Red Sox Rotation Update Means 5-Year Veteran's Job Isn't Guaranteed

There are always some foregone conclusions in terms of roster decisions at this time of year, but for the Boston Red Sox, the last spot in the starting rotation is evidently not one of them.

Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray, Ranger Suárez, and Brayan Bello are your foregone conclusions, assuming all are healthy. But the widely-assumed No. 5 in nearly every projection, newcomer Johan Oviedo, still has some work to do, according to the latest reporting.

On Thursday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported that the Red Sox viewed their No. 5 starter opening as an open competition in every sense of the term, meaning Oviedo, even if he ranks as the favorite, was a long way from securing his spot.

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Where Red Sox's rotation battle stands (report)

Sep 24, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Payton Tolle (70) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the ninth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

"In the spirit of competition, the Red Sox currently view the No. 5 spot in their rotation as a true opening, sources said this week, with Oviedo, returnees Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval and rookie lefties Connelly Early and Payton Tolle all in the mix to break camp with the team at the end of March," wrote Cotillo.

"While the Red Sox remain very intrigued with Oviedo’s upside and like what they’ve seen so far from him in camp, they aren’t promising anything to the soon-to-be 28-year-old."

The update reads less like a sign that the Red Sox don't have faith in Oviedo and more as if anyone can earn a chance with a dominant spring. It's no secret that the Sox are high on both Tolle and Early, and both should be long-term fixtures of the rotation even if they don't ascend to that level this year.

Oviedo has two minor-league options, as does Crawford, and Tolle and Early still have all three of theirs. That puts Sandoval, as the lone free-agent signing of the group, in an interesting position, especially if the Red Sox aren't keen on trying him out of the bullpen.

Cotillo even went as far as to predict that Sandoval would be traded in a tweet following up his own reporting.

Maybe Oviedo will eventually become a stalwart in this Red Sox rotation, but as of Thursday, it's clear that giving up a sizable trade package to get him from the Pittsburgh Pirates didn't guarantee him a job.

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