As spring training nears its end, the Boston Red Sox are setting their 25-man roster, just like any other team in Major League Baseball. However, unlike other teams, Boston’s moves have been magnified due to rumors of a divide that’s formed between manager Bobby Valentine and GM Ben Cherington.
Valentine and Cherington each reportedly had their own ideas on how the Red Sox roster should take shape this spring. There were specifically three areas in which the two disagreed, and now that the roster has been announced, it appears that one man got his way in its entirety.
Yesterday, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal passed along word that the Red Sox had set their starting rotation. MacPherson tweeted that Felix Doubront had been named Boston’s No. 4 starter while former late-inning reliever Daniel Bard claimed the fifth spot.
Before the rotation was set, two other hotly debated roster moves were announced. Top Red Sox prospects Jose Iglesias and Ryan Lavarnway were demoted to Triple-A.
If Valentine had things his way, Iglesias and Lavarnway would have broken camp with the Red Sox and Bard would have remained in the bullpen. Cherington was in favor of how things ultimately went down.
There may not be much to draw from this situation, as each roster move makes sense in its own way. However, the relationship between Valentine and Cherington will be something to monitor and figures to be an interesting storyline this year and into the future.
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