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By Dakota Randall
Contributing Sports Writer
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We now have a better idea of who will open the season as the Red Sox's most important reliever.
In a piece published Tuesday, Sean McAdam and Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported that Aroldis Chapman is tracking to begin the campaign as Boston's closer. The two insiders said nothing had been finalized but that Chapman had the edge over Liam Hendriks and Justin Slaten.
"The closer role remains officially unclaimed, but with just days left in Florida, Aroldis Chapman appears to have become the in-house favorite to close games to start the season," Cotillo and McAdam wrote. "Liam Hendriks has seemingly corrected some of his command issues from earlier in camp, but the quality of Chapman's stuff has been undeniable. Second-year righty Justin Slaten, for now, seems best suited for a high-leverage role."
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"(Alex) Cora will likely work backwards in constructing the bullpen. The ninth-inning decision remains a priority with Chapman and Slaten clearly ahead of Hendriks at this point, and it will have ripple effects on the rest of the group."
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Entering Wednesday, Chapman held a 3.38 ERA with 10 strikeouts and four walks in 5 1/3 innings this spring.
In the same piece, Cotillo and McAdam reported that star prospect Kristian Campbell was the favorite to win the second base battle. Alex Bregman then would play third base with Rafael Devers opening the campaign as the Red Sox's primary designated hitter.
Considering Devers reportedly considered requesting a trade after learning of the position change, it's fair to wonder how he'll handle moving off third base.
More MLB: Red Sox Rumors: Huge Rafael Devers Update Amid Mounting Trade Speculation
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