MLB Insider Views Red Sox Outfield ‘Logjam’ As Good Problem

The Boston Red Sox have been one of the hottest teams in Major League Baseball recently, with a record of 8-2 over their last 10 games. Following consecutive series sweeps of the Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies, the Red Sox are once again looking like buyers heading into the upcoming July 31 trade deadline.

That being said, the Red Sox also have a very crowded outfield at the moment with Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu and Roman Anthony all vying for playing time in manager Alex Cora’s starting lineup.

With trade rumors continuing to swirl around Duran, Cora has recently settled into rotating his outfielders in and out of the designated hitter spot following the June 15 trade that sent Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants. Following Masataka Yoshida’s return from the injured list on Wednesday, and Alex Bregman’s expected to be activated this weekend, how the Red Sox handle four players for three outfield spots remains a topic of heavy speculation leading up to the trade deadline.

Speaking about the Red Sox’s crowded outfield mix during a segment on MLB Network on Thursday, host and former MLB veteran Mark DeRosa believes the Red Sox’s crowded outfield is a problem that can easily be solved before the team explores making a trade this month.

“It has a way of always working itself out,” DeRosa said. “Jarren Duran is an energy giver. Wilyer Abreu is an underappreciated player, okay? Roman Anthony is in the lineup every day, and you can book that. And Ceddane Rafaela has been on fire, so don’t sleep. Maybe you see him taking ground balls. It’ll figure itself out. What’s the next complaint about the menu options?”

After making his Fenway Park debut in left field on Wednesday, Anthony is penciled in at DH for the series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday. Duran is back in left field, with Rafaela (CF) and Abreu (RF) starting against Rays’ right-handed starter Taj Bradley.