The Boston Red Sox have been putting together a fairly encouraging Spring Training so far. Granted, you can never make too much of what you see in Spring Training, but after a dreary offseason left many fans expecting the worst for the Red Sox, they have shown in Spring Training that maybe things aren't as bad as they seem.

That doesn't mean that Boston should be expected to make anything out of their 2023 campaign. They play in arguably the most competitive division in the MLB in the American League East, and their roster looks like a jumbled mess heading into the season. They have talent all over the roster, but figuring out how to put all the pieces of the puzzle together will be key.

For better or worse, the Red Sox have answered some important questions surrounding their team since the conclusion of the 2022 campaign. But as Spring Training begins to wind down, and the regular season nears, there are still some big questions surrounding this team. So with that in mind, let's take a look at three biggest questions that Boston still needs to address before Opening Day rolls around.

3. How big of an impact will the Red Sox injuries have on their roster construction?

While the Red Sox have won a lot in Spring Training, they have also been dealing with a rash of injuries along the way. Some of their guys are finally finding their way back to the field, but it looks like Boston could end up beginning the season shorthanded at a few key spots thanks to the injuries they have suffered.

With the pitching staff, potential starters in Garrett Whitlock, Brayan Bello, and James Paxton all could miss the start of the season due to injuries they have picked up. When it comes to building the starting rotation to begin the season (more on that in a minute) this makes things even trickier, especially considering how many starters Boston has at their disposal when fully healthy.

The Red Sox have seen their infield get beat up pretty early on too. Trevor Story obviously won't play for most, if not all, of the 2023 campaign, and his supposed replacement, Adalberto Mondesi, isn't going to be ready for the start of the season. Justin Turner has been working his way back after getting hit in the face with a pitch, and Connor Wong could suit up again before Spring Training ends, but it seems like the injuries Boston is dealing with will play a role in how their initial roster looks.

2. Who will be filling out the Red Sox starting rotation?

Following up on the Red Sox injuries, their starting rotation has a ton of question marks right now. When fully healthy, the Sox had seven guys competing for five spots. It helps having guys like Whitlock and Tanner Houck who can pitch out of the bullpen (and realistically, that's where they belong) but that's a discussion for another time.

Right now, the locks in the rotation are Corey Kluber (who is the team's Opening Day starter, for whatever reason), Chris Sale, and Nick Pivetta. Houck, who spent most of the 2022 season operating as the Sox closer, may be forced back into the rotation due to necessity, with Boston's coaching staff wanting to utilize him in that role anyways.

Houck could always get switched back to the bullpen later once other guys get healthy, but even then, there's still one spot left for someone to fill in. That leaves Kutter Crawford and Josh Winckowski as the best options to fill in the final spot while the team waits for everyone to get healthy. It's not ideal, but it seems like it will have to do for the time being.

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Naoyuki Uwasaa as a silhouette. Alex Cora.

Ryan Bologna ·

1. Who will be hitting leadoff for the Red Sox?

Ever since trading away Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Red Sox have had a leadoff hitter problem. They thought they found the solution in Enrique Hernandez after his scorching hot 2021 postseason, but he struggled mightily in 2022. He could still be the guy in 2023, but it seems like this is a question we won't have an answer to until the season gets underway.

It seemed like Boston's top free-agent signing in Masataka Yoshida would be a top option for the role, but the Sox apparently want him hitting second instead of first. That leaves Hernandez, Alex Verdugo, Triston Casas, and maybe Christian Arroyo as the top options to lead off in the lineup. Whichever way you cut it, there doesn't seem to be a great option here.

Having a strong table-setter is an important piece of baseball nowadays, and over the past few seasons, Boston has struggled to find a true leadoff hitter to get things started for the rest of the lineup. It's still an issue that plagues this team, and as a result, it will be very interesting to see who manager Alex Corea pencils into the leadoff spot when Boston's season gets underway.