Going into the 2026 season, Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora knew he had a surplus of outfielders. Finding playing time wasn’t going to be easy. Through two games, everyone has had at least one at-bat, but not everyone has played in the field.
Masataka Yoshida didn’t play in the season-opening 3-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds, nor was he in the starting lineup in Game 2 on Saturday. He pinch-hit at the top of the eighth inning and drew a four-pitch walk. He was immediately removed for a pinch runner.
Before the game, Cora made it clear that Yoshida was going to play in three of the next five Boston games. Following the series final in Cincinnati on Sunday afternoon, the Red Sox head to Houston to play the Astros for three games. After that series, they will fly home for their home opener at Fenway Park on Friday against the San Diego Padres.
Boston Red Sox Manager Alex Cora Sends Message for Upcoming Stretch
Before the Red Sox were walked off by the Reds on Saturday, 6-5, in 11 innings, Cora outlined his plan over the next week when it comes to his crowded outfield. He explained his plan for using outfielders, with what sounds like a set rotation.
“And then everybody will sit — some of them,” said Cora.
That sounds like something a Little League coach would say, not an MLB manager. Even playing time for everyone. However, that is the hand that Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow has dealt Cora. He didn’t sound like someone happy with having to deal with this in the first series of the season.
It’s not easy,” Cora said. “Whoever thinks that this is easy to move them around, they’re wrong. I’m going to say it like that. It’s not that easy, but I’ll make it work.
“(Those involved) know the plan, so we’ll stick to it, and I think everybody’s going to benefit from it. We see their past, right? Roman’s first full season. Jarren posts, he plays. Ceddanne in August and September, he has struggled, and Wilyer has been banged up (periodically in years past), right? He hasn’t played a full season yet, so I think this whole thing is going to help him.”
Will the Red Sox Address Their Surplus of Outfielders in 2026?
All winter, there were trade rumors surrounding the Red Sox, as there are every offseason. Names most mentioned as possibly being moved were Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu. The Houston Astros were mentioned the most, with infielder Isaac Paredes being a potential target of Breslow’s.
Nothing happened, and Cora has plenty of options this season, for now. Last week, Ken Rosenthal threw out the idea that Yoshida could be a DFA candidate. Trading him will be tough with his massive contract.
It is hard to envision Cora dealing with five outfielders all season long. There eventually has to be a move made, whether it’s a trade or maybe, as Rosenthal suggested, someone being DFA’d. Right now, Cora is making it work, whether he likes it or not.
Boston Red Sox Manager Alex Cora Sends a Clear Message on Upcoming Lineup