The Boston Red Sox signed Alex Bregman, and that’s an exciting proposition for many.
Now that they have a high-end right-handed bat, a proven leader, and a two-time World Series champion on their roster, the Red Sox have to be considered a legitimate threat to win the American League pennant. But for some players on the roster, the Bregman signing is also a warning.
A proven veteran like Bregman, who turns 31 in March, is going to play every day as long as he’s healthy. It looks as though he’ll play second base full-time, which could have an adverse impact on a few young players on the roster.
Center fielder/super-utility man Ceddanne Rafaela could be one of those most impacted. The 24-year-old, who got an eight-year, $50 million extension at the beginning of last season, had some electric moments during his 2024 rookie year, but finished the year with subpar offensive numbers.
In the aftermath of the Bregman signing, MassLive’s Chris Cotillo detailed how Rafaela is now on “shakier ground” in the Red Sox organization, and could face a demotion at some point this season if he doesn’t improve quickly enough.
“Rafaela’s chase-heavy approach may not play in a contending lineup and one could easily see talents like (Roman) Anthony and (Kristian) Campbell beating him out for playing time in the outfield by the end of 2025,” Cotillo wrote. “The Red Sox are trying to keep Rafaela in center field for now, but he likely projects as a super-utility/defensive replacement type down the road.”
“(Rafaela’s) $6.25 million average annual value represents pennies in contrast to a deal like Bregman’s, which is more than six times larger on an AAV scale. The Red Sox wouldn’t fret the possibility of someone making that money playing at Triple-A.”
Roster crunches are a real thing, and Rafaela could soon find himself on the wrong end of one if top prospects Anthony and Campbell prove to be superior hitters at the major league level. Which, in comparison to Rafaela’s .664 OPS, may not be all that difficult.
The other possibility, which Cotillo didn’t touch on directly, is a trade. The Red Sox would hate to give up on a right-handed bat that they already paid, but if Anthony and Campbell prove to be lineup locks for the foreseeable future, Rafaela may have more value to another team than he does to Boston.