Red Sox’ Ceddanne Rafaela welcomes opportunity to be around fellow Curacaoan center fielder Andruw Jones at WBC
Jones and Rafaela are among the 17 players Curacao has sent to the majors since Hensley Meulens was the first in 1989. It’s a tight-knit baseball community and Jones can remember hearing about Rafaela years ago.
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“Through guys that know the game, we knew he was coming,” Jones said. “Coaches back home were saying he’s actually a great shortstop. You hear a lot of stuff and when I had a chance to see him on TV the last couple of years and seeing more of him and what he could do, he’s a special kid.
“I’m proud of all of every single one of them who make it to the major leagues. It’s a small island and baseball is big. They love the game.”
It’s natural to compare Rafaela to Jones because they’re from the same country and play the same position. But Jones doesn’t like to play that game. He was flattered when people compared his defense to Willie Mays but it also became a burden at times.
“There’s only going to be one. I want him to go there and do what he’s supposed to do and become Ceddanne Rafaela, a great center fielder. It’s a tough task for a young player,” Jones said.
“I can tell he knows what he’s doing and that he does his homework. When you get that opportunity, you have to take advantage of it and run with it. He’s doing a good job.”
Both Jones and Netherlands team captain Xander Bogaerts believe the WBC could be a formative experience for Rafaela, who has established himself as one of the game’s best defensive outfielders but remains a below-average hitter.
“It takes time,” said Bogaerts, who didn’t become a presence in the Red Sox lineup until his third full season in the majors. “Being around Andruw, myself, [Ozzie] Albies, Didi [Gregorius] and everybody else will help him.
“I know I tried to do everything all at once when I first came up. There’s a lot to learn.”
Rafaela had a career-best .709 OPS last season but has a career .284 on-base percentage, a product of striking out in 24 percent of his plate appearances.
“The game is about adjustments and I have to be a more complete player,” Rafaela said. “I’ve worked a lot on my hitting and swinging at better pitches. The more experience I get the better it will get.”
Rafaela is part of an outfield that includes Ray-Patrick Didder and Druw Jones, the manager’s son. Didder is a 31-year-old independent league player who didn’t get beyond Triple A. Jones, 22, is a minor leaguer with the Diamondbacks.
With outfielder Jurickson Profar off the roster after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, Rafaela will have more of a leadership role with the Dutch.
“I’m not going to try to be a leader,” Rafaela said. “But I will try to do the right things and show leadership that way. This team is important to me.”
Rafaela also will be keeping an eye on how fellow Sox outfielders Wilyer Abreu (Venezuela), Roman Anthony (United States), Jarren Duran (Mexico), and Masataka Yoshida (Japan) are playing in the Classic.
“Five of us. It’s great,” he said. “I truly believe we have the best defensive outfield in baseball. Roman and Jarren are capable of getting Gold Gloves, too. Jarren has switched around to different spots and he’s shown he can really play good defense.
“I miss those guys. It’s a special group. But if we play them, we need to beat them.”
Rafaela won his first Gold Glove last season. Only nine more to catch Jones.
“That’s the goal,” he said. “For me, being around him is something I really appreciate. Hopefully I go back to the Red Sox and I’m a better player because of it.”
MR. WORLDWIDE
Yoshida again starring for Japan
Japan has Masataka Yoshida batting cleanup in the World Baseball Classic ahead of Kazuma Okamoto (Blue Jays) and Munetaka Murakami (White Sox). On cue, Yoshida was 2 for 3 with an RBI in the first game, a 13-0 rout of Taiwan.
Yoshida was terrific for Japan in the 2023 WBC and probably will be again. Then he’ll return to the Red Sox and prepare for … well, nobody really knows.
With four quality outfielders on the roster, Yoshida isn’t a good fit with the Red Sox. He could be an occasional DH and the team’s primary pinch hitter against a righthander. He has played only 42 innings in the field the last two seasons and that’s unlikely to change.
In one day he’ll go from a centerpiece player with Japan to a spare part with the Red Sox.
Maybe the WBC will help spur a trade. It won’t be easy with Yoshida having $37.2 million remaining on his contract but the Braves had $15 million come back to them when Jurickson Profar was suspended.
