Alex Cora Sends Three-Word Message On Moving Ceddanne Rafaela To Infield
Alex Cora Sends Three-Word Message On Moving Ceddanne Rafaela To Infield originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Boston Red Sox outfield logjam has been a talking point all season, and Alex Cora was asked about potentially moving Ceddanne Rafaela to the infield.
Rafaela has played in 23 of the Red Sox's 24 games and has been great in center field. Roman Anthony and Wilyer Abreu have also played regularly, starting nearly every game. Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida seem to be getting hit hardest by the excess of outfielders in terms of playing time.
Duran is struggling right now, but he is very talented, and getting him in the lineup is justified. Given Marcelo Mayer and Caleb Durbin's offensive woes, Cora was asked if playing Rafaela at second base was an option. "Not right now," Cora told reporters on Wednesday .
Rafaela has experience in the infield. He has played shortstop, second base and third base in the big leagues. However, he is a Gold Glover in centerfield, and has a case to be the best defensive outfielder in all of baseball.
However, if Cora feels Duran or Yoshida would be a better option than Durbin or Mayer on any given night, the Red Sox could benefit from having Rafaela in the infield. Right now, the Red Sox have been using the designated hitter spot to get four of their five outfielders in the lineup. Rafaela is capable of playing in the infield, but Cora does not seem inclined to make that change just yet.