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Venezuela

MLB teams pressure WBC managers to be careful with pitchers. Venezuela pushed back

Venezuela manager Omar López went beyond the limit to help his nation win its first World Baseball Classic.

Associated Press,

Associated Press,

Mark DeRosa

U.S. falls short again in WBC final as Venezuela stuns star-studded roster

Associated Press,

Associated Press,

Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge hails World Baseball Classic crowds as ‘bigger and better than the World Series’

Associated Press,

Associated Press,

Paul Skenes

Paul Skenes shines in the WBC spotlight, treats it same as Pirates outings

Associated Press,

Associated Press,

Detroit Tigers photo day

2026 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Rankings: Rotoworld staff consensus

Rotoworld Staff,

Rotoworld Staff,

Baseball: World Baseball Classic-United States at Mexico

Aaron Judge and Roman Anthony homer as US tops Jarren Duran and Mexico 5-3 in WBC

Associated Press,

Associated Press,

Baseball: World Baseball Classic - Semifinal Japan vs Mexico

Japan rallies to beat Australia 4-3 behind Masataka Yoshida home run; Taiwan tops South Korea

Associated Press,

Associated Press,

Rotoworld Player News

Connelly Early

BOS Starting Pitcher #71

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MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports that Connelly Early and Johan Oviedo have made the Red Sox’s season-opening roster.

It became a foregone conclusion once pitching prospect Payton Tolle was optioned to the minors that Early and Oviedo will have roles with the Red Sox. It’s a bit unclear which one is going to land the final spot in Boston’s rotation and who will be pitching out of the bullpen. Early offers significantly higher fantasy upside based on his impressive late-season cameo last year but he’s also more likely to head back to the minors once Ranger Suárez and Brayan Bello are fully stretched out.
Payton Tolle

BOS Starting Pitcher #70

Red Sox optioned LHP Payton Tolle and RHPs Zack Kelly and Tyler Uberstine to Triple-A Worcester; reassigned RHP Tommy Kahnle to minor league camp.

The decision leaves Connelly Early and Johan Oviedo as the fifth and sixth options in Boston’s rotation mix. Tolle did almost everything possible to prove he belongs in the big leagues with a strong Grapefruit League showing that included a 2.53 ERA and 13/1 K/BB ratio across 10 2/3 innings. The 23-year-old top pitching prospect would’ve likely been ticketed for a long relief role at the start of the regular season so he’ll instead remain stretched out as a traditional starter on the doorstep of the majors until a more permanent opportunity arises. He’ll be worth rostering in all fantasy formats based on his strikeout upside once he gets a real chance.
Ceddanne Rafaela

BOS Center Fielder #3

Ceddanne Rafaela went 3-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored against the Twins on Monday.

Rafaela’s home run, his third of the spring, was 98.6 mph off the bar and traveled 360 feet. He also added a 98.2 mph single and is hitting .394/.447/.788 this spring. He has ten strikeouts to just three walks in 38 plate appearances, but he continues to make hard contact and flash potential 20/20 upside while being an everyday player due to his elite centerfield defense. Considering he is also second base eligible in fantasy leagues, he’s an intriguing target outside of the top 100 picks.
Johan Oviedo

BOS Starting Pitcher #29

Johan Oviedo allowed six runs on six hits in 3 1/3 innings against the Twins on Monday.

It gets worse. Oviedo’s velocity was down over two mph on every one of his pitches, and his four-seam fastball averaged just 92.9 mph, which is significantly down from the near 96 mph mark he’s shown all spring. He also allowed eight hard-hit baseballs in this one and a 96.1 mph average exit velocity. As of now, there is no indication that the 28-year-old is dealing with any injury, and he mentioned after the game that his execution was “off” as he continues to work on new pitches, including his cutter. Considering Oviedo has minor league options left, this was not a great time for a poor outing and could open the door for Connelly Early to steal the final rotation spot.
Tyler Samaniego

BOS Starting Pitcher #78

Red Sox optioned LHP Tyler Samaniego to minor league camp.

The 27-year-old left-hander came over from the Pirates in a trade this offseason along with Johan Oviedo. Samaniego had a good spring, throwing 5 1/3 shutout innings while allowing just one hit and striking out six. However, he has minor league options left, and the Red Sox have three other left-handed relievers in their bullpen, so they opted to send Samaniego to the minors and kept Ryan Watson on the team. Watson is a Rule 5 pick, so he would have needed to be sent back to the Athletics if he didn’t make the Opening Day roster.
Matt Thaiss

BOS Catcher #34

Red Sox reassigned C Matt Thaiss and C/INF Mickey Gasper to minor league camp.

This means Connor Wong has won the job as Boston’s backup catcher. Thaiss put pressure on Wong this spring when he got off to a strong start as a hitter and also showcased his plus defensive skills and ability to manage a pitching staff. However, Thaiss wound up going just 4-for-21 this spring, and the Red Sox will see if they can keep him in the organization as catching depth. Gasper is on the 40-man roster, so he will likely head to Triple-A Worcester.
Nate Eaton

BOS 3rd Baseman #18

Red Sox optioned INF/OF Nate Eaton to Triple-A Worcester.

Eaton had a solid spring, going 9-for-32 with four RBI and two steals. However, he only played the outfield in the spring, so it seems like both Andruw Monasterio and Isiah Kiner-Falefa have surpassed him as true utility players.
Masataka Yoshida

BOS Left Fielder #7

Masataka Yoshida doubled twice to knock in two runs as the Red Sox topped the Pirates 6-3 on Sunday.

Yoshida starred for Japan in the WBC, going 6-for-16 with two homers and six RBI, but he’d been 0-for-12 in Red Sox camp coming into this one. His playing time figures to be pretty limited initially until someone gets hurt. The Red Sox seem pretty well set on keeping Ceddanne Rafaela in center field, so it’s going to be Jarren Duran and Roman Anthony taking most of the starts between left field and DH.
Sonny Gray

BOS Starting Pitcher #54

Sonny Gray fanned nine while allowing two runs over six innings Sunday against the Pirates.

Gray came in with a 6.23 ERA, but he finished the spring strong, especially in the velocity department. He had been a little south of last year’s fastball average of 91.7 mph in his first three starts, but he was up to 92.3 mph with his four-seamer today, and his sinker made similar gains. Gray is in line to make his official Red Sox debut Saturday against the Reds.
Garrett Crochet

BOS Starting Pitcher #35

Garrett Crochet was torched for six runs over 5 1/3 innings on Saturday against the Braves.

Crochet surrendered six hits, including a towering solo homer to Braves slugger Austin Riley in his final spring training outing. Most of the damage came during the third inning when he coughed up three consecutive run-scoring hits with two outs in the frame. He finishes with a bloated 7.36 ERA and lackluster 8/3 K/BB ratio over 14 2/3 innings this spring. There’s zero reason for fantasy managers to be concerned based on last year’s performance. The 26-year-old ace gets the ball on Thursday against the Reds in a tough road matchup at Great American Ball Park to open the season.