With Truck Day looming, Red Sox outlook bleak

Truck Day --- when the Boston Red Sox equipment van leaves Fenway Park for the annual mid-winter trip to Jet Blue Park in Fort Myers, Fla., for spring training --- is Friday, Feb. 3 and pitchers and catchers will report shortly after, with their first workout on Wednesday, Feb. 15.
Normally, that’s exciting news for fans who have been freezing all winter long, but this year, that will be no cause for celebration due to all of the question marks on the Red Sox roster.
The truth is that even the 10-year extension of third baseman Rafael Devers for $331-plus million didn’t improve the 2023 club. The signing only kept someone the Sox couldn’t afford to lose. (Devers was already signed for this year.)
The high number of Red Sox question marks is on Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom, whose failure to first extend shortstop and homegrown hero Xander Bogaerts and then to sign him once he became a free agent could spell doom for the Sox in 2023 unless a miracle happens.
Bloom --- except for signing closer Kenley Jansen, ex-Dodger Justin Turner and Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida --- has only signed a bunch of retreads and formerly injured players.
He signed pitcher Corey Kluber, a shadow of his former Cy Young self. He’s been barely average since leaving the Cleveland Guardians when they were still known by their former politically incorrect name since moving on to the Yankees and Rays. Bloom also signed a couple of other bullpen arms, but they have been average relievers so far.
Meanwhile, they’ve been rumored to be close to either trading for or signing a number of players that they could have used --- and lost all of them to other teams.
NOTE: The day after this was published, on Wednesday, Jan. 18, the Red Sox signed outfielder Adam Duvall, but since he missed the second half of last season with injuries (he was hurt July 23), the ex-Atlanta Braves player has to count as another question mark with potential. He won a Gold Glove in 2021, when he hit only .228, but did clout 38 home runs, with 29 of those coming June through the end of the season. 

Here's a  brief rundown of the roster heading into spring training, barring moves yet to come:
Pitching
Starters ---  Chris Sale and James Paxton are both medical question marks as they haven’t pitched in a while due to injuries. Sale made two starts last year and Paxton was paid $6 million to rehab all year.
Nick Pivetta provided innings, but was mediocre at best in 2022.
Rookie Bryan Bello showed some promise after being recalled in July and had a few nice starts in September, but it’s tough to count on someone who is still learning.
Kluber (see above) is being counted on,  as long as he’s healthy.
Both Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock --- who have shined in the bullpen in the closer and set-up roles --- are now being groomed as starters, which could hurt the bullpen.
Relievers --- Jansen will help in the closer role, but the rest of the pen has question marks. Free agents Chris Martin and Joely Rodriguez were added, but they’re not going to blow anyone away. Matt Barnes looked better down the stretch, but time will tell if he’s solved the problems that turned this once-impressive closer into mush for much of last year.
They lost southpaw specialist Matt Strahm and are counting on lefty Josh Taylor, who like Paxton spent 2023 rehabbing, and Ryan Brasier, who has given up more homers than most of the lineup hit last year.
The lineup
First base --- Rookie Triston Casas is being given the job, even though his Triple A experience was marred by injuries and he only played in Boston last September. His back-ups at the moment are Bobby Dalbec, who had a horrible sophomore season last year, with both his fielding and hitting going downhill, and one of their two big free-agent signings, Justin Turner, formerly of the Dodgers. Turner is being counted on to replace J.D. Martinez at designated hitter and fill in at first, third and, possibly shortstop, where he’s only played a handful of games.
Second base --- With Trevor Story out for most of the season with a quasi-Tommy John surgery on his elbow, Christian Arroyo looks to be the starter, barring any more signings or trades. He’s been serviceable when he’s been healthy, but he’s missed considerable time the last two seasons due to injuries.
Shortstop --- Kiki Hernandez or a player yet to be acquired is penciled in for now, but that could change at any time. If it is Hernandez, he’s no Bogaerts, but he’s a solid defender. The only problem is that he’d be a better fit in centerfield.
Third base --- Devers. The only lineup lock.
Left field --- Yoshida, whom they signed for $105 million including the posting fee, is penciled in to play left, but the Green Monster will present a big challenge. Plus, he’s never played in the Majors and he’ll need time to get accustomed to MLB pitching. So, while that signing may be encouraging, it counts here as another question mark.
Center field --- A player to be named later or Hernandez. Backups include Jaren Duran, who was so bad defensively in 2022 that he got demoted to Triple A last summer.
LATE ADDITION: Outfielder Adam Duvall (see above).
Right field – Alex Verdugo, whose power numbers were down last year and whose defense remains suspect at best.

Catcher --- After dumping Christian Vazquez at the trade deadline (he signed with Minnesota as a free agent), their only catchers of note are Reese McGuire, who's been mainly a backup and who they got from the White Sox at the trading deadline, and Connor Wong, who came to the Sox in the Mookie Betts trade and who has been mostly a Triple A player before being called up after the Vazquez trade.
They recently signed journeyman catcher Jorge Alfaro to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league camp --- and that's it, barring a more substantial deal.
Unless Bloom makes some additions between now and Opening Day on Thursday, March 30 against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park, it could be a very long year and another last-place finish in the American League East for the Red Sox.