Coming into the season, one of the biggest questions facing the Red Sox was whether or not Ceddanne Rafaela would make the big league team.

The 23-year-old was a difference-maker defensively at two of the most valuable positions on the field, but questions remained over whether he could hit well enough to justify a roster spot, especially with so many others vying for playing time.

Not only did Rafaela make the team, but he’s become one of the club’s most indispensable players and a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate.

Outside of Jarren Duran, who has played every game, nobody on the Red Sox has logged more playing time than Rafaela. Entering this weekend he’d played in all but two of Boston’s games, bouncing seamlessly between center field and shortstop, and his ability to play both at a high level has been a major factor in the club’s emergence as a playoff contender.

Few other American League rookies have established themselves as everyday players for their respective teams, much less at multiple positions.

“Playing alongside him has been a joy, to be able to bounce from shortstop to center field so seamlessly has been very impressive,” said outfielder Rob Refsnyder. “He’s really solidified the bottom of our order and defensively up the middle, especially as a rookie. I love playing with him, I think he’s a great kid.”

“I’m grateful for the trust (Alex Cora) gives me,” Rafaela said. “I just took the chance they’ve given me and I’m doing my best.”

Rafaela’s versatility and durability became especially important after shortstop Trevor Story was lost to injury barely a week into the season, and while the concerns about his bat were well founded early on, the rookie has made impressive strides.

Over the first two months, Rafaela batted .211 with a .626 OPS in 57 games, but in June and July he saw his performance take a big step forward. In 48 games, he batted .303 with a .776 OPS, helping bring his average for the season to a respectable .255 entering the weekend.

He’s also shown a knack for coming through in the clutch.

Despite primarily batting eighth or ninth, Rafaela came into the weekend ranked second on the team with 55 RBI. He’d also popped 12 home runs and tallied 15 stolen bases, making him the only AL rookie to reach both totals.

“The guy just puts in the work and it really shows,” Duran said. “We’ve all struggled and obviously he’s gone through a little bit but he’s coming out and absolutely raking right now, so it’s just a dedication to all his hard work.”

While Rafaela isn’t the favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year — FanDuel has Baltimore’s Colton Cowser and New York’s Luis Gil with the best odds, and Rafaela fifth — he’s built a unique case and could emerge as a favorite if he’s able to keep hitting down the stretch.

Besides leading all AL rookies in games played, he also ranks first in RBI, second in home runs and stolen bases, and third in batting average among those who have appeared in at least 80 games. He is also a Gold Glove candidate who might actually be the favorite to earn the award for AL utility players.

Cora said he thinks Rafaela absolutely deserves to be in the Rookie of the Year mix.

“I think people know that. I think they see the numbers and what he’s doing,” Cora said. “What he’s doing is very unique, to play center and shortstop a lot, that’s very unique and I think offensively he’s making strides, he’s getting better, obviously there are other guys that deserve to be in the conversation but he is part of the conversation.”

His teammates concur.

“Absolutely. We all know he’s an absolute highlight reel on the defensive side and he’s really picking it up on the offensive side,” Duran said, adding that he hopes the Red Sox will throw their weight behind him and start promoting his Rookie of the Year candidacy over the coming weeks and months.

Rafaela winning AL Rookie of the Year would be great news for the Red Sox, who would receive an extra draft pick after the first round of next summer’s draft thanks to Rafaela being eligible for the league’s Prospect Promotion Incentive program. It would also be a remarkable accomplishment for a young player who has already signed an eight-year extension that will keep him in Boston through the remainder of the decade.

Yet as validating as the award would be, Rafaela said his sights are mainly set on something else.

“Obviously to be recognized is nice, but it’s not the main goal,” Rafaela said. “The main goal is to win a World Series here, that’s my main goal.”

Trade deadline wrap-up

The Red Sox were active at this past week’s trade deadline, swinging five deals to bolster their starting rotation, fortify their bullpen and add another right-handed bat to help balance the lineup.

The club is undeniably better than they were before, but did they do enough to keep up with the other playoff contenders, all of whom made moves of their own?

Within the AL East, the Orioles and Yankees both loaded up for what should be a tight division race down the stretch. Baltimore added a pair of starters in Zach Eflin from the Rays and Trevor Rogers from the Marlins, bullpen arms Gregory Soto and Seranthony Dominguez, and other complementary pieces. The Yankees didn’t make as many trades, but they landed one of the best players on the market in infielder/outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr., one of baseball’s most exciting young players who is only now entering his prime.

