Injury Notes: Gonzalez, Stephenson, Dunn, Edman
As of last week, Red Sox utility infielder Romy Gonzalez was experiencing shoulder troubles and received a platelet-rich plasma injection. He admitted that he would likely miss Opening Day, though he may end up missing significantly more time. Today, Sean McAdam of MassLive adds that Gonzalez will visit a shoulder specialist next week to see if he needs to undergo surgery. Gonzalez opined that surgery “is not a season-ender by any means, in my opinion,” though any longer absence for the lefty-mashing infielder will be a blow to the Red Sox’ lineup regardless.
The right-handed-hitting Gonzalez injured his shoulder at the end of 2025 and experienced renewed soreness in January while ramping up for Spring Training. He posted career-best offensive numbers in 2025, batting .305/.343/.483 with a 123 wRC+ in 341 plate appearances for the Sox. While his performance against right-handers was slightly below average (95 wRC+), he absolutely teed off on southpaws. In 143 PA with the platoon advantage, Gonzalez hit seven of his nine home runs and posted a 162 wRC+ that was tied for 12th-best among hitters with at least 100 PA against lefties. Obviously, the team will hope he avoids surgery, but with that kind of production, they’ll do what it takes to ensure Gonzalez comes back at full strength.
A few other injury updates from around the league:
- Angels right-hander Robert Stephenson faced live hitters for the first time on Friday as he works to be ready for Opening Day, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Stephenson said there is understandably “a little polishing to do” but added that he felt good physically and reached 95 MPH on his fastball (he averaged 96.4 MPH on his four-seamer last year). Tommy John surgery and symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome have limited him to 10 innings with Los Angeles. In his last healthy season in 2023, Stephenson threw 52 1/3 innings with a 3.10 ERA and a well-above-average 38.3% strikeout rate. When healthy, he should factor into the late-inning mix with fellow right-hander Ben Joyce, who is currently rehabbing his own shoulder issue.
- Reds outfielder Blake Dunn is going for an MRI on his left knee today, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Dunn hyperextended his left knee while attempting to make a catch yesterday. The 27-year-old was a 15th-round draft pick by the Reds in 2021 and appeared in 49 big-league games from 2024-25, though he has posted just a 63 wRC+. He fared much better at Triple-A in 2025, batting .291/.397/.401 with a 121 wRC+ along with 24 stolen bases in 98 games. Currently, Cincinnati has Will Benson, Dane Myers, and Spencer Steer on hand as outfield backups. A healthy Dunn will stay at Triple-A for depth. [UPDATE: Dunn is dealing with a lower-grade knee strain, manager Terry Francona told Charlie Goldsmith and other reporters. Dunn will be sidelined for a few days, but appears to have avoided a lengthy absence.]
- Dodgers utilityman Tommy Edman took light batting practice yesterday, per Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic. He could face higher velocity off a machine in a few days if he continues to progress, but he is still weeks away from being fully ramped up. Edman underwent surgery in November to address an ankle issue that plagued him all season. Manager Dave Roberts confirmed a couple of weeks ago that Edman would begin the year on the injured list. This news won’t move up his return, though in any case, the team wants Edman at full strength. He is entering the second year of his five-year, $74MM contract. He posted an 81 wRC+ in 97 games in 2025, showing a drop in power while also striking out slightly less than in 2024.
Photo courtesy of D. Ross Cameron, Imagn Images
Red Sox’s Vinny Nittoli Facing Elbow Surgery
Red Sox reliever Vinny Nittoli is weighing Tommy John or internal brace surgery, reports Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. The righty has been diagnosed with ligament damage in his elbow and is seemingly headed for a season-ending operation.
Nittoli is in camp as a non-roster invitee after signing a minor league contract last month. He made three appearances this spring, allowing four runs over 2 2/3 innings. Manager Alex Cora told Mac Cerullo of The Boston Herald on Wednesday that the team was awaiting imaging results after Nittoli reported elbow discomfort during his most recent appearance. The news obviously wasn’t what he had been hoping.
