I've been vocal about my love for Triston Casas, and my hopes for his emergence as a key part of the Red Sox roster for years to come. These hopes and dreams once seemed quite reasonable, based on early returns, but they've been dashed by significant injuries and questions about whether he can ever meet the physical demands of playing every day at an elite level.
If you haven't been following Kristian Campbell down in Puerto Rico this winter, here's a little update: in 8 games he's hit .214 with just 3 extra base hits. Not great, Bob! But the Sox aren't too concerned with his back-of-the-baseball-card results. They view this as an opportunity to "pressure-test" the changes he made to his swing in the second half of last season. As for his defense, he has yet to play in the field, but likely will get some work in at left field soon.
I'm considering Bo Bichette, but until we actually get past the checkout with Bregman ( "Only 1 available, and it's in 4 other carts"), I'm not sure. If Bregman doesn't return, let's get Bichette at third base. There's room for him at second (maybe?) if we clear room in the outfield and commit to keeping Ceddanne Rafaela in centerfield, where he belongs.
There was no previous indication that either player had been designated for assignment but these kinds of moves are common at this time of year, as most clubs are facing upcoming roster crunches. The 60-day injured list goes away five days after the World Series, meaning several players need to retake 40-man spots. Some will also become free agents but many clubs often end up with more than 40 players in the mix.
Major League Baseball announced yesterday that the automated ball-strike challenge system will be implemented in the 2026 season, complete with a corporate partnership with T-Mobile. (Yes, that's where we are in late capitalism: rules now have corporate sponsors.) If you've been to any AAA games over the past few years, or paid attention during spring training, then you already know how this works. Every team starts each game with two challenges, which are retained when a challenge is successful.