Chavis 'not ashamed' of having to earn spot

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- When Michael Chavis heard over the winter that returning Red Sox manager Alex Cora wanted the team to play faster, he immediately went to work to make himself faster.

“This whole offseason, AC and everyone were talking out how we were going to key on being faster, and how we needed to play faster and how baserunning was going to be a big aspect, and so when I was approaching my offseason, a lot of what I did was running-oriented. That's how I'm in the shape that I'm [in] now. I feel incredible,” said Chavis, who looks noticeably leaner.

However, Chavis knows that his improved physique guarantees him nothing. Where once he was rated the No. 1 prospect in the organization, he is now fighting for his roster spot.

Look around at the positions Chavis can play. Rookie Bobby Dalbec, the club's No. 3 prospect, is penciled in to start at first base. Veteran Kiké Hernández will be the primary second baseman. Heavy-hitting slugger Rafael Devers is slotted in at third for the next three seasons.

Sure, Chavis is versatile. But the Red Sox have also added other players who can move all over the place in Hernández, Marwin Gonzalez, Danny Santana and Christian Arroyo.

Where, exactly, does this leave Chavis? He admits that he wonders that himself.

“I’m not even sure if I have a place on the team. That’s what I’m trying to earn,” Chavis said. “I’m not ashamed to say that. I’m not worried about it. I got asked that a lot recently and over the course of the offseason and stuff. People are just curious about what’s going to happen moving forward and everything like that.

“It’s obviously a little bit of an awkward situation, but like I said, I’m huge on mental skills. Everybody knows that. It kind of just goes back to I’m able to rest my cap knowing that I did what I needed to do to prepare for this. Like I said, I worked really hard this offseason. I truly did everything I could to prepare for this. I didn’t really do anything enjoyable. I didn’t take a vacation. I worked my [butt] off from the day I got home to the day I left. I didn’t really do anything for leisure.”

Fortunately for Chavis, he quickly caught himself on that last part.

“I proposed to Sarah, so I got engaged, but beyond that … OK, OK, back track, proposing was a little bit of an enjoyment thing. I don’t want to get in trouble when I go home,” said Chavis. “But this whole offseason, aside from that, it’s been the most focused I’ve been of any offseason previously.”

The fact that Chavis still has Minor League options could hurt his cause to make the Opening Day roster. One other player he is battling for a spot -- Arroyo -- doesn’t have options.

One thing that could help Chavis crack the roster is that left fielder Franchy Cordero is still trying to clear Covid-19 protocols and hasn’t participated in a team workout yet.

Chavis will leave roster projections to the reporters who cover the Red Sox.

“My performance isn’t dictated by somebody else’s performance. Just because somebody else is a good player, that doesn’t change what I do,” Chavis said. “I mean, yes, we have a bunch of utility players and other guys who can play the same position as me, and they are great ballplayers. There’s nothing wrong with that. I’m just confident in what I do, and I’m confident in what I did this offseason to prepare for this, so worrying about anything else outside of where I’m going to play, if I’m going to play, there’s no really positive to it, so I kind of just stay focused on what I can control.”

To be the best possible version of his hitting self, Chavis knows he needs to work on what was his glaring weakness his first two years in the Majors -- his ability to hit the high fastball.

“If there is anything that I focused most on this offseason, it would be hitting and forming my swing,” Chavis said. “I worked a lot on elevated fastballs. I like how my swing has played so far in Spring Training. I’m happy with the results as well as the process I’ve gone through every single day maintaining it and continuing to work and form it for the game. I feel like I’m in a good position.”