The 35-year-old Nittoli is on the 12th organization of a decade-long professional career. He has pitched at the highest level for five teams. His career high in MLB appearances with one team is seven, as he threw eight innings for the Athletics in 2024. Nittoli has had cups of coffee with the Mariners, Phillies, Mets and Orioles as well. He has logged 18 2/3 major league innings, striking out 13 against five walks while allowing five runs.
A former 25th round pick, Nittoli has spent six seasons at the Triple-A level. He owns a 4.76 earned run average in 223 innings despite a strong 28.3% strikeout rate. Nittoli combined for a 4.58 ERA with a 26% strikeout percentage and 8% walk rate between Baltimore’s and Milwaukee’s top affiliates last year.
Orioles Believed To Have Made Nine-Figure Offer To Ranger Suárez
The Orioles were among the teams most frequently tied to Ranger Suárez before the southpaw signed a five-year deal with the Red Sox. He commanded a $130MM guarantee to slot behind Garrett Crochet in the Boston rotation.
Baltimore was seemingly in a similar range. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports that the Orioles are believed to have made an offer around $125MM. It seems likely that would also have been a five-year proposal at approximately $25MM annually.
It’s an offseason footnote at this point. Suárez got a slightly better deal to join an AL East competitor. The Orioles wound up turning to Chris Bassitt on a one-year, $18.5MM deal to build out the rotation. Bassitt should be a solid mid-rotation presence, while the O’s took a higher variance swing on the trade market. They sent four prospects and a draft pick to the Rays for Shane Baz in December.
The Post report doesn’t specify when the Orioles made their offer to Suárez. He didn’t sign with Boston until a month after the Baz trade. The O’s pursuit of high-end starting pitching extended beyond the Baz trade, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if their offer came at a similar time as the Red Sox’s one that got the deal done. Baltimore signed Bassitt three weeks later.
Until last offseason, the Orioles had not signed any players to a nine-figure deal under president of baseball operations Mike Elias. They weren’t entirely averse to such commitments. They reportedly offered Corbin Burnes four years and $180MM before he signed with the Diamondbacks in 2025.
They hadn’t actually signed any free agents for even $50MM+ until their Winter Meetings splash to add Pete Alonso for five years and $155MM. They were evidently willing to add another significant deal to the books. Suárez would also have been the O’s first free agent signee under Elias who had rejected a qualifying offer (thereby costing the signing team a draft choice).
Baltimore will open the season with a front five of Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Baz, Bassitt and Zach Eflin. They’ll probably go with a six-man rotation to also keep Dean Kremer in the mix as long as everyone gets through camp healthy.
MLBTR Podcast: Max Scherzer, The Red Sox’ Lineup, Spring Extension Candidates, And More!
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Blue Jays re-signing Max Scherzer and how that alters their rotation picture (3:45)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Could it help with parity if the small-market clubs got even more competitive balance picks and if all picks could be traded? (18:25)
- Why do the Yankees seemingly over value their prospects? Wouldn’t it be better to trade Jasson Domínguez instead of relegating him to a depth role? (36:00)
- Do the Red Sox have enough power in the lineup? What bats could be available at the deadline who would fit the lineup? Would Masataka Yoshida have any trade value if he performs well in the World Baseball Classic? (47:15)
- Which players are likely to be extended before the start of the season or which ones would you like to see extended? (55:45)
Check out our past episodes!
- Twins And Orioles’ Injuries, The Guardians And Angels’ Quiet Offseasons, And Chris Sale’s Extension – listen here
- The Tigers’ Rotation, A Brewers-Red Sox Trade, And Late Free-Agent Signings – listen here
- Twins Front Office Shake-Up, The Brendan Donovan Trade, Eugenio Suarez, And More! – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro, Imagn Images
Brendan Rodgers Likely To Require Shoulder Surgery
Brendan Rodgers is in big league camp with the Red Sox this spring, hoping to win a spot in Boston’s infield alongside former Rockies teammate Trevor Story. A right shoulder injury suffered in late February put any such hopes on hold, and the latest update from skipper Alex Cora may have dashed them entirely. Via the Boston Herald’s Mac Cerullo, Cora said Tuesday that Rodgers is “most likely” going to require shoulder surgery. Rodgers already underwent a CT scan and MRI on his shoulder, and Cora has previously stated that the results from those tests “didn’t look great.” Rodgers is headed for another opinion from renowned surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache to confirm his outlook.
