Some Things I Think I Think: Red Sox’ outfield alignment is untenable

∗ What, exactly, did the Red Sox expect? They went into the season trying to solve a math problem — five into four — that does not have a workable solution. They have five outfielders for three spots plus a DH role, and a few weeks into the season, are finding that it doesn’t work.

Manager Alex Cora has (correctly) decided that Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu should, because of their defensive skills, be in the lineup nearly every day. That leaves Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony and Masataka Yoshida competing for the remaining two spots on a daily basis. Of the three to date, only Yoshida is enjoying much offensive success.

Both Duran and Anthony, meanwhile, appear to be out of sorts, unable to establish any sort of early season rhythm. If this were July, it might be a more workable situation. By then, the grind of the season would make the occasional day off — or a day as DH — feel welcome.

But this early in the season, Duran and Anthony can’t get any momentum going. Maybe the Sox are prioritizing at-bats for Yoshida in the hopes that he gets hot and attracts trade interest. But even if a suitor emerges, the Red Sox are going to have to subsidize a big chunk of his remaining contract — better than $37 million remains between this season and next — and that’s something they’ve appeared unwilling to do.