The Red Sox are gearing up for Grapefruit League play starting Saturday, and they seem to have a tentative plan for their rotation leading up to Opening Day.
Brayan Bello and offseason acquisition Lucas Giolito are confirmed starters for Boston, with several other contenders competing for spots. Ahead of Boston’s spring training game against the Baltimore Orioles, manager Alex Cora announced that Nick Pivetta secured a place in the rotation, while Kutter Crawford is currently leading the race for another spot, according to the Boston Herald’s Mac Cerullo.
This leaves two rotation slots open, with Crawford potentially filling the fourth position, leaving Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck, and Josh Wincowski as contenders for the fifth spot.
Craig Breslow, the chief baseball officer, mentioned during spring training that Boston is exploring various options, and they’re reportedly still interested in acquiring Jordan Montgomery. However, the upcoming spring training games will be crucial for the remaining starting pitcher candidates to showcase their abilities.
Whitlock is set to pitch against the Orioles on Saturday, with the game scheduled to start at 1:05 p.m. ET at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fla. Fans can catch the action on NESN and NESN 360.