The injury occurred early in camp. Playing second base, Rodgers dove to his left for a hard line drive off the bat of Twins shortstop Brooks Lee (video link via MLB.com). He briefly snow-coned the liner, but the ball popped out of his glove upon a hard impact with the ground. Rodgers was in clear, immediate pain and left the field with the Red Sox training staff.
Rodgers, 29, has already undergone one surgery on each of his shoulders. He suffered a torn labrum during his rookie season back in 2019 and underwent surgery that July. In 2023, he suffered what was originally termed a dislocated left shoulder during spring training. Additional testing revealed some tearing in his left shoulder’s labrum, requiring surgery, though Rodgers was able to make it back to the field for the final couple months of that season.
Formerly the No. 3 overall pick in the draft and a consensus top prospect, Rodgers’ career hasn’t played out as hoped. He’s a lifetime .261/.313/.401 hitter and has only thrice played 100 games in a season. He’s never topped 137 games played or 581 plate appearances and only has two big league seasons with 500-plus trips to the plate. After spending the 2019-24 seasons in Denver, Rodgers signed with Houston on a minor league pact last winter and made the roster. However, he went on to bat just .191/.266/.278 (55 wRC+) in 128 plate appearances as an Astro.
The infield mix in Boston is relatively unsettled. The Sox traded Rafael Devers to the Giants last June and watched Alex Bregman sign with the Cubs in free agency. They’ve traded for the Cardinals Willson Contreras and the Brewers’ Caleb Durbin this winter. Contreras slots in at first base, while Durbin will fill either second base or third base alongside the aforementioned Story.
Top prospect Marcelo Mayer is the favorite to hold down whichever spot isn’t occupied by Durbin, but the Red Sox also have Andruw Monasterio (acquired alongside Durbin), Isiah Kiner-Falefa (signed in free agency), Tsung-Che Cheng (claimed off waivers) and holdovers Nick Sogard and Nate Eaton on the 40-man roster. Former top prospect Kristian Campbell, who signed an eight-year extension early last year, is being viewed primarily as an outfielder moving forward.
Red Sox Notes: Anthony, Casas, Crawford
Red Sox fans shielded their eyes on Friday when outfielders Roman Anthony and Ceddanne Rafaela slammed into each other during a Spring Training game against the Braves. Fortunately, both players avoided serious injury, reports Tim Healey of the Boston Globe. “[Anthony is a] really big guy,” Rafaela said. “Hits hard too … I just was hoping he’s OK. I was more worried about him than I was about me, because I saw him in some pain, and I don’t like seeing my teammates in those types of situations.”
Latest On Brendan Rodgers’ Shoulder Injury
Brendan Rodgers left Wednesday’s Red Sox/Twins game due to right shoulder soreness, and has since undergone both an MRI and a CT scan. Rodgers is now considering his options in the wake of these tests, and the situation “doesn’t look great,” Sox manager Alex Cora told the Boston Globe’s Tim Healey and other reporters.
The implication is that Rodgers might again be facing a significant shoulder surgery, which would be the third of his career. Rodgers’ rookie season with the Rockies was cut short by a season-ending surgery on that same right shoulder in July 2019, and some recurring issues in his shoulder resulted in another IL stint in 2020. Exactly three years ago today, Rodgers dislocated his left shoulder while diving for a ball during a Spring Training game, and a subsequent surgery delayed his 2023 season debut until the very end of July.
At the very least, Rodgers seems ticketed for a season-opening stint on the injured list. The veteran infielder doesn’t have any roster security since he is in Boston’s camp on a minor league contract, so it is as least possible the Red Sox could take the harsh step of cutting Rodgers entirely if he isn’t healthy. The likelier scenario is that Rodgers passes on at least the March 22 opt-out clause in his contract and is stashed on the minor league IL if he is indeed facing a long-term recovery.
