Travis Shaw Wins 3B Job Over Pablo Sandoval

Travis Shaw will be the Red Sox's starting third baseman on Monday afternoon when the team begins its 2016 season in Cleveland. Pablo Sandoval - in the second year of a 5/95 deal - will be on the bench. Going into today's exhibition game, Shaw has an .886 spring OPS (.333/.377/.509) compared to .767 for Sandoval (.244/.279/.488).

Shaw:

If you had told me that coming in here, I probably wouldn't have believed you. I believed in myself at third for pretty much my whole career. It's just kind of taken a while for other people to kind of jump on board. I'm ready.

Sandoval:

It's the right decision to help the team win. I'm going to be happy. I'm going to be ready on the bench, get ready for anything. ... I just look at it as what is best for the team. I don't look at it in a selfish place. I look at it what is best for the team. If it is going to help win for the team, I'm happy. ... I'm just going to focus and keep working hard.

Shaw - who turns 26 on April 16 - made his major league debut last May. In 65 games, he hit .270/.327/.487 for an .813 OPS (115 OPS+).

Also: SoSH's Rick Rowand looks at Boston's "Damn the salaries, full speed ahead" attitude:

Two days ago, Farrell named Brock Holt! the strong side of a platoon with Chris Young in left field in place of Rusney Castillo. Not every manager or GM has the chutzpah to do that, even though they all pay lip service to it.