Ceddanne Rafaela News: Focusing on CF, adding strength

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Wednesday that he would like to keep Rafaela in center field "as long as possible" next season, Foul Territory TV reports.

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said something similar last offseason, and while Rafaela made 129 starts in center field in 2025, he was also needed for 19 starts at second base. Rafaela posted a .752 OPS with 14 home runs and an 18.8 percent strikeout rate through the end of July but had just a .622 OPS with two homers and a 22.2 percent strikeout rate between August and September. Cora attributed Rafaela's late-season struggles to the 25-year-old wearing down, and the team has tasked Rafaela with getting "bigger and stronger" this offseason so he won't become fatigued as easily.