Boston enjoyed a relatively successful if rather low-key spring training. Basking in the warmth of the Florida sun at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers while New England enjoy four March Nor’easters, the Red Sox went 22-9-1, winning 14 of their last 15 and five of six against the Minnesota Twins to claim the Mayor’s Cup (if that is still a thing). With the roster now final, baseball begins for real today in Tampa Bay with the Red Sox in town for four against the Rays; let’s catch up on the state of the team as Opening Day dawns across the league.

The Outfield

One of the few new faces in the dugout is that of outfielder J.D. Martinez, who signed as a free agent early in spring training. With a solid outfield trio in Andrew Benintendi (LF), Jackie Bradley, Jr. (CF), and Mookie Betts (RF), Martinez will most likely see time as the team’s DH, but will get some opportunity to show off his glove. The seven-year veteran has a career split of .285/.342/.514 coupled with 152 home runs and a 130 OPS+. In 2017, he split time between Detroit and Arizona, pacing the latter with 29 home runs and a 1.107 OPS to lead the Diamondbacks to the postseason for the first time since 2011.

The Infield

The presence of Martinez means that last year’s primary DH, Hanley Ramirez, will move back to first base where he was stationed in 2016. This will result in less playing time for Mitch Moreland, who returns after a successful 2017 season as the primary DH. With Dustin Pedroia on the DL, Eduardo Nunez gets the Opening Day start at second base; this marks the first time since 2006 that the Muddy Chicken doesn’t have that honor for the Red Sox.

On the left side of the infield, Xander Bogaerts returns at shortstop, continuing some stability at the position for the first time since the days of Nomar Garciaparra, while 21-year-old Rafael Devers, in his second year with the club (he is ineligible for rookie status as he had more than 130 at-bats last season), gets the starting nod at third base. Brock Holt also returns in a utility role after Boston sent Deven Marrero to Arizona late in spring training.

The Backstop

In another move late in spring training, the Red Sox signed catcher Christian Vazquez to a three-year extension, signaling to everyone that he is the primary catcher moving forward with the club for the near future. That said, Sandy Leon and Blake Swihart return as well; Leon should service as the backup catcher, while Swihart will serve more in a utility role and spend time in the outfield.

The Rotation

Chris Sale, David Price, and Rick Porcello are the easy choices for the first three spots; after that, it gets a little spotty. With Steven Wright, Eduardo Rodriguez , and Drew Pomeranz all on the DL to begin the season, and with Wright further suspended 15 games for domestic violence stemming from an off-season incident, the back half of the rotation will be anchored by Brian Johnson and Hector Velazquez. Once healthy and after completing his suspension, Wright should be eligible to return to the roster by the end of April, while Rodriguez should be ready by mid-April; there is no timetable on Pomeranz’s return.

The Bullpen

The bullpen remains a key strength of this team heading into the season. Craig Kimbrel enjoyed a monster 2017 season and expectations are high for him again in 2018 despite missing most of spring training to attend to a family matter. Also returning is Carson Smith, who is finally healthy after just 11 appearances over the last two seasons, as well as Joe Kelly, Matt Barnes, and Heath Hembree. Also in the mix are two rookies: 2015 draft choice Bobby Poyner, who posted a 0.87 ERA over 10.1 innings pitcher in 10 appearances this spring, and 10-year minor league veteran Marcus Walden, who posted a 0.64 ERA over 14 IP in eight appearances.

The Rotation

The Red Sox may have won the offseason last December when they sent top prospect Yoan Moncada and three other players to the White Sox in exchange for five time All-Star southpaw Chris Sale. Sale has not disappointed this spring; in 16 innings pitched in Grapefruit League action, he has struck out 20 with a WHIP of 1.06, and even held the Yankees, Boston’s biggest rival, to just two runs over six innings pitched on Tuesday in Tampa. Coupled with 2016 Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello, David Price, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Steven Wright and backed by Drew Pomeranz and Kyle Kendrick, this rotation is arguably one of the best in the league, making the team early favorites to win another World Series.

Price will begin the season on the DL due to elbow issues that popped up during camp, but he is gaining strength day-by-day and, with effective monitoring and a full-blown throwing program, should return to the team within a month after the season begins. One pitcher who won’t return is Clay Buchholz whom, after ten up-and-down seasons with the Red Sox, Boston traded to the Phillies in December.

The Outfield

Remember last season, when Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley, Jr., and Mookie Betts would conclude each win with a celebratory dance in the outfield? Expect to see that more this season, as all three return to their respective positions (left, center, and right field). Backed by Chris Young and with spot starts from Brock Holt, this will be another strength of the team.

The Infield

The middle infielders, Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts, remain anchored at second base and shortstop, respectively. With David Ortiz enjoying all his retirement gifts and looking forward to seeing his number retired at Fenway Park in June, the Red Sox tapped last year’s primary first baseman, Hanley Ramirez, to replace Big Papi as the designated hitter. To fill this void, the Red Sox signed free agent Mitch Moreland, who won a Gold Glove at that position last fall with Texas. With no other backups, Ramirez should still see some spot starts at first.

Third base is another story; with Travis Shaw traded to the Brewers, the opportunity is there for former World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval to reclaim the position the Red Sox intended him to play when they signed him to a hefty $95 million contract after the 2014 season. The Internet was abuzz in December when photos appeared online of a slimmer Panda lifting weights and he reported to spring training camp last month looking more physically fit. Results to date this spring have also been promising; through yesterday, he had a .364 / .375 / .660 split in 15 games played. Consider him an early favorite for 2017 Comeback Player of the Year honors.

The Backstop

Slammin’ Sandy Leon returns for another season and was recently tapped as the Opening Day starter behind the dish; whether he returns to form at the plate with a bat in his hand is another story that will develop as the season progresses. Joining him will likely be Christian Vazquez, whose arm appears to finally be back at full strength after undergoing Tommy John surgery that forced him to miss the entire 2015 season. Blake Swihart is also in the mix for a spot on the 25 man roster but will likely start the season in Pawtucket as Vasquez is out of options and Boston doesn’t want to chance putting him on waivers.

The Bullpen

Carson Smith, whom the Red Sox brought in last year to serve as the set-up man for closer Craig Kimbrel, is now nine months removed from Tommy John surgery and only recently threw off the mound this spring. Right now, it looks like he will not return until midseason. With Junichi Tazawa joining the Marlins and Koji Uehara joining the Cubs as free agents, Boston had hoped to fill Smith’s void with Tyler Thornburg, whom the team acquired in the aforementioned deal with the Brewers. Unfortunately, Thornburg has dealt with arm issues in camp and has made only two Grapefruit League appearances to date. Whether or not he joins the team in Boston on Opening Day is still in the air; either way, Joe Kelly will likely take the ball in the eighth inning if the Red Sox have the lead.