Projecting the Boston Red Sox 2015 Opening Day Roster

Manager John Farrell's Opening Day lineup will feature some notable differences with the Red Sox beginning the 2015 campaign against the Philadelphia Phillies. However, Boston won't alter the overall construction of their team based on a three-game series in a National League park. 

Therefore, a 25-man roster projection remains a worthwhile piece to delve into. Let's see where we stand with the regular season set to get under way in just over nine weeks.

Infielders

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

Starters 

Christian Vazquez, Catcher

Mike Napoli, First Baseman 

Dustin Pedroia, Second Baseman

Xander Bogaerts, Shortstop

Pablo Sandoval, Third Baseman

David Ortiz, Designated Hitter

Bench

Ryan Hanigan, C

Allen Craig, 1B/DH

Brock Holt, Utility

Vazquez is a supreme defensive talent whose bat has yet to show its teeth in the majors. He found hitting success in Double-A and Triple-A and has arguably the best reference a catcher could ask for.

The Red Sox added Hanigan in late December to serve as a veteran presence. General manager Ben Cherington described the 34-year-old as a "very good defender" and a "tough at-bat" to NESN after he completed the acquisition. 

Napoli is looking to rebound after his isolated power dropped to a career-low .171 in 2014. His walk-rate did climb to a career-best 15.6 percent, but the Red Sox bought in for his potential 30 home runs, not just the tidy on-base percentage.

My concern for Pedroia hasn't waned despite the former MVP's bravado. He told CSNNE.com last week he'll prove he's "back" after playing with a "shriveled up" upper body last season. No longer hindered in the weight room by hand injuries, Pedroia swears there's a "big difference" and it's allowed him to regain his top-notch bat speed.

Pedroia's argument would be more convincing if the power decline wasn't a four-year trend. There's no doubt he'll remain a wizard with the glove, but we may be approaching the .290 average/10 home run ceiling for the 31-year-old. 

On a team chock-full of dependable players, Bogaerts is possibly the biggest wild card. He was Baseball America's No. 2 overall prospect before 2014 and then proceeded to wilt under the weight of the enormous expectations. 

The 22-year-old told ESPN he's "by far" the strongest he's ever been after working out with athletic performance institute EXOS. Bogaerts also bragged about his improved range after heeding the advice of infield coach Brian Butterfield to focus on improving his first step. 

Since signing with Boston, Sandoval's offseason has consisted of division predictions and half-court shots. Optimism is rampant for Kung Fu Panda on the field, as fans envision his line-drive swing in predominantly hitter-friendly AL East parks. 

The 25 home run crowd is dreaming, but 15 home runs and 35 doubles with a batting average approaching .300 is realistic for Sandoval.

Ortiz keeps putting off his meeting with father time and continues to rake. It's doubtful he'll join the 500 home run club this season, but a return to the land of .300 hitters is in store. 

Finally, we come to Allen Craig, also known as the man Joe Kelly vows will "dominate" in 2015. Many have tossed around trade ideas with consistent at-bats hard to find in Boston. However, it's difficult to get good value for an injury-riddled 30-year-old coming off a dreadful season when the big-money years in his contract are about to kick in. 

With Napoli's impending free agency, Boston is better served hoping Craig can rediscover the stroke that made him a three-time .300 hitter instead of selling him at a steep discount. If he can become the vaunted clutch bat he was just two seasons ago, he'd be a pinch-hitting weapon who'd slot nicely in at first base on a 2016 team without Napoli. 

Outfielders

Ben Margot/Associated Press

Starters

Hanley Ramirez, Left Field

Mookie Betts, Center Field

Shane Victorino, Right Field

Bench

Rusney Castillo, OF

Daniel Nava, LF/RF/1B

While keeping five outfielders isn't something you typically see a major league club do, Boston is afforded that luxury because of the positional flexibility of their roster. Having a super utility infielder like Brock Holt helps, Ramirez's ability to shift to the infield is useful in case of injury and Nava has shown the ability to play some first base. 

I shared my bullish Betts prediction a few weeks back and explained why I foresee Ramirez returning to 30 home run form, and it's safe to say those two will be among Boston's top performers across all positions this coming season. 

Meanwhile, I'm prepared for the vitriol from those who worship at the alter of Rusney Castillo in the comments section. I don't make the projection as any slight toward the $72 million Cuban. He certainly has time to prove himself in spring training and change my mind.

But presently, my thinking slots with that of Ben Crockett, Boston's director of player development. When asked what the Red Sox have in Castillo, Crockett told MassLive.com in mid-January, "We’re still letting him show us." 

The team hasn't committed to Castillo as a starter yet, and with little game information available, it's hard to blame them. Christian Vazquez raved about the 27-year-old "killing pitchers" in the Roberto Clemente league (also to MassLive.com), so that's certainly a positive sign. 

Good job by Castillo and the Red Sox to get him into winter ball for extended reps. Crockett certainly has someone down there absorbing every morsel of data that can be drawn from each game.

Concurrently, the man Red Sox fans are so quick to cast aside for their shiny new toy is just one season removed from posting Fangraphs' 14th-best wins above replacement (WAR) mark. Yes, in all of baseball. Victorino is healthy after an injury-plagued 2014 as he enters the final year of his contract.

