a really good first step and can move really quick in the outfield. All-around player that we’re really excited to have.”

(Picture of Enmanuel Valdez: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Former Red Sox pitching prospect Noah Song cleared to resume career with Phillies

Former Red Sox pitching prospect Noah Song is about to make his return to professional baseball with a new organization.

Song, who was taken by the Phillies in December’s Rule 5 Draft, has been transferred from active Naval duty to selective reserves and will report to Philadelphia’s spring training camp in Clearwater, Fla. on Thursday, according to Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Song’s situation is quite complex. The 25-year-old right-hander was originally selected by Boston in the fourth round of the 2019 amateur draft out of the United States Naval Academy. He was considered to be a first-round talent after being named a Golden Spikes finalist as a senior, but his military commitment created some question marks.

Still, the Red Sox took somewhat of a chance on Song by signing him for $100,000. The California native made his pro debut with short-season Lowell and forged a miniscule 1.06 ERA in seven starts (17 innings) with the Spinners. He then made five scoreless relief appearances for Team USA in the Premier12 tournament that fall.

That was the last time Song pitched competitively. He reported to flight school in 2020 and completed his flight training last May. Song then applied to the Secretary of the Navy for a waiver that would allow him to continue his baseball career, but it was not granted by the time the Red Sox lost him to the Phillies on the final day of the Winter Meetings in mid-December.

If the Phillies intend on keeping Song, he will have to stick on their active 26-man roster (or injured list if he is hurt) for the entirety of the 2023 season. If those conditions cannot be met, Philadelphia could trade Song away, but those conditions would apply to his new team. Regardless, Song must remain in the majors for the entire season or would otherwise be offered back to the Red Sox for $50,000. At that point, Boston would not have to commit an active or 40-man roster spot to Song.

Song, who turns 26 in May, was once considered to be one of the top pitching prospects in Boston’s farm system. With that being said, it could be tough for the righty to stick on Philadelphia’s (or another club’s, if he is traded or waived) for the whole season considering that it has been nearly four years since he last pitched in a real game.

If Song is able to make an impact at the big-league level (whether it be in Philadelphia or elsewhere), then that would mean Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom let a talented young pitcher go for a mere $100,000 (the fee a team pays to claim a Rule 5 pick). If Song is not yet ready for the majors, then the Red Sox would be able to retain his services with his military commitment already behind him.

The fact that former Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, who drafted Song in 2019, was the one who plucked the hurler from the organization makes this all the more interesting. As noted by Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe, Dombrowski and Phillies general manager Sam Fuld both had smiles on their faces at the time the selection was made.

“We made sure to double-check that he was available to be drafted, which he was,” Dombrowski said of Song back in December. “I knew him at the time (of the 2019 draft). We loved him. We thought he was a No. 1 Draft choice; we thought he might be the best starting pitcher in the country. We took a gamble at that point because we thought maybe he wouldn’t have to serve, but he ended up having to do that.

“Being available like this, we really had nothing to lose,” he added. “We like his talent a lot. We get to put him on the military list right off the bat, so he’s not on our 40-man roster. We figured we’d take a chance and just see what ends up happening.”

As Dombrowski alluded to then, the Phillies immediately placed Song on the military service list so that he would not count against their 40-man roster. According to Baseball America, the Red Sox could have added Song to their 40-man roster then placed him on the military service list, which would have made him ineligible for the Rule 5 Draft. By doing that, though, they would have been required to immediately add Song to the 40-man roster once he was eligible to pitch again.

Bloom, for his part, explained why the Red Sox elected to not protect Song when speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) at the conclusion of the Rule 5 Draft.

“Anytime you leave somebody unprotected, there’s always a chance they get picked,” Bloom said. “He’s a high-profile guy for a reason. Obviously, such a unique situation. You don’t ever want to lose anybody. Given his situation, we felt that when he returns from his commitment, being on the 40-man roster would not be an ideal situation to have. That’s a risk we were willing to take.”

(Picture of Noah Song: Gene Wang/Getty Images)