Atlanta’s DH options for the moment are using catchers Drake Baldwin and Jonah Heim.
Trading Yoshida would create a more flexible roster for manager Alex Cora and perhaps save the Sox some payroll depending on how the deal was structured. It also would give Yoshida a better chance to show he can be a successful major leaguer.
He acknowledged in February that it hasn’t worked out well for him in Boston but stopped short of asking for a trade.
A few other observations on the Red Sox:
⋅ Mikey Romero is a bit of a forgotten prospect, which usually doesn’t happen with former first-round picks. But the infielder has looked at home in his first major league spring training.
Romero has taken dozens of at-bats against pitchers in simulated games and looked comfortable.
“He’s physical,” Cora said. “He’s showing us something.”
⋅ Braiden Ward was the prospect the Sox acquired from the Rockies for reliever Brennan Bernardino in November. The 27-year-old outfielder has yet to appear in the majors and that’s not likely to change any time soon.
But he could be on the postseason roster if the Sox advance.
It’s safe to say Braiden Ward has caught the attention of Red Sox manager Alex Cora.Gerald Herbert/Associated Press
Ward stole 211 bases in 241 attempts in five minor league seasons and had 89 in his three seasons at the University of Washington. Cora dropped a Dave Roberts reference when asked about Ward, suggesting he could be a pinch hitter.
Ward was 10 for 22 in his first 12 Grapefruit League games and stole 12 bases in 13 attempts. His speed is such that bunt hits come easily to him. But he has only 14 home runs in 1,229 minor league at-bats.
⋅ The Sox organized a simulated game Thursday so Aroldis Chapman, Sonny Gray, and Patrick Sandoval could get their work in without making the long trip to Clearwater for the Grapefruit League game.
Unexpectedly, it was 19-year-old Justin Gonzales who caught my eye.
The 6-foot-6-inch, 277-pound outfielder saw 20 pitches and drew three walks in the game, getting on base against each of the three veteran pitchers. His patience played a role in Gray reaching his pitch count earlier than expected.
That Gonzalez hung in there against that competition suggests he’s more than just a big kid who hits the ball hard. He’s a hitter with a plan when he goes to the plate.
ETC.
Blue Jays works on rotation puzzle
Trey Yesavage appeared in six postseason games for the Blue Jays last fall and had a 3.58 ERA. But the 22-year-old righthander is being slow-played in spring training, having yet to appear in a game.
Yesavage is healthy but the Blue Jays are cognizant that he threw 139⅔ innings last season in his first season as a professional — 46⅓ more than his final season at East Carolina in 2024.
“We ensure we’re putting him the safest possible position while trying to win as many games as possible,” general manager Ross Atkins said. “There are ways to put him in the best position for the end of the season. It is going to be manageable.”
The Blue Jays can make it work thanks to their enviable starter depth.
Righthanders Kevin Gausman and Dylan Cease top the rotation. Toronto also has righties Shane Bieber and José Berríos, lefthander Eric Lauer, and righties Cody Ponce and the recently re-signed Max Scherzer.
Ponce was signed for three years and $30 million after going 17-1 with a 1.89 ERA in 29 starts in Korea. Scherzer, who turns 42 in July, came back on an interesting contract that guarantees him $3 million with a $1 million bonus for reaching 65 innings and $1 million for every 10 innings after that up to 155.
Scherzer officially joined the team last week and said he expects to be ready to start the season.
“It’s how we had it planned, really,” manager John Schneider said.
With Bieber dealing with forearm soreness, the Blue Jays could open with Gausman, Cease, Ponce, Yesavage, and Berríos, with Lauer going to the bullpen.
It’s an awkward situation with Berríos, who was left off the postseason roster last fall and responded by leaving the team before the start of the World Series. That did not sit well with the Blue Jays or his teammates.
“We didn’t really deal with it at the time because we were trying to win the World Series,” Schneider said. “I think José realizes it could have been handled better on everyone’s end, really. We want to put that behind us.”
Berríos apologized, but Toronto did try to move him during the offseason and could again. He has three years and $68.1 million remaining on his contract.
Berríos has the right to opt out after this season. But that seems unlikely given the pending labor unrest.
