Red Sox 28-Year-Old 'Has Emerged' As Romy Gonzalez's Likely Replacement

There's always turnover in spring training...

Jul 22, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A detail view of Boston Red Sox hat and glove laying in the dugout at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Wednesday brought something close to a final answer on Romy Gonzalez's status for opening day.

As many had suspected for the last couple of weeks, Gonzalez declared that he didn't see himself being able to ramp up in time in his recovery from a lingering shoulder injury. The infielder was destined to have a roster spot and a chance to play every game against left-handed pitchers, but the Red Sox will need at least a short-term replacement.

With a month to go before the regular season starts, it appears momentum has built toward one player in particular taking over that role from Gonzalez.

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Can anyone unseat Andruw Monasterio?

Oct 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Andruw Monasterio (14) warms up before game three against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

On Wednesday, Christopher Smith of MassLive reported that 28-year-old Andruw Monasterio, acquired earlier this month in the six-player trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, sat at the top of the list of contenders for Gonzalez's de facto opening.

"To date, Andruw Monasterio, acquired in the trade that saw the Sox land Caleb Durbin, has emerged as the most likely candidate to make the Opening Day roster," Smith wrote. "Like Gonzalez, he can play several infield spots and also has hit left-handed pitching well (.837 OPS last year) in the past."

Monasterio, who appeared in 68 games for the Brewers last season and put up a career-best OPS of .755, has been one of the pleasant surprises of camp thus far. Even if he wasn't seen as a true "throw-in" from the Brewers trade, it seemed likely at the time that Durbin would be the only piece of the deal to make the opening day roster.

Manager Alex Cora raved about Monasterio last week, saying "oh wow" about seeing his on-field abilities up close. He then hit a home run in Boston's first Grapefruit League game on Saturday, which might not matter for long, but certainly turned a few heads.

Monasterio has two options, so it's still not a foregone conclusion that he'll make the team. It would likely take something special from the likes of Nate Eaton, Nick Sogard, or Brendan Rodgers over the next few weeks to unseat him.