Castillo is the future, and maybe he is ready now, but I need to see more before I make the determination to vault him over a two-time All-Star. 

CBS Sports reported that Nava just avoided arbitration with the Red Sox on Jan. 29. With no minor league options left, he'll be on the 25-man squad, barring a trade. He's compiled a .289 average with a .368 on-base percentage over the past two seasons. Those aren't numbers congruent with a fifth outfielder or third-string first baseman on many teams. 

The notable absentee from this list is Jackie Bradley Jr. The 2011 first-round pick has showed off his fielding prowess, but he simultaneously displayed his limitations with the lumber (.196 average in 530 MLB plate appearances).

With two options remaining, the 24-year-old should start in Triple-A. If an injury strikes or Allen Craig is dealt, Bradley would make a nice addition to the big league club. He still has value as a pinch-runner and late-inning defensive replacement for Ramirez in left field.

Starting Pitchers

Chris Szagola/Associated Press

Rotation

Cole Hamels, Ace

Rick Porcello, No. 2

Clay Buchholz, No. 3

Wade Miley, No. 4

Justin Masterson, No. 5

Bench

Joe Kelly

Despite Jordan Zimmermann being a more ideal candidate from a Red Sox perspective, I continue to see a trade that brings Cole Hamels to Boston as the most likely scenario. The Phillies simply have a greater incentive to ship off their ace, given the state of their ballclub.

To those who continue to doubt the man with a career 3.27 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 3.45 fielding independent pitching (FIP) mark over more than 1,800 career MLB innings, I don't know what to say to you. 

The rest of the Red Sox staff is filled with quality arms. None of them will elicit flashbacks to Pedro Martinez, but they should be capable of keeping what many expect to be a potent offense in most games.

Rick Porcello can be counted on for a solid 180 innings with a realistic hope that the 26-year-old improves slightly on his career-year (3.43 ERA, 1.23 WHIP in 2014). Wade Miley is another consistency king, and Fangraphs did a great job of opining about why he's better than you think. 

Clay Buchholz has been a roller coaster ride over his 915 career MLB innings. 2014 was beyond disappointing, yet he's produced some tantalizing results when he's been right, and there is reason to believe he still has a few good years left in that arm. 

In what should be one of the Red Sox's most heated spring training battles, I've flip-flopped and have Masterson edging out Kelly for the final rotation spot. His horrid 2014 season is well-documented (5.88 ERA, 1.63 WHIP), but Masterson told NESN he feels he's corrected the delivery and physical issues that ailed him last year.

Farrell explained in that same NESN piece that he believes the three-quarter arm thrower is "very, very capable" of returning to the All-Star form he displayed in 2013. That upside coupled with Masterson's familiarity with Farrell, his old pitching coach, leads me to think Boston will give him the first shot and then turn to Kelly if things go south. 

Expect Kelly to fill the long reliever/swing starter role for Boston. If someone needs a start skipped or lands on the DL, Kelly is a very nice stop-gap. He has some quality relief experience to his name (3.25 ERA in 52.2 innings) so coming out of the bullpen isn't a completely new gig for the 26-year-old.

Brandon Workman is the most-likely candidate for the sixth starter job if a deal for an ace isn't completed by April 6, thus forcing Kelly into the rotation.

Assuming he's not part of a deal for Hamels or another ace, Henry Owens is the prospect with the best chance to crack the big league roster. However, with only 38 innings in Triple-A and no immediate need, the left-hander would have to really impress in spring training to steal a spot. MLB.com just ranked him the 4th-best left-handed pitching prospect in baseball, so it's not out of the question. 

Bullpen

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

Koji Uehara, Closer

Junichi Tazawa, Setup Man

Edward Mujica, Seventh Inning

Robbie Ross, Left-handed Pitcher

Craig Breslow, Left-handed Pitcher

Those hoping Boston will re-sign Burke Badenhop or venture into the Francisco Rodriguez sweepstakes can probably stop holding their breath. The bullpen looks pretty set after the Red Sox acquired Ross from the Rangers this past Tuesday.

The 25-year-old struggled as he tried to transition to a starting role in 2014, but that won't be asked of him in Boston. Farrell will put Ross back in the role where he thrived across 127.1 innings from 2012 to 2013. As a reliever during that time, Ross posted a 2.62 ERA.

The former second-round pick gives the Sox another left-handed pitcher out of the pen, which is definitely needed, given the way Craig Breslow fell off a cliff last season (5.96 ERA, 1.86 WHIP). 

The rest of the Red Sox relieving options are well-known. The health and age whispers surrounding Uehara won't dissipate any time soon. However, he'll be the closer unless he gets hurt or adds credence to the notion he's finished by struggling at the onset of 2015. 

Tazawa is an absolute steal at $1.75 million for this season. His FIP and xFIP (expected fielding independent pitching) don't suggest the success he's had over the past three years has been a fluke.

The consistency is why Tazawa gets the setup man nod over Mujica, someone advanced pitching stats say has pitched over his head for the past three seasons. His closer experience could still be of value if Uehara can't perform. 

Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com or FanGraphs unless otherwise noted/linked.