Ceddanne Rafaela welcomes chance to be around fellow Curacaoan Andruw Jones

Jones and Rafaela are among the many 17 gamers Curacao has despatched to the majors since Hensley Meulens was the primary in 1989. It’s a tight-knit baseball neighborhood and Jones can keep in mind listening to about Rafaela years in the past.

“Through guys that know the game, we knew he was coming,” Jones mentioned. “Coaches back home were saying he’s actually a great shortstop. You hear a lot of stuff and when I had a chance to see him on TV the last couple of years and seeing more of him and what he could do, he’s a special kid.

“I’m proud of all of every single one of them who make it to the major leagues. It’s a small island and baseball is big. They love the game.”

It’s pure to examine Rafaela to Jones as a result of they’re from the identical nation and play the identical place. But Jones doesn’t like to play that recreation. He was flattered when folks in contrast his protection to Willie Mays nevertheless it additionally turned a burden at instances.

“There’s only going to be one. I want him to go there and do what he’s supposed to do and become Ceddanne Rafaela, a great center fielder. It’s a tough task for a young player,” Jones mentioned.

“I can tell he knows what he’s doing and that he does his homework. When you get that opportunity, you have to take advantage of it and run with it. He’s doing a good job.”

Both Jones and Netherlands group captain Xander Bogaerts consider the WBC may be a formative expertise for Rafaela, who has established himself as one of the game’s best defensive outfielders however stays a below-average hitter.

“It takes time,” mentioned Bogaerts, who didn’t change into a presence within the Red Sox lineup till his third full season within the majors. “Being around Andruw, myself, [Ozzie] Albies, Didi [Gregorius] and everybody else will help him.

“I know I tried to do everything all at once when I first came up. There’s a lot to learn.”

Rafaela had a career-best .709 OPS final season however has a profession .284 on-base proportion, a product of placing out in 24 p.c of his plate appearances.

“The game is about adjustments and I have to be a more complete player,” Rafaela mentioned. “I’ve worked a lot on my hitting and swinging at better pitches. The more experience I get the better it will get.”

Rafaela is a part of an outfield that features Ray-Patrick Didder and Druw Jones, the supervisor’s son. Didder is a 31-year-old unbiased league participant who didn’t get past Triple A. Jones, 22, is a minor leaguer with the Diamondbacks.

With outfielder Jurickson Profar off the roster after testing constructive for performance-enhancing medicine, Rafaela may have extra of a management position with the Dutch.

“I’m not going to try to be a leader,” Rafaela mentioned. “But I will try to do the right things and show leadership that way. This team is important to me.”

Rafaela additionally will be maintaining a tally of how fellow Sox outfielders Wilyer Abreu (Venezuela), Roman Anthony (United States), Jarren Duran (Mexico), and Masataka Yoshida (Japan) are taking part in within the Classic.

“Five of us. It’s great,” he mentioned. “I truly believe we have the best defensive outfield in baseball. Roman and Jarren are capable of getting Gold Gloves, too. Jarren has switched around to different spots and he’s shown he can really play good defense.

“I miss those guys. It’s a special group. But if we play them, we need to beat them.”

Rafaela won his first Gold Glove last season. Only 9 extra to catch Jones.

“That’s the goal,” he mentioned. “For me, being around him is something I really appreciate. Hopefully I go back to the Red Sox and I’m a better player because of it.”

MR. WORLDWIDE

Japan has Masataka Yoshida batting cleanup within the World Baseball Classic forward of Kazuma Okamoto (Blue Jays) and Munetaka Murakami (White Sox). On cue, Yoshida was 2 for 3 with an RBI within the first recreation, a 13-0 rout of Taiwan.

Yoshida was terrific for Japan within the 2023 WBC and possibly will be once more. Then he’ll return to the Red Sox and put together for … properly, no person actually is aware of.

With 4 high quality outfielders on the roster, Yoshida isn’t a superb match with the Red Sox. He may be an occasional DH and the group’s major pinch hitter towards a righthander. He has performed solely 42 innings within the subject the final two seasons and that’s unlikely to change.

In at some point he’ll go from a centerpiece participant with Japan to a spare half with the Red Sox.

Maybe the WBC will assist spur a commerce. It gained’t be simple with Yoshida having $37.2 million remaining on his contract however the Braves had $15 million come again to them when Jurickson Profar was suspended.

