Key storylines to watch around the Red Sox this spring

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Each Spring Training comes with key storylines. Here are three prominent ones for the Red Sox.

Which starting pitchers are ready to take the leap?
The Red Sox have added Lucas Giolito as a free agent while trading Chris Sale to the Braves and losing James Paxton to the Dodgers via free agency. Barring what would be a surprising big addition (Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell are still on the market), Boston will count heavily on its core of mid-20s righties to take the next step.

Brayan Bello, who made it clear he wants to win the Opening Day nod, has the most talent of the group. Bello pitched like an ace at times last season, but he was also inconsistent through stretches, finishing the year with a 4.24 ERA. Bello, who gets a lot of ground balls with his nasty sinker, could benefit from the team improving an infield defense that was a glaring issue. The 24-year-old is excited about the improvement of his slider, and he plans on having that as the third pitch he can count on.

Garrett Whitlock, who was dominant as a rookie reliever in 2021 after being a Rule 5 Draft selection, has battled injuries over the past two seasons, which has been a roadblock in his quest to move from swingman to full-time rotation member. Whitlock comes into camp fully healthy and having hit the weights hard during the offseason, as anyone who saw him at Winter Weekend could tell.

Tanner Houck, who happens to be Whitlock’s best friend, was used exclusively as a starter last season. There were two issues with that. The first was his repeated difficulty the third time through the order. The second was bad luck in the form of a batted ball on June 16 that gave him a facial fracture and limited his season to 21 starts. Houck has a natural starter’s build, but he needs to command the baseball more consistently to avoid moving back to the bullpen.

Kutter Crawford was solid for the most part last year, starting in 23 of his 31 appearances. His next developmental step is to pitch deeper into games.

Is Vaughn Grissom ready to play every day?
The Braves are loaded on the position-player side, so there wasn’t much of a path to a regular Majors spot for Grissom with the club. The Red Sox are a different story, as they’ve been searching for a long-term solution at second base the past several years.

Enter the 23-year-old Grissom, who has a track record of strong offense in the Minors. The Sox traded Sale to get Grissom’s strong right-handed bat, and they think he is going to grow into more power. Grissom has a build that is lanky yet sturdy. One big question is how good a defender he can be. For sure, Grissom will be one of the most intriguing players to watch during Spring Training.

How will the outfield piece together?
Any successful team needs production from the outfield. In a word, Boston’s outfield is unproven. Masataka Yoshida was strong at the plate through July in his first season coming over from Japan, but his bat lagged down the stretch. The Red Sox think he will be better in his sophomore year, now that he’s had time to adjust to the culture and travel schedule that is more rigorous than what he was used to in Japan. With Justin Turner gone, Yoshida could end up serving as the designated hitter far more often than he did in his rookie year.

That would open up more time in the outfield for Jarren Duran, Tyler O’Neill and Wilyer Abreu. Duran was the team’s biggest surprise last season, given how much he struggled during his Major League stints in 2021 and '22. He probably led the league in hustle doubles. If he can stay healthy and consistent for a full season, the Red Sox will have no question who their leadoff hitter is.

In 2021, O’Neill had a breakout season with St. Louis. But he battled a barrage of injuries in the past two years, and the Sox hope a return to health can get the right-handed hitter close to what he was in '21, when he finished eighth in the National League Most Valuable Player Award voting.

The 24-year-old Abreu thrived in his first taste of the Majors last season, putting together an .862 OPS in 85 plate appearances. Abreu’s quest is to prove that wasn’t just someone staying hot during a small sample size. The Red Sox love his patient approach, and he should get the chance to play a lot. It won’t be surprising if Boston adds another righty bat before Opening Day, preferably someone who could play outfield and perhaps first base.