The Boston Red Sox are just a few weeks away from Opening Day and will begin to strip down their roster in the coming days until they eventually narrow the team down to 26 players.
While the vast majority of the decisions have already been made, manager Alex Cora has a few position battles underway -- namely in the rotation, bullpen, center field and the bench.
One player who is on the outside looking in at the moment appears to be on the right track to making his big league debut later this season.
"(Nick Sogard) will likely start the year in Triple-A, but he’s a prime candidate to be called up if there’s an injury," The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey wrote Monday. "Romy González is another utility man fighting for a spot."
Sogard has started spring training on the right track, making a name for himself on a bigger stage than he's accustomed to. He's hitting .417 (5-for-12) with four extra-base hits including a pair of home runs, six RBIs and a 1.550 OPS across seven games this spring.
The 26-year-old hit .266 with 31 extra-base hits including seven home runs, 47 RBIs and a .761 OPS in 112 games for Triple-A Worcester last season.
While his offensive production is noteworthy, his glove is what would clear a path to the majors. Sogard made 42 appearances at third base, 37 at second base, 21 at shortstop, 10 in right field and nine in left field in 2023.
Sogard will aim to climb a utility man depth chart that currently consists of Pablo Reyes, González and himself. Of the trio, Sogard is the only player not on the 40-man roster which will be a legitimate obstacle on his road to Boston.
Still, if he continues to hit and the Red Sox have a normal amount of injuries throughout a 162-game season, it will only be a matter of time before Sogard can find a spot on the big-league roster. He'll be a player to watch down in Worcester.
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