There hasn’t been much chatter about Roberto Perez, the steady-gloved veteran catcher who signed a minor league deal with the Sox back in December.
That’s because just about everyone has assumed the catching duties would once again be split by Connor Wong and Reese McGuire as Kyle Teel continues to sprinkle some seasoning on his game down in the minors.
But Perez is already drawing plaudits for the way he he’s working with Red Sox pitchers. Given McGuire’s lack of all-around production, maybe Perez will be a surprise addition to the opening day roster. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
Improved defense at the catcher’s spot would be welcome of course, but it was in the infield where the Sox’ defensive deficiencies really hurt them. To that end, the coaching staff is focused on getting Rafael Devers into a consistent pre-pitch routine. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
Masataka Yoshida spending more time at DH will help the defense, too, but he’s only a viable DH if he hits likes he did in the first half of the season instead of the second. After the whirlwind ride of his first year in the big leagues, he’s feeling more comfortable so far this spring. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
Vaughn Grissom was expected to make the infield defense better, too, though he isn’t considered any kind of wizard with the glove. With his injury putting him on the shelf until Opening Day at least, the lead-gloved Enmanuel Valdez is considered the front-runner to assume second base. (Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)
What will help the defense more than anything is better pitching. The Sox brass sounds pretty confident that they’re going to be able to help guys like Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck, and Garrett Whitlock take the next step, making the team potentially even less likely to go after someone like Jordan Montgomery. (Rob Bradford, WEEI)
And in good injury news, Jarren Duran stole his first base of the spring. It sounds like the surgery he had on his big toe in the offseason isn’t slowing him down.