The 29-year-old Rodgers was non-tendered by the Rockies following the 2024 season, and then signed a minors deal with the Astros last offseason that led to a spot on Houston’s Opening Day roster. Rodgers hit only .191/.266/.278 over 128 plate appearances and 43 games with the Astros, however, before a variety of injuries ended his season. An oblique strain led to Rodgers’ initial IL placement last June, and he suffered both a concussion and a nasal fracture after colliding with a teammate during a minor league rehab game. Back problems then cropped up for Rodgers when he next attempted to take the field during a minor league game in August.
Rodgers faced relatively steep odds of breaking camp with the Red Sox anyway, though Boston now finds itself down two middle infielders since Romy Gonzalez is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day due to shoulder problems of his own. Marcelo Mayer is slated to be Boston’s regular second baseman this season, though Rodgers was brought in as even more veteran depth at the keystone beyond the options already on hand (i.e. Gonzalez, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Andruw Monasterio, Nate Eaton, Anthony Seigler).
Red Sox Notes: Abreu, Casas, Rodgers
The Red Sox and outfielder Wilyer Abreu had some extension talks a couple of years ago, reports Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. “It wasn’t the right moment to do it,” Abreu told the Globe. “So I just wanted to play and see what happened in the future.”
The Sox have done a number of extensions since Craig Breslow was hired as chief baseball officer in the fall of 2023. Brayan Bello and Ceddanne Rafaela were signed going into the 2024 season. One year later, Garrett Crochet and Kristian Campbell put pen to paper. In August of 2025, Roman Anthony inked an eight-year pact. Also in August, Aroldis Chapman secured a much more modest extension, adding an extra guaranteed year before he hit free agency.
Abreu was approached around the same time as Bello and Rafaela. At that time, Abreu had just 28 games under his belt. Star prospects can get huge contracts even with less than a year of service time. Anthony got a $130MM guarantee, for instance. Julio Rodríguez got $210MM from the Mariners. Wander Franco and Corbin Carroll also got into nine-figure territory.
But Abreu wasn’t quite ranked as high as those guys, so he wouldn’t have received an offer in that tier. He probably would have been closer to Rafaela, who got $49.3MM in new money. Campbell got about $59.2MM in new money a year later. Samuel Basallo got $67MM from the Orioles and Michael Harris II $72MM from Atlanta.
It’s unknown what the Sox offered. Whatever it was, Abreu decided to bet on himself instead. Since then, he has put together two solid seasons. He got into 247 games over the past two campaigns, hitting 37 home runs and stealing 14 bases. His combined .250/.320/.464 batting line translated to a 113 wRC+, indicating he was 13% better than league average. Add in some strong defensive grades and FanGraphs considered him to be worth 5.5 wins above replacement over those two seasons.
He has provided that value despite being mostly a strong-side platoon guy, with a career .205/.271/.318 line against lefty pitchers. The Sox have indicated they hope to give him more run against southpaws this year. Healey writes that Abreu spent the offseason working on getting better against lefties, in addition to getting into the best shape of his life. Time will tell if Abreu can unlock a new gear but he’s already proven to be valuable.
That hasn’t led to big earnings yet. His service time is just a bit north of two years, meaning he won’t qualify for arbitration until after the 2026 season. He’ll be slated for three arb seasons and is on pace for free agency after 2029. As players approach the open market, they generally gain more earning power, and that could be extra true for Abreu if he takes his performance to another level. The two sides could reignite extension talks but there doesn’t seem to be much smoke there. “I can listen,” Abreu said of the prospect of the Sox trying again, “but I haven’t talked to them.”
Another guy the Sox tried to extend a couple of years ago was first baseman Triston Casas, though nothing got done at that time either. Since then, he has effectively been on the opposite trajectory to Abreu, as he has struggled greatly in the past few years. Back in 2023, he seemed to establish himself as a legit threat, hitting 24 home runs and slashing .263/.367/.490 for a 131 wRC+. Torn cartilage in his ribcage limited him to 63 games in 2024. He got out to an awful start in 2025, hitting .182/.277/.303, before rupturing the patellar tendon in his left knee in May. He was on the injured list for the rest of the year and still isn’t 100%.
