Tomase: 10 Red Sox spring storylines we should be talking about right now

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Red Sox camp hasn't opened yet, but hopefully that changes in the next couple of weeks with CBA negotiations finally ramping up after a winter of sporadic meetings and half-hearted angry press releases.

In a normal year, full-squad workouts would've just started and we'd be about a week away from the annual BC/Northeastern tilts that mark the unofficial start of Grapefruit League action.

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As such, we'd be engaging in full Storyline Mode for a season that arrives with no shortage of promise. Let's examine 10 things we would be talking about if baseball were actually a thing right now, with the understanding that it soon will be again.

1. Carlos Correa? Trevor Story? Freddie Freeman?

Some massive names remain on the market, and there's an outside chance the Red Sox will actually engage with one of them. Correa actually makes a lot of sense, particularly if the Red Sox fear losing incumbent shortstop Xander Bogaerts to an opt-out in the fall. If they'd rather a one-year Adrian Beltre type, then Story might be their man. If they're prioritizing leadership, then none is better than Freeman of the defending World Series-champion Braves.

Either way, there's a ton of star power out there, and the Red Sox possess the resources to be a factor.

2. How's Chris Sale look?

One of the essential responsibilities of early spring is watching bullpens and live BPs. It's not the most glamorous work, but it's where, for instance, in 2020 we noticed Sale pitching with a compression sleeve that ended up tipping us off to his impending Tommy John surgery.

All eyes will be on every stray throw as Sale enters his first full season removed from rehab. Is he throwing hard? Do his pitches have life? Is he consulting with trainers? No player is more important to 2022 than the electric left-hander.

3. Will the real Matt Barnes please stand up?

In one sense, it's not really fair that so much is being placed at Barnes' feet when last season's struggles basically trace to one bad week in August, traditionally the worst month of his career. But because he looked so out of sorts in September and then for an aborted playoff run in October, we're now left to wonder if he rebounds to take the ninth inning -- he was an All-Star closer as recently as last July -- or if he needs to step back into a setup role.It's easy to tell whether Barnes is locked in just from his demeanor. When he takes the ball with confidence and throws strike one quickly, he's OK. When he stalks around the mound, shakes off signs, hangs his head, and takes 45 seconds between pitches, then it's time to worry.

4. Groundhog Day, aka Rafael Devers extension talk

Every year we come to Fort Myers wondering if Devers has spoken to the Red Sox about a long-term extension, and every year the answer is no. Will this one be any different? The incentives for Devers to sign decrease as he approaches free agency, and there are also questions about his exact long-term fit if his defense continues to be such a drag at third base. His 3.5 WAR last year ranked 67th in baseball, one spot ahead of Rays rookie Wander Franco, who didn't even play half as many (70) games.

Maybe when it comes to Devers we're asking the wrong question -- is he actually worth a $200 million commitment?

5. Speaking of commitments, whither Xander Bogaerts?

He arrived in 2013 as a surprise contributor to a World Series-winning team at age 20. He turns 30 in October. Time is flying for Bogaerts, and it may be winding down on his Red Sox career. Now the team's elder statesman -- he played with retired stars like David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, and Jon Lester -- Bogaerts is the face of the franchise. He is also statistically one of the least-mobile shortstops in baseball and remaining in Boston may hinge on his willingness to change positions. If this is his farewell tour, he'll go down as one of the best shortstops in franchise history.

6. Tanner Houck vs. Garrett Whitlock

The two pitchers are roommates and close friends, but that doesn't mean they won't be competing for the same roles. Both were weapons in relief last year, Whitlock from opening day and Houck down the stretch, but both hope to start long-term. With his bullpen unsettled, manager Alex Cora could be tempted to leave both of them in place, and Whitlock could even end in the closing mix if Barnes falters. But with lefty Eduardo Rodriguez gone in free agency and future replacement James Paxton unlikely to pitch before July, if at all, the Red Sox may be forced to shift one of their promising young arms to the rotation. That's a competition we'll be watching closely.

7. Hangover helpers

The Red Sox didn't win it all last year, but they certainly overachieved. Reaching Game 6 of the American League Championship Series -- after taking down the 100-win Rays -- was an accomplishment in itself, and the risk now is that the team backslides after so much went right. By one metric, the Red Sox outperformed their run differential by four wins. If they win 88 games instead of 92, not only are they home for October, they finish fourth in the AL East. Their margin of error remains incredibly small, so how hungry are they? Who's in shape? Who improved? And what did Cora learn from refusing to turn the page in 2019 en route to 84 wins?

8. Seiya Suzuki watch

Once spring training resumes, teams will have 20 days to negotiate with the Japanese star, who projects to sign a deal in the five-year, $50 million range. The Red Sox were briefly considered frontrunners, but more recent reporting has pegged him for an Arizona spring training site, with the Giants and Mariners considered favorites.

Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom found a reasonably effective reliever in Hirokazu Sawamura last winter in Japan, and maybe he's looking to make a much bigger splash this time around.

9. Is Triston Casas ready?

Conventional wisdom says Casas needs more experience at Triple-A, but there's an opening at first base if the hulking prospect can grab it. Outside of an insanely hot August, incumbent Bobby Dalbec didn't make enough contact to look like a viable full-time player and could still be trade bait when the offseason resumes.

Casas impressed at four stops -- Double-A, Triple-A, the Olympics, and the Arizona Fall League -- and may not have much left to prove. Bloom isn't afraid to lean on prospects, as he proved with Whitlock last year, so maybe Casas forces his way onto the roster.

10. Let's hear from John Henry!

It has now been two years since Henry faced the media in Florida, and his picnic table sit-downs have tended to produce news for days and weeks. He finally broke his silence last October during the playoffs, but he's due to answer substantive questions. Even if we ignore the labor situation completely, there's still plenty to talk about regarding his team. Will the Red Sox spend again? How do they feel about competing in a division with loaded farm systems and teams on the rise like the Rays and Jays? How long does he envision owning the team? What's his succession plan? Where do the Red Sox fit in his rapidly expanding portfolio of international sports holdings?

So many questions!

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