Red Sox Notes: Duran Optioned, Tapia Appears to Make Roster

In one of the more contentious roster battles for the Red Sox this spring, the team appears set to give the nod to veteran outfielder Raimel Tapia.

The team has sent Jarren Duran to AAA Worcester to begin the season.

#RedSox optioned Jarren Duran. So it appears Raimel Tapia made the team pending a move to get him on the 40-man roster.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) March 28, 2023

Tapia, signed this offseason, hit .326 this spring, slugging two home runs while stealing five bases and posting a .988 OPS.

The 29-year-old spent last season in Toronto and played in 128 games for the playoff-bound Blue Jays. He hit .265 for the Jays with seven home runs and 20 doubles. This came after he spent the first six years of his career in Colorado.

For the Sox, he figures to occupy the fourth outfielder spot. On most days, we should expect Masataka Yoshida to be in left, Adam Duvall to be in center and Alex Verdugo to be in right. But, Tapia can spell the two lefties if they need it and could also fill in for Duvall in certain matchups. Kiké Hernández could also see time in center.

It's a disappointing end to a good spring for Duran as well. He hit .333 with a homer and a stolen base, but he only had 18 at-bats. He left for a good portion of spring training to play for Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic.

The 26-year-old didn't factor in much for a Mexico team that advanced to the WBC semi-finals before bowing out against Japan. Duran got just five at-bats in six games for Mexico.

He's a career .219 hitter in parts of two seasons with the Sox. It's likely we'll see him back with the big club at some point this year.

The Red Sox open the season on Thursday against the Orioles at 2:10 pm.