Atlanta’s DH choices for the second are utilizing catchers Drake Baldwin and Jonah Heim.

Trading Yoshida would create a extra versatile roster for supervisor Alex Cora and maybe save the Sox some payroll relying on how the deal was structured. It additionally would give Yoshida a greater chance to present he can be a profitable main leaguer.

He acknowledged in February that it hasn’t worked out well for him in Boston however stopped in need of asking for a commerce.

A couple of different observations on the Red Sox:

⋅ Mikey Romero is a little bit of a forgotten prospect, which often doesn’t occur with former first-round picks. But the infielder has checked out residence in his first main league spring coaching.

Romero has taken dozens of at-bats towards pitchers in simulated video games and regarded comfy.

“He’s physical,” Cora mentioned. “He’s showing us something.”

⋅ Braiden Ward was the prospect the Sox acquired from the Rockies for reliever Brennan Bernardino in November. The 27-year-old outfielder has but to seem within the majors and that’s not going to change any time quickly.

But he may be on the postseason roster if the Sox advance.

Ward stole 211 bases in 241 makes an attempt in 5 minor league seasons and had 89 in his three seasons on the University of Washington. Cora dropped a Dave Roberts reference when requested about Ward, suggesting he may be a pinch hitter.

Ward was 10 for 22 in his first 12 Grapefruit League video games and stole 12 bases in 13 makes an attempt. His pace is such that bunt hits come simply to him. But he has solely 14 residence runs in 1,229 minor league at-bats.

⋅ The Sox organized a simulated recreation Thursday so Aroldis Chapman, Sonny Gray, and Patrick Sandoval may get their work in with out making the lengthy journey to Clearwater for the Grapefruit League recreation.

Unexpectedly, it was 19-year-old Justin Gonzales who caught my eye.

The 6-foot-6-inch, 277-pound outfielder noticed 20 pitches and drew three walks within the recreation, getting on base towards every of the three veteran pitchers. His endurance performed a task in Gray reaching his pitch depend sooner than anticipated.

That Gonzalez hung in there towards that competitors suggests he’s greater than only a huge child who hits the ball exhausting. He’s a hitter with a plan when he goes to the plate.

ETC.

Trey Yesavage appeared in six postseason games for the Blue Jays final fall and had a 3.58 ERA. But the 22-year-old righthander is being slow-played in spring coaching, having but to seem in a recreation.

Yesavage is wholesome however the Blue Jays are cognizant that he threw 139⅔ innings final season in his first season as knowledgeable — 46⅓ greater than his closing season at East Carolina in 2024.

“We ensure we’re putting him the safest possible position while trying to win as many games as possible,” basic supervisor Ross Atkins mentioned. “There are ways to put him in the best position for the end of the season. It is going to be manageable.”

The Blue Jays could make it work thanks to their enviable starter depth.

Righthanders Kevin Gausman and Dylan Cease prime the rotation. Toronto additionally has righties Shane Bieber and José Berríos, lefthander Eric Lauer, and righties Cody Ponce and the not too long ago re-signed Max Scherzer.

Ponce was signed for 3 years and $30 million after going 17-1 with a 1.89 ERA in 29 begins in Korea. Scherzer, who turns 42 in July, came back on an interesting contract that ensures him $3 million with a $1 million bonus for reaching 65 innings and $1 million for each 10 innings after that up to 155.

Scherzer formally joined the group final week and mentioned he expects to be prepared to begin the season.

“It’s how we had it planned, really,” supervisor John Schneider mentioned.

With Bieber coping with forearm soreness, the Blue Jays may open with Gausman, Cease, Ponce, Yesavage, and Berríos, with Lauer going to the bullpen.

It’s an ungainly scenario with Berríos, who was left off the postseason roster final fall and responded by leaving the group earlier than the beginning of the World Series. That didn’t sit properly with the Blue Jays or his teammates.

“We didn’t really deal with it at the time because we were trying to win the World Series,” Schneider mentioned. “I think José realizes it could have been handled better on everyone’s end, really. We want to put that behind us.”

Berríos apologized, however Toronto did attempt to transfer him throughout the offseason and will once more. He has three years and $68.1 million remaining on his contract.

