The Boston Red Sox cut deeper into the spring‑training crowd Monday in Fort Myers, optioning right‑handers Zack Kelly and Tyler Uberstine and lefty Payton Tolle to minor‑league camp and reassigning veteran reliever Tommy Kahnle. The latest trim drops big‑league camp to roughly 33 players and leaves most of the pitching staff effectively sketched in for the regular season. With Opening Day around the corner, the moves signal that Boston is just about ready to settle on a 26‑man roster, as per Boston Herald.
Those moves, along with earlier roster shuffles, were laid out by Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald, which lists the players optioned and reassigned and pegs the remaining big‑league group at about 33. Cerullo notes the club had already optioned left‑hander Tyler Samaniego and reassigned catcher Matt Thaiss while keeping Connor Wong in place as the likely backup catcher. Utilityman Andruw Monasterio appears to have played his way into a bench role. Taken together, the cuts clear out roster spots the front office can use if it wants to make any last‑second tweaks before the season starts.
Rotation and bullpen taking shape
MLB.com projects a rotation topped by Garrett Crochet with Sonny Gray, Ranger Suárez, Brayan Bello and Johan Oviedo behind him. Prospects Connelly Early and Payton Tolle are lined up as options for Triple‑A Worcester if Boston leans toward veteran stability on the big‑league staff. The same preview sketches out an eight‑man bullpen built around Aroldis Chapman, with Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten and Greg Weissert among the primary setup arms, though Monday's cuts mean a few of those relief jobs will go down to the wire. The core of the roster looks set, but the back end still has room for some last‑minute maneuvering.
Lefty relief still a concern
NBC Sports Boston's bullpen preview flagged one lingering problem: the Red Sox are still light on proven left‑handed relief. Chapman is the only established southpaw on the 40‑man roster, and Jovani Morán is the only other lefty with meaningful big‑league experience. That analysis argues the club could still go hunting for a veteran lefty to stabilize late‑inning matchups and ease the burden on younger arms in high‑leverage situations. The thin southpaw depth helps explain why Boston is keeping as much roster flexibility as it can, even as camp numbers shrink.
What to watch before Opening Day
Opening Day is Thursday, March 26, when Boston opens the season in Cincinnati, leaving only a small window for any final roster business, according to MLB.com. The battle for the last bullpen spots and the competition for the fifth‑starter role are the ones to monitor most closely. Connelly Early is still a candidate to head north with the big club but could instead open in Worcester if the front office opts for more experienced depth. Any late signing or trade for bullpen help would be the likeliest way the Red Sox shuffle the decisions they have effectively made this week.
Prospects and final decisions
Prospects Payton Tolle and Connelly Early remain central to the puzzle as Boston walks the line between immediate roster needs and long‑term development. FanGraphs' depth chart highlights Early as a realistic long‑relief option and shows Tolle as an appealing depth arm for Worcester. Monday's cuts narrowed the field but left enough uncertainty that the club could still pivot if an injury pops up or a late addition becomes available. For now, the biggest remaining calls are how to complete the bullpen picture and whether to break camp with an extra arm or an additional pinch‑hit bat for that first series in Cincinnati.