Casas spoke to Chris Cotillo of MassLive about the past extension talks, clearly putting his focus on the future. “I don’t have any regrets about the way that I handled the situation,” Casas said. “In the moments that I was not agreeing to anything long-term, I felt like I could take the field and post an .850 OPS rolling out of bed. I was just that confident, and I still think I am that type of player. I didn’t think that ’23 reflected my best baseball, and it was still great. Now, I feel like my best baseball is still ahead of me.”
Despite his talents, the Sox clearly felt they couldn’t rely on Casas after a couple of injury-marred years and with his status still questionable going into 2026. They acquired Willson Contreras this winter to cover first base.
That leaves Casas in a bit of an awkward spot now, as he’s getting healthy but may not have a spot when he’s ready. He’s still not playing in games but tells Cotillo he could be doing so by Opening Day “for some affiliate,” seemingly suggesting he could be on a minor league rehab assignment when the rest of the team starts the regular season. The designated hitter spot is pretty clogged at the moment, with the Red Sox having to find playing time for their outfield group, which consists of Abreu, Anthony, Rafaela, Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida.
Casas does have options and could be kept in the minors after his rehab is done, though that would arguably be a waste of his talents, considering how he has already shown himself capable of being a middle-of-the-order hitter in the big leagues. A trade would make some sense but perhaps the Sox don’t want to sell low on Casas. A few injuries could change the calculus but it will be interesting to see how the Sox navigate the apparent logjam in the coming weeks and months.
Infielder Brendan Rodgers is in camp on a minor league deal and looking to earn a roster spot but he departed today’s game with right shoulder pain. “It’s pretty sore right now,” Rodgers said to Christopher Smith of MassLive. “All the (strength) tests were actually promising. … So just trying to be optimistic and, see how we feel tomorrow.” Rodgers says he’s not scheduled to go for any imaging tonight. He underwent surgery on that shoulder back in 2019. He dislocated his left shoulder in 2023.
Rodgers is a tough fit for a bench infielder job. He’s been a subpar hitter throughout his career. He has often received strong defensive grades but hasn’t played a position other than second base since 2021. Teams generally need their bench infielders to provide more versatility than that. Even with the Romy González injury, the Sox have Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Andruw Monasterio, Anthony Seigler, Nate Eaton, Nick Sogard and Tsung-Che Cheng as healthy infielders on the roster.
Photo courtesy of Raymond Carlin III, Imagn Images
Romy Gonzalez Unlikely To Be Ready For Opening Day
Red Sox utilityman Romy Gonzalez has been behind in camp due to shoulder troubles. He received a platelet-rich plasma injection a couple weeks ago in hopes of being ready for Opening Day, but the righty-swinging infielder now tells Christopher Smith of MassLive.com that he doesn’t think it’s realistic. Gonzalez is running and doing agility work but isn’t fielding, throwing or swinging a bat yet. He says he won’t begin hitting until next Friday (March 6) at the earliest.
“At this point, I think the ramp-up would be a little too quick and it’d be a disservice I feel like to myself and the team if I’m not ready to roll and have a good build up,” Gonzalez tells Smith.
The 29-year-old Gonzalez suffered a shoulder injury in one of the final games of the 2025 regular season. He spent the offseason rehabbing the injury and thought he was in a good place when the calendar flipped to 2026, but he began experiencing renewed discomfort after ramping up his hitting program last month in preparation for spring training.
Gonzalez is a key part of Boston’s lineup, specifically against left-handed pitching. He’s fresh off a career-best .305/.343/.483 showing that saw him pop nine homers in a career-high 341 plate appearances. The overwhelming amount of Gonzalez’s damage came against left-handed pitching, which he torched for a .331/.378/.600 batting line (162 wRC+) in 143 plate appearances. His .286/.318/.400 line against righties (198 plate appearances) was solid as well, but even including that performance, Gonzalez is just a .243/.267/.349 hitter (65 wRC+) in 439 plate appearances versus fellow righties.
If Gonzalez is indeed unavailable when the Red Sox’ season opener rolls around on March 26, that would likely improve the chances that one of Nate Eaton, Andruw Monasterio, Kristian Campbell or Anthony Seigler makes the roster. Smith calls Monasterio the early favorite, but it’ll obviously hinge on spring performances from the group. They’re all vying for the final bench spot alongside backup catcher Connor Wong, veteran utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa and outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida.
