The Boston Red Sox still have a few important decisions to make before they open their regular season March 27.
One of them pertains to a critically important role on the pitching staff, but Alex Cora and company might already be leaning in a certain direction as the season-opening showdown in Texas nears.
“The closer role remains officially unclaimed, but with just days left in Florida, Aroldis Chapman appears to have become the in-house favorite to close games to start the season,” MassLive reported in a column published Tuesday. “Liam Hendriks has seemingly corrected some of his command issues from earlier in camp, but the quality of Chapman’s stuff has been undeniable. Second-year righty Justin Slaten, for now, seems best suited for a high-leverage role.”
Chapman was one of Boston’s first noteworthy additions of the offseason, as the veteran left-hander first agreed to his deal with the club in early December. The 37-year-old has a wealth of closing experience, with his 335 career saves ranking third among active pitchers (only former Red Sox closers Craig Kimbrel and Kenley Jansen have more). Chapman also has logged 49 1/3 playoff innings to date — including 9 1/3 in the World Series — which could be a major benefit to a Boston club with postseason aspirations.
Of course, Chapman will have to consistently deliver in high-pressure moments if Cora ultimately names him the Red Sox’s closer. If not, Boston has other late-inning options who could receive consideration if they came out of the gate strong.