Berríos has the suitable to choose out after this season. But that appears unlikely given the pending labor unrest.

Carlos Beltrán had a giant smile as he stood on the sphere at JetBlue Park this previous week watching Puerto Rico’s WBC team take batting observe forward of its exhibition recreation towards the Red Sox. Beltrán, 48, is Puerto Rico’s basic supervisor, a high-ranking adviser to Mets proprietor Steve Cohen and a newly elected member of the Hall of Fame. He chosen Yadier Molina as Puerto Rico’s supervisor with Edgar Martinez, Juan Gonzalez, Sandy Alomar Jr., and Joey Cora among the many coaches. That’s loads of main league expertise in a single room. “I’m proud of that,” Beltrán mentioned. “I tried to build a coaching staff with a lot of wisdom.” He mentioned the eye that comes with the Hall of Fame has been a bit overwhelming. “Grateful for the opportunity and grateful to be with a special group of people,” he mentioned. “I love the game of baseball. When you go to Cooperstown and walk those halls and understanding that I will have a plaque there that will go generations — my kids will talk to their kids and grandkids about their father and grandfather having that plaque in Cooperstown. It’s very impactful and thankful of that. I just want to continue to promote the game.” … Jurickson Profar was set to play for the Netherlands within the WBC till he was hit with a 162-game suspension for a second constructive check for performance-enhancing medicine inside a yr. As the group was readying to play the Orioles in an exhibition recreation Tuesday, Profar disappeared with out even speaking to supervisor Andruw Jones or any of his teammates. “Everybody knows the rules,” Jones mentioned the following day. “They know what you can take and what you cannot take. I told the team we were very disappointed. But we have to move on.” The suspensions value Profar roughly $21 million. The outfielder is beneath contract with the Braves for $15 million subsequent season … Rafael Devers was 0 for 8 in three Cactus League video games earlier than the Giants shut him down with a sore left hamstring. The first baseman/DH is predicted to play by Monday and will have ample time to put together for the beginning of the season … UCLA middle fielder Will Gasparino is the son of Dodgers vice chairman of baseball operations Billy Gasparino. The 6-foot-6-inch, 220-pound Texas switch had an outrageous .390/.528/1.220 slash line in his first 12 video games thanks to 10 residence runs in his first 41 at-bats. This after he was 8 for 41 with no extra-base hits in 16 video games for Yarmouth-Dennis within the Cape Cod League final summer season. Gasparino has since improved his swing and appears much less mechanical on the plate in accordance to scouts … MLB will debut a 30-team single-elimination event throughout spring coaching subsequent season for prospects. Clubs from Arizona and Florida will face one another … Lefthander Thomas White, Miami’s top pitching prospect, is predicted to miss the remainder of spring coaching due to an indirect pressure. The former Phillips Andover star will doubtless have the beginning of his season delayed in consequence. White, 21, ended final season in Triple A and stays a powerful candidate to make his main league debut this season … The Yankees may have one other George Costanza bobblehead giveaway this season. This time it is going to be George with a calzone. The Yankees had an assistant to the touring secretary bobblehead in 2024 and a bobblehead of George sleeping beneath his desk in ’25. Maybe 2027 may have a bobblehead of George displaying Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams how to hit … The Astros are relieved they didn’t commerce infielder Isaac Paredes now that shortstop Jeremy Peña is questionable for Opening Day with a fractured proper ring finger. He was injured fielding a floor ball whereas taking part in a WBC exhibition recreation with the Dominican Republic. The Astros may use Carlos Correa at shortstop with Parades at third base. Houston tried for a lot of the winter to match up with the Red Sox on a commerce for Parades … Happy birthday to Jim Rice, who’s 73. The Hall of Famer performed 2,089 video games for the Red Sox (fourth in franchise historical past) from 1974-89 and had 834 extra-base hits, 382 of them residence runs. Rice was an eight-time All-Star and the 1978 MVP when he had a outstanding 406 whole bases. He performed his senior yr of highschool at T.L Hanna High in Anderson, S.C. Rice was all-state as a kick returner, defensive again and receiver however turned down soccer scholarships to Clemson, Nebraska, and North Carolina after he was the fifteenth choose of the 1971 draft and the Sox provided him $45,000.

Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at peteabeglobe.bsky.social‬.