Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox wasted little time locking up Rick Porcello, who would have been a free agent after this season.

The Boston Red Sox's outfield crunch was billed as one of the spring's hottest storylines. In the end, it wound up less an epic battle and more a peacefully negotiated ceasefire.

Spring training declarations are a difficult beast to tackle. Putting too much weight in March statistics would be misguided, as Jake Fox and his 10 Grapefruit League home runs in 2011 remind us. "Jake Who?" you ask? Precisely. 

At the same time, this is the first extended look at the 30 MLB clubs, and in some cases managers are determining roster spots based on performance. So these games aren't entirely meaningless; they just have to be viewed through the proper lens. 

Coming into spring training, Mookie Betts, the Red Sox's seventh-ranked prospect by Baseball America in 2014, was supposed to compete with Cuban signee Rusney Castillo for the starting center field job.

To deem a young player or prospect as “untouchable” can sometimes backfire.

Injuries occur. Plateauing performances before hitting the majors happen more often than not. Other opportunities present themselves and make that player less valuable to an organization. Any number of scenarios can turn a once-untouchable player into a relative bust, or simply expendable. 

Close your eyes, Boston Red Sox fans, and picture Dustin Pedroia. Not the guy who fought through injuries the last two seasons as his power plummeted, but the old Pedroia. The MVP Pedroia.

FORT MYERS, Florida — Nights were the worst. You think of a major league baseball player, you think of a dreamy life with plush hotels.

There were no dreams for Mike Napoli. Only fear. In the middle of the night. Alone. When he would jolt awake, several times each evening, because he could not breathe.

Spring training is underway for the Boston Red Sox in Fort Myers, Florida.  The Red Sox have 40 players on their official roster in camp, as well as an additional 17 non-roster invitees.

Hey, Boston Red Sox fans: To borrow from The Hollies, he ain't heavy, he's your Panda.

You've seen the picture by now, as well as the accompanying tweet by Boston.com's Steve Silva. Or, in case you haven't:

Spring training is now underway for the Boston Red Sox in Fort Myers, Florida. The Red Sox have 57 players in camp preparing for the 2015 season. In addition to the full 40-man roster, there are also 17 non-roster invitees trying to prove they belong.