3 Red Sox Players Who Need Strong Starts to Retain Roster Spots

Opening Day is a magical time to be a Boston Red Sox fan, but it also means the clock is ticking on some of the players at the fringes of the roster.

Many of the 26 players who joined the Red Sox in Cincinnati this week have nothing to worry about if they get off to slow starts. But this piece isn't about them -- it centers on those who have everything to lose if they don't come out of the gates firing on all cylinders.

These players could be the first ones off the active roster if their performances aren't what the Red Sox expect from them. Here's why.

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Connor Wong

Wong's familiarity with the pitching staff and defensive progress earned him an opening day spot despite a .121 batting average in spring training. But if that trend continues, don't be surprised to see Boston pivot to other options.

Because Wong has an option remaining, the Red Sox can send him to Triple-A if he's not performing up to snuff and give Matt Thaiss or Jason Delay a look. And if Wong and starter Carlos Narváez are both struggling early in the season, the trade market could become an appealing alternative, too.

Connelly Early

Early made the team because the Red Sox didn't feel they had Brayan Bello and Ranger Suárez had the proper ramp-up after their stints in the World Baseball Classic. He's done everything right to earn this opportunity, but he's still the first starter on the bubble to be optioned back to Triple-A.

If Early pitches well, though, it's Johan Oviedo who may need to watch his back, because it's unlikely the Red Sox would go to a true six-man rotation, and everyone else in the rotation has a contract that would preclude them from being optioned.

Andruw Monasterio

Monasterio, too, has options available. He's the Red Sox's current righty-hitting placeholder for Romy Gonzalez, who went on the 60-day injured list after shoulder surgery, and if he wants to keep his place when Gonzalez is back, he'll need to make the most of his opportunities.

Though he's seen as more of an outfielder than an infielder at this stage, Monasterio also has to watch for Nate Eaton pushing him in Triple-A, and the same can even be said of switch-hitter Nick Sogard.

But wait, there's more!

Bonus: Ryan Watson

Watson is the de facto eighth man in the bullpen, and some Red Sox fans might not even know his name yet. But of everyone on this list, he's the one who could be off the team soon, as the Red Sox would have to offer him back to the San Francisco Giants if they took away his spot on the active roster, thanks to his Rule 5 Draft status.