Red Sox's Tightest Spring Roster Battle Down to Just 3 Candidates

How much decision work is left?

Sep 16, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Connelly Early (71) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Athletics at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Exactly one month from Wednesday, the Boston Red Sox will open their regular season against the Cincinnati Reds. Roster decisions are coming soon, and the rotation remains the biggest question mark.

Fortunately for the Red Sox, the rotation decisions are tough because many good options exist. Four starters are locks if healthy (Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray, Ranger Suárez, Brayan Bello), which leaves the No. 5 spot as the only true competition among those hoping to crack the rotation.

On Wednesday, during an updated roster projection piece, Peter Abraham indicated that a couple of the pitchers some thought were in that competition no longer are, while projecting a favorite for that No. 5 spot.

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No chance for Crawford, Sandoval to make rotation?

Aug 29, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Kutter Crawford (50) throws a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

According to Abraham, Johan Oviedo should still be considered the clubhouse favorite to take the job, while Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval wouldn't be ready to make starts based on their rehab timelines, so they should be out of the picture.

"Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval are not ready to appear in games and aren’t candidates for the rotation," Abraham wrote. "Connelly Early, Oviedo, and Payton Tolle are competing for the No. 5 spot. Cora has said all three are viewed as starters, not as possibilities to go to the bullpen."

Reading between the lines, not just of what Abraham wrote but how the Red Sox have handled both pitchers this spring, it would seem that Crawford and Sandoval both would be candidates to pitch out of the bullpen early in the season.

Meanwhile, if the Red Sox could get something meaningful for Sandoval in a trade package, they'd almost certainly consider it. Injuries, of course, could still change the picture. But compared to last season, Boston's starters seem to have avoided any early spring setbacks.

If Early and Tolle begin the year at Triple-A, the Red Sox can feel fantastic about their depth and upside as a starting pitching group. Then again, Oviedo still has to establish his grip on the job by throwing well for the rest of the spring.