Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Monday that it's "premature" to suggest Arias could win a starting job during spring training, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.
Breslow also refused to commit to Trevor Story as the club's starting shortstop, as he wants to keep his options open as he looks to upgrade the roster this offseason. Arias had a breakout offensive season in 2026, slashing .323/.400/.557 with 25 home runs, nine stolen bases and a 53:74 BB:K over 117 games between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester. It seems Arias has little left to prove in the minors, but he'll turn just 21 next week and is not yet on the 40-man roster.