A healthy Gonzalez perhaps renders that competition moot, but it increasingly sounds as though there’ll be at least one bench spot open — possibly more, depending on health or other transactions. The Red Sox have discussed their outfield glut in trades throughout the winter, with Jarren Duran standing as the most commonly cited trade possibility. However, Boston has established a high asking price — understandably so — which has not yet been met. There’s also been plenty of speculation about Boston trying to find a taker for a portion of Yoshida’s contract, but with two years and $36MM yet to be paid out, that’s a tall order.
While the potential loss of Gonzalez is a blow to the team’s depth and potency against lefties, there’s no indication he’s suffered any kind of setback or that he’s looking at an especially long-term absence. He’s making $1.6MM this season in the first of three arbitration seasons and is under club control through 2028.
The Red Sox open with three games in Cincinnati, where they’ll likely face a pair of lefties (Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo). They’ll then head to Houston, where the Astros will deploy an all-righty rotation, before playing host to a Padres team that also looks set for an entirely right-handed starting staff.
Red Sox Interested In Left-Handed Bullpen Depth
The Red Sox may not yet be completely done with their offseason, as Sean McAdam of MassLive reports that the club remains interested in improving their left-handed bullpen depth before the season begins. McAdam adds that Boston intends to have scouts monitoring players in other organizations during camp as they conduct their search.
That the Red Sox might want addition left-handed bullpen help isn’t exactly a shock. The team is incredibly deep in right-handed bullpen options, with Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten, Greg Weissert, and Zack Kelly all more or less already assured of roles and a plethora of non-roster invitees including Vinny Nittoli, Kyle Keller, Osvaldo Bido, and Hobie Harris. From the left side, however, Boston has just three credible options: Aroldis Chapman, Jovani Moran, and Tyler Samaniego. Chapman, of course, is locked into the closer role. That leaves only Moran and Samaniego as an option to serve as a matchup lefty prior to the ninth inning. Moran has just four innings of work at the big league level over the past two years, and Samaniego has yet to make his big league debut.
Sensible as it would be for the team to look to add more lefty bullpen help, the Red Sox seem committed to doing so only on their terms. McAdam notes that the club has made clear neither of the team’s top left-handed pitching prospects, Payton Tolle and Connelly Early, will be considered for moves into the big league bullpen. Both Tolle and Early are currently squeezed out of Boston’s deep rotation on paper, but it’s not hard to see why the team might prefer to have them stay stretched out at Triple-A, where they won’t need to adapt to a new role and won’t garner big league service time.
Likewise, McAdam indicates that the team doesn’t have much interest in adding a free agent on a major league contract at this point. Experienced, big league caliber southpaws including veteran Danny Coulombe and Jalen Beeks remain available in free agency, but McAdam suggests that those free agents are currently holding out for big league deals. Perhaps that stance could change in the coming weeks as Spring Training drags on, but for now that seems to leave the Red Sox scouting for waiver claims and trade additions.
Few clubs are going to willingly surrender relief depth at this point in the calendar given the possibility of injuries in their own bullpen before Opening Day. With that being said, there are some options who could plausibly be available. Ryan Borucki (White Sox), Cionel Perez (Nationals), Tayler Saucedo (Angels), Cam Booser (Rays), and Genesis Cabrera (Phillies) are among the notable non-roster invitees in other camps this spring who might be unable to secure a spot with their current club. Meanwhile, Tyler Gilbert (White Sox) and Ryan Rolison (Cubs) are among the 40-man lefties who are either out of options or could otherwise be squeezed out of their team’s roster at some point this spring.
One other possibility worth giving a particular mention to is Cardinals lefty JoJo Romero. Romero has been a known trade candidate all throughout the offseason, and while at this point he appears to be the favorite to serve as St. Louis’s closer in 2026, the rebuilding Cardinals have traded every other pending free agent from their 2025 roster this winter except for the southpaw. It certainly stands to reason that president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom would part ways with Romero in the right deal, and successful trades of both Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras from St. Louis to Boston earlier this winter show that Bloom and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow are certainly comfortable working with each other.