Ceddanne Rafaela, outfield
Rafaela played in the majors last season, as he made 28 appearances for the Red Sox after being called up from Triple-A Worcester. It looks like he will be reassigned to the minor-league camp after stinting in spring training with the big league club in Fort Myers.
MLB.com has Rafaela listed as the 86th best prospect in the game, and I think that it unfair to Rafaela. BA has him ranked as the fourth-best prospect in the organization, and I also that it is inaccurate. Rafaela is probably the most seasoned and polished player in the Red Sox organization and shows the most promise for immediate success.
He finished the year at the big league level once the rosters expanded, and with the Red Sox gunning for a youth movement, he might be making a return quickly, though he strikes out more than the scouts would like and he still needs to work on his plate discipline.
On Saturday night, Red Sox skipper Alex Cora said that they will give Rafaela every opportunity to win the job in center field during spring training.
"“As of now, we're going to give him all the chances to get repetitions in the center field. He needs them, too, at this level. Just play him out there as much as possible, with his gray pants most of the time. Should be fun playing him,” Cora said."Alex Cora, Red Sox Manager
Ceddanne Rafaela will pretty much be taking every bus ride to play center field. "As of now, we’re going to give him all the chances to get repetitions in center field. He needs them, too, at this level. Just play him out there as much as possible, with his gray pants most of the…
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) February 24, 2024
Rafaela appeared in 28 games for the Red Sox last season and batted .241 with 11 RBI and two round-trippers. He only played 48 games for Worcester before being called up and could use some more seasoning, but it appears though Cora is going to allow him to thrive under the on-the-job training method.
He is also no youngster. He has been in the Red Sox organization since starting in the Dominican Summer League in 2018 out of Curacao. He spent a lot of time in the bus leagues before earning his ticket to the show in 2023. With the endorsement of Cora on Saturday night, it might be hard to get him out of the lineup if he progresses during spring training and Cora keeps his word.