Could Chris Sale get an extension?

With the Red Sox getting rained out for Tuesday’s game against the Blue Jays, it seemed like the perfect time to empty out the Inbox and answer all of your questions, with a little more than a week left until Opening Day.

Will Betts and Sale sign?
-- @meiavermelha

I remain optimistic that Chris Sale will sign a contract extension with the Red Sox before he reaches free agency at the end of the 2019 season. Both sides are on record as saying they’d like to keep this union going, and Sale is the type of person who just wants to be treated fairly rather than demanding top dollar.

As for the Mookie Betts situation, that is certainly getting more interesting with Tuesday's report that the Angels and Mike Trout are on the verge of finalizing a 12-year, $430 million deal. Betts still has two seasons before he reaches free agency, just as Trout did. I know the Red Sox would love to keep Betts for his entire career.

However, Betts could have visions of getting a record-setting deal once he reaches free agency, especially since it no longer looks like he will be competing with Trout on the open market.

I think that fans of the 2003 Red Sox are still haunted by that term. But it’s a real possibility, and this year’s cast should be more equipped to handle that kind of usage than the more veteran-laden group in ’03. Under any scenario, I think Matt Barnes will get the most save opportunities and Ryan Brasier will get the second most.

But by not locking themselves into the same pitcher going in the ninth inning, the Red Sox can bring their best available pitcher into the game at the most critical moments. Sometimes this might be the seventh instead of the eighth. Manager Alex Cora hasn’t said definitively this is the philosophy he will use, but it seems to be trending that way.

From the standpoint of the Red Sox, there are several factors at work. The first is money. They have more than $240 million committed to the rest of the roster, and they had to pick one area of the team not to overextend themselves. They also noticed a dip in Craig Kimbrel's command in the second half that obviously carried into the playoffs.

And let’s face it, Kimbrel never seemed on board with showing flexibility regarding usage. Cora had said at the beginning of Spring Training last year that he’d like to use Kimbrel in the eighth inning at times, and it rarely happened. Kimbrel never seemed very comfortable being used in unconventional ways.

I can’t speak for why other teams haven’t signed Kimbrel yet, because he has definitely earned the right to close for someone. He’s had a great career.

You’re putting me on the spot, and why not? Here are my eight. Barnes, Brasier, Heath Hembree, Tyler Thornburg, Brian Johnson, Brandon Workman, Hector Velazquez and Darwinzon Hernandez.

It’s been hard for anyone to stand out, because all of the key relievers have been on a delayed progression, after the extended workload from last October. Barnes has pitched just four times, and Brasier will pitch for the second time on Wednesday. We’ve only seen Hembree twice. I think Cora has a general idea of what he can get from these pitchers. Thornburg is the big unknown right now, because of his injury history. His velocity has been up, but the results have been spotty.

My guess at this moment is that Blake Swihart will win the backup job. You have to give him a legit shot at some point. Under this scenario, you could DFA Sandy Leon. If nobody claims him or trades for him, you could outright him to Triple-A, and still have him in the organization if either Christian Vazquez or Swihart is injured during the season.

Dustin Pedroia has proven that his skills are still there in his limited playing time this spring. He still has the bat speed. Pedroia still hits it on the barrel more often than not, and he has made the plays defensively. If he can stay on the field, I do believe he will get his timing back and resume being a pretty good player, though he might not be the star he once was.

But the question is whether Pedroia's left knee will be able to withstand the pounding of a full baseball season. Only time will tell. I think Cora will be smart with Pedroia's playing time, and give this every chance to work. You’d hate to see it have to end for him like it did for David Wright with the Mets.

Brock Holt and Eduardo Nunez will split the position, just like they did for much of last season. The Red Sox are confident in the production and reliability they can get from these two veterans, especially if Pedroia’s absence is just short term.

Cora is a bigger believer in utilizing his bench and keeping them involved. Last year, Nunez got 480 at-bats, but that was with Pedroia being out for just about the whole season. I think 350 would be a realistic estimate. And if Nunez’s right leg is fully healthy this year, I’d expect much more consistent production than last year.