There are no jobs in the starting lineup open for competition, but the Red Sox do have an interesting battle that's coming to a head for what might be one bench job.
If Franchy Cordero needs a little more time to get ready for the season after being delayed, both Michael Chavis and Christian Arroyo will be part of the Sox' 26-man Opening Day roster, but one will have to go when Cordero is deemed ready. If Cordero is ready for the start of the season, it will be down to just one of the two making the team.
On Monday, both continued to wield hot bats. Arroyo hit his third homer of the spring -- a three-run shot -- while Chavis hit his sixth, tying him with Bobby Dalbec, who also homered Monday, for the team lead.
"It's fun to watch and that's what it's all about, right?'' said Alex Cora after the Sox bashed Tampa Bay, 10-4. "Both are doing an amazing job. We're moving them around in the infield. They're getting their at-bats. I think both of them are leading the team in at-bats in spring training. That's the beauty of having a solid team, a complete team -- you have to make tough decisions.
"And whatever decision we make is for the benefit of the team and obviously for the organization. But it doesn't mean, 'This guy is a lot better than the other one.' It's just a matter of what fits right now and what fits for the future. We're very pleased with the way they've competed. They're pulling for each other, which is good to see. That makes spring training a lot better -- that's what we want for them. They're going to pull for each other and then we have to make the decision.''
Chavis is hitting .302 with six homers and 10 RBI. Meanwhile, Arroyo is at an even .300 with three homers and eight RBI.
Here's Arroyo with his blast in the third inning:
https://twitter.com/RedSox/status/1374067718375231488?s=20
One factor: Arroyo is out of options, while Chavis is not. In the end, if only one can stay, retaining Arroyo while optioning Chavis to the alternate site in Worcester is one way to control both players.
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After making his Grapefruit League debut Saturday, Cordero took another step forward Monday, playing in the outfield for the first time.
He got two at-bats and played four innings in the field,
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March 23, 2021 at 09:45AM
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Red Sox Notebook: Battle for bench spot coming down to wire - bostonsportsjournal.com
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