**TAMPA, Fla.** — With Opening Day just around the corner, the Boston Red Sox are fine-tuning their roster ahead of a crucial season. Following an avalanche of cuts on Wednesday, the team is now in a stronger position to finalize their 26-man roster.

As of Tuesday, 51 players remained in camp, including several non-roster invitees. Major cuts are expected to clarify various roster competitions and give insight into the team's strategies moving forward.

Among the most discussed battles, top prospect **Kristian Campbell** is making waves as he competes for the second base role. Despite a sluggish spring, with a batting average of .167 and a .508 OPS across 15 games, Campbell is still favored by management over contenders like David Hamilton and Vaughn Grissom.

On another front, the race for the closer position is intensifying, with **Aroldis Chapman** emerging as the likely candidate. While Liam Hendriks has shown improvement and addressed earlier command issues, Chapman’s impressive performance has made a strong impression. Meanwhile, Justin Slaten is expected to step into a crucial high-leverage role as the season progresses.

As the decision-making process tightens, attention is also turning to the backup catcher situation — a showdown between Carlos Narváez and Blake Sabol. Narváez appears to be the frontrunner, especially given his previous experience and skill set that align well with the team's needs.

Manager **Alex Cora** emphasized that the team's roster must be carefully constructed, saying, "The roster has to be functional; we can't just throw 26 guys together and hope for the best." With just six games left in Florida before heading to Monterrey, Mexico for exhibition games, the coaching staff is working hard to solidify their plans for the upcoming season.

Current Roster Insights:

Starting Rotation