Cordero eyeing breakout season
Has barely been on field in 4 years in bigs
Getting traded for Andrew Benintendi may not come with the same pressure as getting traded for Mookie Betts, but Franchy Cordero knows he has something to prove.
Cordero, acquired from the Royals in the Benintendi trade last month, is unlikely to be on the Red Sox on Opening Day, though he has been cleared for baseball activities after a long wait in the COVID-19 protocol, manager Alex Cora said Saturday.
“I thought he was going to be more behind, but that’s not the case,” the skipper said. “There’s always a chance (for Opening Day), right? But we have to be very careful how we push him, because his health is more important than making the Opening Day roster.”
Cordero, 26, came down with the coronavirus just before his plane was supposed to leave the Dominican Republic for Fort Myers. He said he tested positive before taking his flight, but was asymptomatic. The hard part was not being able to join the team in time for camp.
He’s a bit out of shape because of the delay, Cora said. He’ll take it slow at first but could see game action before spring training wraps up.
At 6-foot-3, 226 pounds, Cordero is an imposing figure with speed, power and all the tools one hand can count. But he’s barely been on the field in his four years of big league action. Injuries continue to plague him.
“I sat down with the trainers and we have a plan in place,” he said. “Just working on my mobility and keeping my muscles loose. That’s something they feel will help me and not have those injuries I had in the past.”
He’s a .236 hitter with 12 homers and eight steals in 284 career at-bats with the Padres and Royals. A lefthanded hitter, he’s expected to be the team’s regular left fielder when he’s healthy.
“When I was growing up as a kid in the DR, Red Sox games were the ones that were always on,” he said. “And I grew up a big David Ortiz fan. Manny Ramirez, Pedro Martinez, even J.D. Drew — those were guys I really liked watching as a kid.
“It was always fun to be able to see all the championships that were won during my youth. That’s what made me into a fan.”
He knows he needs to prove himself quickly in Boston after largely disappointing in his first few big league seasons.
Asked if baseball fans have seen the best version of Cordero yet, he said, “No they obviously haven’t because I haven’t been on the field long enough. I haven’t been able to put a full season together. God-willing, people will be able to see who the real Franchy Cordero is this year.”
Groome hits 97 mph
It’s been a long road for Jay Groome, and there’s a lot of road left to travel.
The 22-year-old lefty made his first and only appearance of the spring on Saturday, throwing one scoreless inning while allowing one hit and a walk, striking out one.
Drafted No. 12 overall in 2016, the former high school standout needed Tommy John surgery and has taken the long road to the big leagues. He was optioned back to the alternate site after the game and will surely start the year in the minors.
“He flashed 96, 97 mph right away and has a feel for pitching,” Cora said. “I know he felt behind and he hasn’t pitched in a while. But it was good to see him competing at this level.
“We still have to work. There’s a lot of work with him. But you saw it today, stuff-wise. The slow breaking ball, the changeup and fastball, that was a good one. We’ve been patient and we’ll keep being patient with him. If he keeps throwing the ball the way he did today, the future is bright.”
Hernandez struggles with control in debut
Darwinzon Hernandez made his first appearance of the spring after losing 18 pounds this winter.
The 24-year-old lefty was listed at 6-foot-2, 255 pounds last year, but felt like he needed to become more flexible.
With a high-90s heater and sharp slider, he looks to be a weapon in the Sox’ bullpen this year.
He walked three batters and struck out one without allowing a hit in his only inning of work.
“We need him to be aggressive in the strike zone,” Cora said. “As we know, his fastball in the zone is a good one. There’s a lot of swings and misses. We have to be more aggressive.”