New Hall of Famer Carlos Beltrán is general manager for the World Baseball Classic of Puerto Rico, which is hosting Pool A.Al Bello/Getty
Carlos Beltrán had a big smile as he stood on the field at JetBlue Park this past week watching Puerto Rico’s WBC team take batting practice ahead of its exhibition game against the Red Sox. Beltrán, 48, is Puerto Rico’s general manager, a high-ranking adviser to Mets owner Steve Cohen and a newly elected member of the Hall of Fame. He selected Yadier Molina as Puerto Rico’s manager with Edgar Martinez, Juan Gonzalez, Sandy Alomar Jr., and Joey Cora among the coaches. That’s a lot of major league experience in one room. “I’m proud of that,” Beltrán said. “I tried to build a coaching staff with a lot of wisdom.” He said the attention that comes with the Hall of Fame has been a bit overwhelming. “Grateful for the opportunity and grateful to be with a special group of people,” he said. “I love the game of baseball. When you go to Cooperstown and walk those halls and understanding that I will have a plaque there that will go generations — my kids will talk to their kids and grandkids about their father and grandfather having that plaque in Cooperstown. It’s very impactful and thankful of that. I just want to continue to promote the game.” … Jurickson Profar was set to play for the Netherlands in the WBC until he was hit with a 162-game suspension for a second positive test for performance-enhancing drugs within a year. As the team was readying to play the Orioles in an exhibition game Tuesday, Profar disappeared without even talking to manager Andruw Jones or any of his teammates. “Everybody knows the rules,” Jones said the next day. “They know what you can take and what you cannot take. I told the team we were very disappointed. But we have to move on.” The suspensions cost Profar approximately $21 million. The outfielder is under contract with the Braves for $15 million next season … Rafael Devers was 0 for 8 in three Cactus League games before the Giants shut him down with a sore left hamstring. The first baseman/DH is expected to play by Monday and should have ample time to prepare for the start of the season … UCLA center fielder Will Gasparino is the son of Dodgers vice president of baseball operations Billy Gasparino. The 6-foot-6-inch, 220-pound Texas transfer had an outrageous .390/.528/1.220 slash line in his first 12 games thanks to 10 home runs in his first 41 at-bats. This after he was 8 for 41 with no extra-base hits in 16 games for Yarmouth-Dennis in the Cape Cod League last summer. Gasparino has since improved his swing and looks less mechanical at the plate according to scouts … MLB will debut a 30-team single-elimination tournament during spring training next season for prospects. Clubs from Arizona and Florida will face each other … Lefthander Thomas White, Miami’s top pitching prospect, is expected to miss the rest of spring training because of an oblique strain. The former Phillips Andover star will likely have the start of his season delayed as a result. White, 21, ended last season in Triple A and remains a strong candidate to make his major league debut this season … The Yankees will have another George Costanza bobblehead giveaway this season. This time it will be George with a calzone. The Yankees had an assistant to the traveling secretary bobblehead in 2024 and a bobblehead of George sleeping under his desk in ’25. Maybe 2027 will have a bobblehead of George showing Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams how to hit … The Astros are relieved they didn’t trade infielder Isaac Paredes now that shortstop Jeremy Peña is questionable for Opening Day with a fractured right ring finger. He was injured fielding a ground ball while playing a WBC exhibition game with the Dominican Republic. The Astros could use Carlos Correa at shortstop with Parades at third base. Houston tried for much of the winter to match up with the Red Sox on a trade for Parades … Happy birthday to Jim Rice, who is 73. The Hall of Famer played 2,089 games for the Red Sox (fourth in franchise history) from 1974-89 and had 834 extra-base hits, 382 of them home runs. Rice was an eight-time All-Star and the 1978 MVP when he had a remarkable 406 total bases. He played his senior year of high school at T.L Hanna High in Anderson, S.C. Rice was all-state as a kick returner, defensive back and receiver but turned down football scholarships to Clemson, Nebraska, and North Carolina after he was the 15th pick of the 1971 draft and the Sox offered him $45,000.
How the World Baseball Classic affects spring training
Red Sox reporter Tim Healey gives his take on how the World Baseball Classic will impact the league and Boston’s players during spring training.
Peter Abraham can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky at peteabeglobe.bsky.social.
