Red Sox Insider Suggests Boston’s Possible Opening Day Lineup

Alex Cora shared a good chunk of his Red Sox Opening Day plans last week.

Cora offered up Boston’s most likely top five of the batting order for Boston’s Opening Day clash in Texas on March 27. The Red Sox manager sees Jarren Duran leading off, followed by Rafael Devers, newcomer Alex Bregman, Triston Casas and Trevor Story, respectively.

But what about the rest of the starting nine?

Cora wasn’t willing to reveal those details when he met with reporters a few weeks ahead of the season opener at Globe Life Field. However, The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey took a shot at filling in the gaps in a column published Monday.

“Cora hopes Wilyer Abreu will start the season on time after returning to play this weekend. So the bottom of the lineup could have Abreu hitting sixth after Story, followed by catcher Connor Wong, Hamilton, if he is the second baseman, and then center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela in the nine-hole,” McCaffrey wrote.

Of course, that order might not prove to be Boston’s everyday lineup for the majority of the season. Masataka Yoshida is still working his way back from injury, and Boston’s top prospects eventually could force Cora’s hand as they progress in the minors.

But that will be a good problem for Cora and the Red Sox to have, as their talent pool currently is deeper than its best in years.