Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Plenty of questions facing the Red Sox as they prepare to open their season tonight at 7 p.m. in Seattle—many more pressing than, "Can they win another World Series?"
Can tonight's starter Chris Sale avoid the disabled list? Will David Price pick up where he left off after finally having October success? Will Eduardo Rodriguez stay healthy enough to live up to his hype? Is Rafael Devers ready for the expectations manager Alex Cora clearly has for him, batting him third in the opener? Will Jackie Bradley Junior find consistency at the plate after changing his swing?
And, of course, with Craig Kimbrel and Joe Kelly gone, who's the closer?
Cora said he's known since November, but we'll have to wait to find out. He also acknowledged different situations may call for different personnel.
Sale closed out the World Series, but doesn't care who has the regular season gig.
Most likely candidates are Matt Barnes and Ryan Brasier. They're joined in the bullpen by Tyler Thornburg, Heath Hembree, Brandon Workman, and Colten Brewer, along with Brian Johnson and Hector Velazquez.
WBZ NewsRadio's Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) reports