Catcher Connor Wong of the Boston Red Sox looks down as Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the Miami Marlins celebrates his homer during the ninth inning of a 2023 MLB game at Fenway Park. Chisholm is now with the Yankees. (Matt Stone/Boston Herald)

New York also bolstered its bullpen by acquiring Mark Leiter Jr., but a deal for top starting pitcher Jack Flaherty reportedly fell through due to medical concerns.

The Mariners, who were just in town and remain one of Boston’s top Wild Card competitors, had an active deadline as well, acquiring first baseman Justin Turner and reliever Yimi Garcia from the Blue Jays, outfielder Randy Arozarena from the Rays, and more. The Astros also improved their rotation by landing Blue Jays lefty Yusei Kikuchi, though they paid a king’s ransom to get him.

The Royals, who Boston will face next this coming week, were also among the most active teams on the market. They added two relievers in Lucas Erceg and Hunter Harvey, a starter in Michael Lorenzen and power-hitting infielder Paul DeJong. The Guardians also added a badly needed corner outfielder in Lane Thomas and starter Alex Cobb, and the Twins brought in reliever Trevor Richards.

Time will tell who will emerge as the deadline’s winners in the short term, but over the long haul it’s hard to argue with what the Rays and Marlins were able to accomplish.

The two Florida franchises fully committed to selling and traded away everything that wasn’t nailed down. In the process they brought in a massive haul of minor league talent who should jumpstart their respective rebuilds and renew the small market clubs’ competitive cycles.

The Jays fared well too, though they didn’t go all the way and opted to hold on to top trade chips Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

If there’s one obvious loser of this trade deadline, however, it was the Chicago White Sox. Baseball’s worst club wasn’t able to deal Garrett Crochet and Luis Robert Jr., its top two trade chips, and they didn’t get as much back for the guys they did trade as others the Blue Jays or Marlins.

Chicago can try again this coming winter and presumably get a good haul then instead, but this week the White Sox had a chance to offer their fans some semblance of hope amid what has been a nightmare season. Instead they delivered only more disappointment and the promise of still worse days ahead.

Sox sign full class

Earlier this week the Red Sox wrapped up signing their entire draft class, the first time they’ve done so under the MLB Draft’s current 20-round format.

Three of Boston’s picks signed for over $1 million, and as expected first-round pick Braden Montgomery received the highest signing bonus. According to SoxProspects.com, he signed for $5 million, which was slightly under the $5,484,600 slot amount for the No. 12 overall pick.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, left, poses with Braden Montgomery, who was selected 12th overall by the Boston Red Sox in the first round of the MLB baseball draft in Fort Worth, Texas, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

The Red Sox also signed their second-round pick, left-hander Payton Tolle, to a $2 million bonus, over the $1,846,400 slot, and their third highest-paid selection was actually eight-round pick Conrad Cason. The two-way prep star from Georgia signed for $1,250,000, which is more than $1 million over slot for his draft position.

All are now expected to report to Fort Myers to begin their professional careers.

Rays stadium approved

Enjoy The Trop while you can, because in a couple of years the Tampa Bay Rays’ aging ballpark will officially be replaced.

Earlier this week the Rays cleared their final hurdle towards building a new ballpark, receiving approval from the Pinellas County commissioners to move forward on a massive mixed-use development in downtown St. Petersburg that will include the ballpark as its centerpiece.

The new stadium, which is estimated to cost $1.3 billion, will be located at the same site as Tropicana Field and is expected to be completed in time for the 2028 season.

The vote marks the end of a long stadium saga for the Rays, who have been trying to build a new home to replace Tropicana Field since 2007. The Rays considered numerous options, including sites across the bay in downtown Tampa, but will now remain in St. Petersburg for decades to come.

The Rays have played in Tropicana Field since their inaugural season in 1998, and the facility dates back to 1990, when it was built with the intention of luring an MLB expansion team. Featuring a sloping dome and four concentric rings of catwalks, several of which are in play, Tropicana Field has long been one of baseball’s oddest and most unique environments.

It’s also become something of a home away from home for the Red Sox, who have played over 200 games at Tropicana Field over the last 27 seasons and who have typically drawn big road crowds at the sparsely attended dome.

Silver Lake star signs with Reds

Stephen Quigley, a Halifax native who starred locally at Silver Lake Regional, has signed with the Cincinnati Reds as an undrafted free agent.

A 6-foot right-hander, Quigley started his college career at Division 3 Wheaton College and primarily played shortstop until his junior year, when he began pitching for the Lyons as well. He earned Division 3 All-American and NEWMAC Pitcher of the Year honors as a senior in 2022, and after that he transferred to Division 1 UConn as a graduate student and pitched two seasons for the Huskies.

He made an immediate impact in Storrs, earning First-Team All-Big East honors in 2023 before helping lead the Huskies to the NCAA Super Regional in his final college season this past spring.